31 - Film Review - How I Live Now

Saw a cool film in the cinema this evening.. How I Live Now. I saw it, with my wife, it in the Castlebar Cinema so when there was a quiet moment in the film we were able to hear sounds from the paper thin walls of the screen beside us. All of this did not in any way detract from the tension filled any sometimes scary atmosphere of the setting. Not scary in a "he's behind you!" kinda way - think more like Children Of Men. The kind of scary that makes you go "holy God I hope this never happens in real life" and you find yourself saying it because you know in the back of your mind that this

really

could

happen.

How I Live Now

What the "this" is that I am talking about you will have to watch the film to find out. The picture itself it nicely shot. Kinda has a nice indie feeling to it, you know, there is no sun flare happening all the time around fully glassed interior buildings a la Jerry Brucheimer. No, this was one of the times that a film could have done with a bit of optimistic sun flare but the films grim setting would not allow for it.


Saoirse Ronan is fantastic in it as the initially flippant Daisy who personally morphs to adapt to the changing surrounding about her. The male lead is played by George MacKay who has an equally turbulent time as Edmond.

I cannot ever give away story lines as I totally believe in not spoiling a film. But I can say when a film appelled to me. Well shot but obviously on a non-Hollywood budget. The music was great, acting for the most part was good. The idea is the film is very good, I'd say it is a cracking book but I do not know.

Is How I Live Now worth seeing in the cinema or is it one of those films that would do equally well on a smaller screen? There are no David Lean style sweaping vistas in it or massive special effect moments that have to be seen on a 40 foot screen so yeah I guess that it would do to see it at home if you have a good screen with good sound and some peace and quiet for a few hours. These are things that you should get in big screen however (ahem Movie World in Castlebar) so that you could immerse yourself in the story driven chilling bleak vision of the world that is How I Live Now.

Acting 7
Picture 6.5
Story 8.5
Sound 7

Carraroe And The City Rating :- 7.25/10