Two films

I saw two films this week that I enjoyed.

The first was Lady Bird, which I saw in theater on Sunday. I loved a lot about this film: the quirky young lady who was the protagonist, her friends, her relationship with her mom. The movie, I thought, painted Catholic schools, priests, and nuns in a very positive light, which I would not have expected. One of the nuns turns out to be a wise and caring mentor for the girl. The movie is also, but not overtly, pro-life. I say this because it portrays abortion not with euphemisms but shows its reality: the death of a real human being with long-term consequences for the world. I also love the film just because it's a full-hearted, fresh coming-of-age story, one of my favorite genres.

The second film was God's Own Country. This one was mildly uncomfortable to watch, because of some graphic (gay sex) scenes and brief (male) nudity, but I fell in love with the story. There were some parts that seemed unrealistic, but it didn't take away from the story as a whole. It's basically the story of a broken, motherless young man living on a farm in Yorkshire, England that has no hope of a future. He lives with and works for his dying father, and also a grandmother. He drinks heavily and engages in anonymous, degrading, emotionless sex. It all changes when a foreigner comes to help on the farm and he falls in love for the first time, and gradually becomes a full, vulnerable human being, which you see for the first time in a kiss. I love how the film progresses with little dialogue and mostly by gestures and silent moments. It's a sweet story with a surprise ending.