REVIEW: "White Bird" (2024)


WRITER'S NOTE: The following was originally posted on my Facebook page on October 15, 2024. 

Originally slated for a 2022 theatrical release, this sequel to the 2017 coming-of-age drama Wonder was delayed twice before finally hitting the big screen. And it was worth the wait. Based on R.J. Palacio’s graphic novel of the same name, the story follows the now-teenage Julian (one of the boys who bullied the young protagonist of that first film, played once again by Bryce Gheisar). 

The real arc, however, is when his grandmother (Helen Mirren) tells him a harrowing story from her own childhood, when the teenage Sara (Ariella Glaser) fled the Nazi regime in France during the Holocaust, and one disabled classmate named Julien (Orlando Schwerdt) helped her find refuge in his family’s barn. “We had both seen how much hate people are capable of, and how much courage it took to be kind,” Mirren’s Grandmère tells us, “Because when kindness can cost you your life, it becomes like a miracle.” 

Despite its difficult subject matter, White Bird is a lovely and worthwhile film that (mostly) handles its sentimentality very well. The inclusion of seasoned actresses like Mirren and Gillian Anderson (who plays Julien’s mother) give the film credibility and gravitas. Aided by Thomas Newman’s profound score, Marc Forster’s skilled direction, and Matthias Koenigswieser’s amazing cinematography, viewers are transported to imaginative worlds that shine as beacons of hope and endurance during (a) time(s) of great loss and tragedy. (Sara is an aspiring artist, while Julien works as a movie theatre projectionist.) 

More importantly, this is a poetic and bittersweet story about kindness and bravery over cruelty and cowardice, and how the former can be expressed through the arts, in turn reminding us of our humanity. It’s also a reminder of why we need stories like this. I cannot recommend this film enough. 

#filmfreeq #bekerianreviews #21stcenturycinema #lionsgate #participantmedia #kingdomstorycompany #rjpalacio #marcforster #whitebird2024

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