Few could say they knew the name Greta Gerwig before. July 21, 2023, the release date of his latest cinematic success. with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling”Barbie“. Not all and not all female directors manage to become almost as famous as their film product, but still Gerwig seems to be a real revelation to the general public this year. slowly becoming as iconic as his film.
At forty, Greta Gerwig boastsAn eclectic career as a director, actress and screenwriter independent cinema, initially reaching mainstream cinema in recent years. In every film she makes, no matter what role she plays, Greta Gerwig seems to walk away. his personal imprint, fresh and modern, subtle yet impressive.
During her debut as an actress and not as an author, as she initially hoped, Greta Gerwig never leaves her pen and collaborates on various texts that she interprets. first with the main representatives of indie cinema “mumblecore“, then with a partner Noah Baumbach, met on set Greenberg in 2011 to directorial debut With Ladybug and his first Golden Globe.
Among the topics closest to Gerwig’s heart is the coming-of-age story (majority) in women’swhich will also lead her to choose the director of a typical American Bildungsroman, Little ladiesAND.
In a word, Greta Gerwig is one of the first Focus on the wonderful crazy way women grow upemphasizing many different nuances what this life path entails.
Find titles signed and interpreted by Gerwig. can be a useful experiencespoilers: all movies are good)and even help us better understand his latest project Barbie, more complex and multifaceted what you think.
Below I 5 films with Greta and about Gretalisted in release order, which we recommend watching:
- Hanna climbs the stairs
- Francis Ha
- Ladybug
- Small woman
- White noise
Beginning Greta Gerwig: Hanna climbs the stairs and indie mumblecore
Although Gerwig aspired to be a screenwriter, her first major roles were in independent films. emerging film movement.mumblecore“.
What is the mumblecore genre? Here’s how it’s defined a subgenre of low-budget (predominantly American) independent films where the narrative is driven forward not so much by plot but by the strength and freshness of dialogue. Another notable element of the mumblecore subgenre is the r style.natural arousalwhich even makes room for details improvise
Among the leading directors of the current mumblecore were “The Brothers Duplass” (Mark and Jay, directors Cyrus AND marsupial heads) AND Joe Swansbergin which Gerwig starred LAUGHING OUT LOUD and subsequently for this Hanna climbs the stairs an independent comedy that many will regard as Mumblecore poster.
The film, written by Gerwig, is about Hanna, a recent college graduate intern at a film studio in Chicago, and is torn between two men (writers) as she tries to find direction in her adult life, both personally and professionally.
Hanna climbs the stairs therefore, it must be restored in order to admire the first Greta Gerwig, screenwriter and actress, and because there are already seeds of what would later become her author’s poetics.
Francis Ha (2012) and Ladybug (2017): mini saga of coming of age
Some say that with Ladybugher directorial debut, Greta Gerwig wanted to continue what she had already begun, along with her partner Noah Baumbach, with Francis Ha.
Francis Ha is a poetic and subtle film that, despite its black and white, among the most contemporary generational portraits of the 2010s.
Gerwig, again, is the main character (it seems that it cannot be otherwise) and just like in “Ladybug” c“So much is autobiographical in the story of what it means for a woman to grow up today and find her place in the world. Saying “for a woman”, as was said with Barbie (Here is an analysis) does not necessarily mean an anti-male critique or an exaggeration of the anti-female aspects of contemporary society, quite the contrary. Francis Ha he speaks, in accordance with his title, simply about Francis Ha, A 27-year-old dancer who seeks in friendship, work and love a self-affirmation that cannot be separated from a feminine, not a feminist reflection. And again, Greta’s feminism is there, but you can’t see it, you can feel it, light as the wind throughout the story. Gerwig plays the role masterfully. nominated for her first Golden Globe.
If Francis Ha talks about growing up in today’s world approaching 30, Ladybug this is the prequel that speaks instead of the transition, delicate and stormy, from adolescence to adulthood, therefore, coming of age par excellence. So why, if so much has already been written and filmed on this topic, is this film worth watching?
Why Ladybug And the director’s first film written and directed by Greta Gerwig pouring into it and abandoning it entirely, starting with his personal history. Ladybug is Greta Gerwig at her best. As the main character (and therefore a good part of himself), the director chooses one of the most expressive and bright young actresses of modern cinema, Saoirse Ronan, from which begins a partnership (and friendship) that continues to this day. Ronan’s character is a teenager who is different and at the same time so similar to girls her own age in terms of mood swings, rebellious instincts, and relationships with her parents, especially her mother. More than calling it a movie coming of age purely, in fact, one should talk mainly about movies about mother-daughter relationships which emerges in all its complexity from the film, especially in the final sequence, as the predominant message of the story.
The first film entirely written and directed by Greta Gerwig won her a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture or Musical Comedy in 2017.
Little Women (2019) Greta Gerwig
Given a passion for growth experiences, it’s not surprising (if not gratifying) to find that Gerwig wrote and directed in 2019 a new adaptation of “Small womanBased on the novel Bildungsroman by Louisa May Alcott. Now his seventh film and television version has been released.
For the junior cast, Greta chooses the most talented, in her opinion, modern actors, making them more spectacular than ever: we find Saoirse Ronan as Jo March, the prevailing point of view and writer’s sister and later rising star Florence Pugh like Amy March, with a proud and brilliant personality. AND, creme de la creme, Gerwig chooses Timothy Chalametat the height of her Hollywood dominance to play the March sisters’ friend and romantic interest, Laurie.
Story Small woman it is already a masterpiece of literature not only in the United States, where the theme of growth and emotional connections intersects with the historical context of the American Civil War, but if possible, Gerwig gives it even more light and modernity.
Small woman it is always an original film, confirming the role of the director and author in the modern cinematic and cultural panorama. Gerwig continues to prove herself as a strong and hard-to-ignore songwriter’s voice, and audiences and critics alike are curious to know what project she’ll be aiming for next.
White Noise (2022): Gerwig’s final acting test for the ‘impossible’ film
Bye “Small woman” warms the hearts of viewers around the world, it is announced that Gerwig’s partner Noah Baumbach has been working on the first, very daring adaptation of Don DeLillo’s novel White Noise, one of the cornerstones of American literature internationally.
The news calls hype not indifferent in the film and literary environment: many have already tried in vain to adapt the novel for cinema, but to no avail. There is one in the novel unearthly plot and elusive morality, and a unique style that is difficult to translate into another language. However, Noah Baumbach rises to the challenge and chooses Adam Driver will play the title role, while Greta Gerwig will play Babette, his wife and co-star.
The film follows the adventures of Jack Gladney, a university professor in the 1980s and founder of the Hitler Studies Department. But soon, he and his family must flee from a mysterious poisoning caused by an air current…
Gerwig’s role in the cast does not have an exact continuity with the characters she has previously played, because the story itself is not about learning or growth in the strict sense and is perhaps its least intense and intimate, albeit a good interpretation.
However, we like to think that she supported her partner in his “impossible mission”. that both are now an essential presence in the life and art of a partner. And who knows what else these two will decide to give us in the future. All we have to do is watch and wait, confident that they are unlikely to disappoint us.
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