It’s okay to cry, but laughing while cringing is way better…
On this episode of Adjust Your Tracking, Joe and I discuss two fantastic new releases in “The Square” and “Lady Bird,” joining them together in a comedic package, even though the films are nothing alike otherwise. Indeed, it’s too broad a description to label either of these films — the latter a remarkable coming of age period piece by writer/director Greta Gerwig and the former a Palme d’Or-winning arthouse comedy epic from Ruben Ostlund (“Force Majeure“) — but examining them together leads to fruitful chatter.
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Despite the two films many differences, they both examine complex relationships and characters that are honest and real, warts and all. “Lady Bird” may be set in 2002 but it still speaks to modern concerns, with a specific, fully-realized milieu that never falls into easy sentiment or nostalgia. Instead, it achieves a universal quality that should be relatable for many. And “The Square” packs in so much to its 2.5 hour run time that a first viewing can be daunting, but incredibly rewarding. It’s a film with a lot on its mind and made by a director who knows how to achieve it all. Its ambitions are met by the execution.
My choice for our special segment HOLD UP, in which we look back at a movie to see if it, in fact, holds up, has been put on the back burner until we can fit it into another episode. We’re still planning to discuss David O. Russell‘s 2004 misfire (or masterwork?), “I Heart Huckabees,” just not sure when. So stay tuned If you’d like to keep up.
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As always, thanks for listening!