User reviews

Hence "How I live NOW". I was hesitant to rent this due to some poor ratings but glad I saw it. This is not a big budget movie, but I found that there was enough action to keep me interested and enough military "gear" to make the visuals plausible. Some have written about technicalities of the war and inconsistencies thereof, but I think that misses the point. The main character's perspective is dramatically changed by her experiences and she matures dramatically throughout the film. Some have also bagged on the romance, but first love is overwhelming and single focused. It is a simple straightforward film that didn't get too cute. Don't overthink it and you will enjoy it. The feel of the country house makes me want to move to Wales, although I am sure it is only that nice in weather for two weeks a year.

Daisy (Saoirse Ronan) is a young, broody, moody, American girl who is sent to stay with extended family in the English countryside. At first cynical about her summer arrangements and outwardly cold towards her jolly hosts, slowly she begins to thaw to their hospitable nature and thus begins to discover something within herself in this new setting – a home away from home. But just as she finds her place in the world, an unthinkable event occurs and everything is thrown into turmoil. In a World War III type scenario, she is taken away from those she now considers family in the first and with only the companionship of her young cousin Piper (Harley Bird), she must journey back across the warn torn English countryside, to the place she wants to call Home.

It's a curious pick n' mix type story that in some ways feels like two genres melded together. The immediate narrative feels very much like a teen 'chick flick', but this is played out over a dark backdrop that at times feels course and close to the bone.

To me, the running commentary of Daisy the American girl, outlining her disciplined set of rules and paranoia, felt a little cheesy in its attempt to force home the difference between English and American culture. So too do some of the romanticised elements of country living, such as the young fourteen year old cousin (Tom Holland) who drives without a license, or the dashing older cousin (George MacKay) who raises eagles and will suck the dirt out of a bloody cut. It's a pity because I felt some of the subtler signifiers, such as the character of the motherly aunt (Anna Chancellor), or indeed the setting of the old country home with it's beautiful but cluttered wood interior and the backdrop of rolling English countryside, spoke a thousand words that other forced elements could only ever hope to convey. In this way I felt the scenario in itself, a city girl living in the countryside, should have been self explanatory.

If you can manage to overlook some of the hammier elements of the narrative, the movie really gets interesting in the build up, and realisation, to war. Movies about atrocities of war generally maintain a degree of separation for the Western World viewer because of differences in geographical location, time or culture. Whereas, where zombie movies may deal with scenarios in a world as we know it, again we feel separated by the fantastical suspension of disbelief that has to be made in order to accept a universe where zombies can walk the Earth. How I Live Now is set in a time, a world, a space that is starkly familiar to our own and so the degree of separation --that this could really happen to us!-- is only a small leap of faith. Indeed, the detached manner of the news reporters add a level of verisimilitude as they sound very much like reports we might see on our own t.v. screens on any given day. And so the rate and horror at which we see State structures deteriorate after the bomb is dropped, can be felt vicariously.

By actually detaching itself from the politics, How I Live Now manages to depict a faceless horror to war that is far more disturbing than if we had all the answers at the ready. We are never quite certain, for example, what spurred the bomb in the first place: if it was an invasion from abroad or a movement from within. Are the government forces that split Daisy from her male cousins simply making poor decisions on her behalf? We are left wondering who the real enemy is, but that doesn't really matter anyway, as soon we learn that even in a war of 'sides', those caught in the middle can only become victims. The pile of bodies that Daisy shifts through is a scene that echoes real life atrocities and dumps the reality at our door. The story is powerful in this way, because even though it speaks through a 'pop' veneer, still it touches upon the human condition. Our heroine cannot hope to change outcomes outright, but rather, in a grim reality, try only to traverse a topsy-turvy environment haphazardly.

So overall, does the movie work? Perhaps not entirely for the reasons I stated above. The over romanticised elements may prove too much for some. Again, we have some Lassie Come Home moments in the later half of the movie which bordered on cheese for me. And yet I can't help but feel drawn to this flick – I have to give it kudos for its attempt to nit 'realism' and romanticism together. It's a quirky number with genuine flavour and thus, despite my criticism, manages to stick out in the mind while other more generic movies fade away from memory.

