By: debbie lynn elias
Adapted from the young adult novel by Meg Rosoff, screenwriters Jeremy Brock and Tony Grisoni bring this apocalyptic coming-of-age dystopian drama to life under the skilled construct of director Kevin Macdonald. HOW I LIVE NOW overwhelms one with emotion thanks to strong performances by Saoirse Ronan, Tom Holland and George MacKay, punctuated with a visual palette so evocative as to take one’s breath away.
Self-absorbed American teen Daisy is sent by her father to live for the summer with her aunt and British cousins in an idyllic pastoral countryside near London. With earbuds practically glued in and iPhone plugged in 24/7, Daisy tunes out to the world around her. Allegedly hearing voices in her head as the reason for the necessary “white noise” of the iPhone, it’s also her excuse for popping pills and obsessing about germs, food and body image. Intent on not having a good time, her cousins, Isaac, Edmond, the precocious Piper and kid next door Joe think she’s just a loon. But as everyone goes about their days, Daisy slowly finds some solace in what was her now deceased mother’s old bedroom.
More or less left in charge of the kids by her aunt who is embroiled in peace negotiations in Switzerland, all hell breaks loose when a nuclear device is detonated in London. Alone and cut off from the world, a sense of hyper-realism kicks in thanks to strong visuals that mimic the explosion, turning HOW I LIVE NOW it into a fully sensory and emotional experience.
Now left to fend for themselves, each one learns about individual and collective strengths, and no one moreso than Daisy who, together with Piper, fights her way across England back to the family homestead after being captured by the military and spirited away, put to work as slave labor. Joe, Isaac and Eddie, also taken to a separate location, also vow to find a way back home.
From the point of “capture”, Macdonald shifts POV to strictly that of Daisy as we are plunged into a post-apocalyptic England – and possibly world – witnessing genocide, mass graves, attempted rapes, murders, looting, pillaging. So powerful is Macdonald’s construct that there are moments one feels he or she is losing their own innocence just watching hell unfold. This is stellar storytelling. A calculated blend of heart, thriller, suspense and romance that has the emotional impact of a nuclear explosion. From story to performance to cinematographer Franz Lustig’s amazing visual, one is captivated, enthralled. You don’t look away. You CAN’T look away.
With a Juno Temple quality to her, as Daisy, Saoirse Ronan is piercing, a force of nature. Her chemistry with George MacKay’s Edmond aka “Eddie” is like liquid mercury. Elusively seductive and explosive and poignantly moving to the point of tears as their dynamic reverses positions. You FEEL the love between Daisy and Eddie; love that fuels the survival instinct.
Scene-stealing is the preciously enchanting Harley Bird. The epitome of heart, joy and innocence, as Piper, she is – and pardon the pun – but as delicious as a box of chocolates – you never know what she’ll say or do, but you know you’ll love it. Equally strong are Tom Holland as Isaac and Danny McEvoy as Joe.
One of my faves of the year. An incredible story, powerful emotion, another strong female character in today’s mix of books and movies, HOW I LIVE NOW is lesson on how the world should live – always.
Directed by Kevin Macdonald
Written by Jeremy Brock and Tony Grisoni based on the novel by Meg Rosoff
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, George MacKay, Tom Holland, Danny McEvoy, Harley Bird
