★ 8 / 10
Maggie meets George at a bar. He has
Kenneth Axel Carlsson
Maggie meets George at a bar. He has fallen for her while she was singing, and wants to know everything about her life. He finally gets her sad story, how the…
Maggie meets George at a bar. He has fallen for her while she was singing, and wants to know everything about her life. He finally gets her sad story, how the authorities took her four children (after one of them was burned badly when she was out working), how the man she was with continously beat her. Her life was a tragic one, and of course she doesn't trust anyone.
George, by the way, is from Paraguay and has a tragic story of his own. He is a man with a strong will, and believes that he can change Maggie and give her the life that she deserves. Two times, Maggie and George makes a baby, and both times the authorities comes to take them away. Imagine how you would react to having 6 children removed from you, now imagine how Maggie and George reacts. It is a heartbreaking story, and sadly, a true one.
Ken Loach is a master of showing us how life really is. He doesn't want to sugarcoat anything, he just wants us to realize that these people are real, that they are our neighbours and friends, the people we pass on the street, see in the supermarket. He also wants to show us how wrong the system is (I think), and how little they care for the parents and, ultimately, the children. I mean, sure, if the kids were actually beaten or abused, they would need to be removed right away, but in this movie, there is no evidence to suggest that. So aren't the kids better off with their real parents? Throughout the movie, Maggie gets worse (only barely hanging on to her sanity), as the system strip her of all dignity, we even learn that she was abused as a kid, and placed at an institution.
You have to love a real life drama, to love this movie. There is no wonderland here to hide in, and even though the end suggests that Maggie and George finally got to keep three children (and become a family), there is no happy ending here. It is unbearable to watch at times, but only because the actors does a great job at making this seem real. Life can be unbearable.
_Last words... don't be intimidated by the story. This is no action movie, but you'll definitely be the better person for watching it._
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★ 7 / 10
A Hard Character To Feel Sorry For
chinaskee
I've seen this film twice now,and although it can be argued that the character of Maggie is as much a victim of the system as her children,it's just really…
I've seen this film twice now,and although it can be argued that the character of Maggie is as much a victim of the system as her children,it's just really difficult to feel sorry for her.We have here a woman who has 5 children by 5 different fathers,continually makes bad choices in men and continues her cycle of abuse,has one son almost die in a tragic accident that is a direct result of her leaving them alone,and then can't understand why Social Services can't just stay out of her life and let her raise the rest of her children.The performances are top-notch here,but Maggie is more to be pitied for her lack of responsible behavior than anything else.
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★ 8 / 10
Intense Drama with even more intense acting
erwan_ticheler
I have seen several Ken Loach films in the past like BREAD AND ROSES and MY NAME IS JOE and I really think that Loach is one of the most talented directors…
I have seen several Ken Loach films in the past like BREAD AND ROSES and MY NAME IS JOE and I really think that Loach is one of the most talented directors around.His social films are very intense and miles away from your regular Hollywood or Pinewood movie.
I thought that MY NAME IS JOE was an intense drama(and it is very much so)but LADYBIRD LADYBIRD is the absolute powerhouse of drama and despare.The acting performances of Crissy Rock and Vladimir Vega are so intense that it seems to be really happening.Loach uses a lot of unexperienced actors to play in his films and this time around it's no different.Both Rock and Vega make their cinema debut here.The fact that Loach uses these unfamiliar people enhances the reality of his films.
The verbal fights between Rock and the social workers are almost unwatchable as are the fights she has with her former boyfriend. The way that Loach uses flashbacks to tell the story is very well done.
Still there are some points of criticism.I know that the film is based on a true story but some things are not very realistic.For instance why should a political refugee of Paraguay start an affair with a sad and unbalanced woman from Mersy Side.Also the parts with the social workers are slightly overdone,but maybe it's the truth.If it is,then I'm afraid to say that these folks are absolutely cold hearted.
LADYBIRD LADYBIRD is the most intense film I've ever seen.It's very hard to watch but even harder not to. 9/10
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