The American teenager Elizabeth "Daisy" (Saoirse Ronan) is sent by her estranged father away from New York to the countryside of England to stay with her Aunt Penn (Anna Chancellor). Her distant cousin Isaac (Tom Holland) welcomes her at the airport and drives her home. She is introduced to her cousins, the seventeen year-old Eddie (George MacKay) and the young Piper (Harley Bird) and to their friend Joe (Danny McEvoy). However Daisy is a resentful, needy of love and aloof girl that believes that is cursed and that bad things happen wherever she goes since her mother died in her delivery. Aunt Penn is a busy woman that is studying the war scenario in England that is in alert due to an eminent terrorist attack and needs to fly to Geneva. However, on the next morning, a nuclear bomb explodes in London and the authorities of the United Kingdom declare state of siege. Meanwhile Daisy and Eddie fall in love with each other, but they are separated by the military that send girls to a camp and men to another. Daisy and Eddie promise to meet each other again. In a country in war, Daisy and Piper flee from their lodging and cross England in martial law trying to find Eddie and Isaac.

"How I Live Now" was a great surprise since I was expecting to see a drama about a rebel teenager and I found an original come of age story in time of contemporary war. Saoirse Ronan is presently one of the most promising young actresses and her performance in the role of a girl that finds love and reaches maturity is top-notch. The little Harley Bird is another promising actress and I look forward to see her again. My vote is seven.

Title ( Brazil ): "Minha Nova Vida" ("My New Life")

Beautifully constructed, and always wistful, this enchanting little film features hard choices (not always wise ones), an air of dread and strong acting. Ronan centers the film as her character goes from cranky kid to driven survivor. The failure to explain the background in more detail is not a failure at all. It is not relevant for anything more than was portrayed. It just gets the story started. This is about the characters and their will to survive.

There aren't many wrongs here and the film's refusal to fix all problems increases the sense of loss and admiration for the courage of Ronan's character. Well done.

How I Live Now is an interesting look at what happens to a group of young people who are left to fend for themselves once World War 3 breaks out. The main character is a self obsessed girl visiting from America, who has to grow up in a hurry once her and her cousins are rounded up and separated by the army. The cousins all vow to make their way back to their house no matter where they are taken. This story is fairly well made, with equal time spent developing characters and allowing the story to unfold. The acting is good for the most part, with Saoirse Ronan doing a terrific job in the main role. Although it sometimes seems a little too unbelievable in parts, overall this post apocalyptic film strives for a smaller more intimate portrayal of the aftermath, and does a decent job accomplishing just that. 3 Beards Out Of 5

This film starts out on a slow burn, but is not about car chases, explosions or blood and gore. With that out the way, what it is, is warmly filmed and deftly directed. I found it a very enjoyable exploration of the aftermath of a civil war, and the impact that has on several young lives. Some reviewers have commented that setting that civil war in the UK is not realistic. But that is to wholly miss the point of this movie. It's a film about people under extreme adversity and random circumstance, the setting is peripheral. Its about they deal with the fast changing situation, and the changes that occur in them as a result. Well paced from at least a quarter of the way in the ending is emotional and moving. I'll leave it for you to judge if you agree with me. So long as your not looking for a happy movie, but something that digs a little deeper.... then I don't think you will be disappointed.

A competent but problematic tale of love in a time of war told from a teen perspective. Ronan is excellent in the role of Daisy, an American girl who falls for her cousin during an idyllic summer in Britain that is disrupted by the outbreak of war, but her character starts out as intensely dislikeable and never really recovers, and the backdrop of the war against which the romance is played out is so sketchily portrayed that its vagaries become a major distraction. And, yes, sexual relations between cousins is legal in Britain.

There is some extraordinary sensitivity in Saoirse Ronan that made me watch the trailer that eventually led me to the movie. It is beautifully shot drama. Its dynamics created by the sequence of light and darkness, nature and civilization is so captivating that you are up in it right till the end.The portrayal of a nuclear war is not too light so it is believable, but not too dark so it leaves you hope. The film deals with the great theme of significant vs petty in life which makes you once again to think about what you really care about in this raw nerved life. There is some reaffirming conclusions about the one's will power that can do much greater deal that helping restrain the desire for chocolate,which could've been brought a bit further. But overall it is an interesting movie that asks the right questions, the only right answers being within each and everyone of us.

The movie was a mess. Although the storyline was intriguing, the more it progressed, the more flat it became. The film is pretty much like the teenage lead, confused with what it wants to be. A lot of young adult novels fall into this trap when adapted for the screen. Does it want to be an action thriller? Dark psychological teen drama? A fantasy? Sci-fi? Teen romance? It tries to mesh all these things and fails. Also, another main point of contention is the very unlikeable lead performance by Ronan. She simply does not have the acting chops to pull off the role. Her part was so phoned in. Saving graces are the magnetic performances of George MacKay and Tom Holland. They both shine wonderfully and did the best they could with the weak material. The young sister was also very good in her role.

Acknowledgments to some of the dark, dreamy sequences and some of the action and effects scenes.

I love going into a movie blind. Avoiding trailers for newly released movies is effective but inevitably I'll find myself stumbling upon a synopsis or tweet review. Luckily, when going back and watching older movies, it's much easier to avoid marketing material. That's the predicament I found myself in with 'How I Live Now', only knowing about it because Saoirse Ronan is one of my favorite actresses. Posing as a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, it's much more psychologically romantic than anything else. I wasn't necessarily on board with the romance however, for obvious reasons you'll know once you see the movie, it was nonetheless, an always interesting, always engaging watch. The way it manages to mix a handful of genres should be applauded, at the very least.

6.5/10

This was a beautiful and artistic movie. I loved all the scenes especially at the beginning. The country house, the animals, the kids everything in perfect balance. Even a Series IIA Land Rover, what more could you ask for. I was hoping to see a friendly badger, but I guess they read the tea leaves correctly. This movie reminded me a little bit of the "Lord of the Flies" a movie made during a time of political insanity where nuclear war hung over everyone's head. They say that artists see things long before anyone does, so hopefully this movie is a warning of a potential future outcome which does not have to happen. The acting was superb, Piper was so brave. Imagine if you could have your first love!

HOW I LIVE NOW is a poignant, disturbing, enthralling, and horrific film. Wonderful soundtrack and natural imagery that contrasts beautifully with the ugly and treacherous human world. Allegorical qualities: We don't know many of the specifics of who the terrorists are, the backgrounds of many characters, their full names, exact locations in Britain, etc. In those and many other respects, HILN is more for the heart than the head.

Good performance by Saoirse Ronan as Daisy, a brash, cantankerous, and troubled American teenager who is sent to live with some distant relatives in the English countryside. Ditto for the others who play the various teenagers and children. However, the relationship between Daisy and Eddie develops a bit suddenly and unconvincingly; with everything else that is happening here, the character development suffers. I have not yet read Meg Rosoff's original novel, but I would guess that it is yet another book that can never be done justice on screen. Nevertheless, I found this film well worth watching, and it should prove especially useful as a basic illuminator for the book.

"Love will lead you home."

How I Live Now is kind of a difficult film to categorize while at the same time it is also very hard to connect with. Scottish director, Kevin Macdonald, who has had some hits (The Last King of Scotland) and some misses (The Eagle) delivers a film that I would rank in the middle, not as good as his best movies, but not as bad either. It is hard to categorize because it stays away from generic formulas by combining classic teenage romantic elements in an indie style apocalyptic universe. It's this ideal and peaceful world that Macdonald presents that is all of a sudden interrupted by a meaningless war creating a pretty powerful metaphor with some strong imagery. But at the same time the film is also very hard to connect with because the main character is introduced as a hateful and guarded teenager who slowly begins to change when she falls in love with her cousin. I found the film tolerable thanks to Saoirse Ronan's lead performance. She is one of the most talented teenage actresses of our time and is always dependable (except for The Host, which was a film that no one could have saved). Her performance was the highlight of the film and despite how hateful her character was at the beginning of the film she quickly grew on me. She shines in a film that changes tones and moods very quickly and Ronan is just captivating despite all the issues I had with this film.

Daisy (Saoirse Ronan) is an American teenager who is sent to England to spend the summer with her cousins at their countryside home. She doesn't seem very excited about her trip and alienates herself from her family when she first arrives. The house is kind of a mess as her aunt (Anna Chancellor) is very busy and her cousins pretty much take care of themselves and their many pets. She begins to fall for her oldest cousin, Eddie (George MacKay), who treats her well despite her initial withdrawal. As days pass she begins to warm up to her younger cousins, Isaac (Tom Holland) and Piper (Harley Bird), and soon enough she begin to enjoy what seems to be a perfect summer. Their ideal world changes when a nuclear bomb explodes in the city and a major war breaks out. Daisy and her cousins will now have to learn how to survive in this dangerous world that begins closing in on them violently.

How I Live Now was adapted by Jeremy Brock (The Last King of Scotland) from Meg Rosoff's 2004 apocalyptic novel of the same name. In my opinion the screenplay didn't translate very well during some scenes, especially those involving Daisy's thoughts which sometimes reminded me of Ronan's work in The Host where she would talk to her other self. These scenes where we could hear her thinking about all the rules she needed to follow were pointless and kind of took me out of the story. The love story was also pretty weird considering she begins a relationship with her cousin and never has second thoughts about incest or anything like that. The film never tries to explore these issues, it simply tells a story through her eyes. What did work for me were the scenes in the beautiful English countryside and how the director focused on this family without shifting to a big scale during the war. It remained small and focused on these characters. The film also took me by surprise during some scenes as it shifted in tones quite a bit. Overall I thought it was an average anti-war film that will be enjoyed mostly by Ronan fans.