Friday, February 14, 2025

“WHITE BIRD”

THE STORY – Struggling to fit in at his new school after being expelled for his treatment of Auggie Pullman, Julian is visited by his grandmother and is transformed by the story of her attempts to escape Nazi-occupied France during World War II.

THE CAST – Ariella Glaser, Orlando Schwerdt, Bryce Gheisar, Gillian Anderson & Helen Mirren

THE TEAM – Mark Forster (Director) & Mark Bomback (Writer)

THE RUNNING TIME – 120 Minutes


A lot of movies, even good ones, can get lost to time and garner very little cultural footprint. Works that have modest financial success and critical acclaim can be revered in the moment but suddenly lose their impact as the years pass. It certainly seems that for many, there isn’t a great deal that is memorable about 2017’s “Wonder,” a film that had a huge return on investment and scored a worthy Oscar nomination for its impressive makeup effects. It’s no mystery that taking a property that was relatively inexpensive and made more than ten times its production budget at the box office would be inevitable. After a two-year delay, “White Bird” finally arrives as the next chapter in this tale, and what it presents is an endearing story of fighting hatred through a palatable lens for a family audience.

For those unfamiliar with the events of the previous film, a young boy with a facial disfigurement became a guiding beacon of inspiration as he overcame the perceptions of his disability to find self-confidence despite the taunting of his classmate Julian (Bryce Gheisar), who ultimately was expelled. Now, at a new school, Julian feels isolated and reluctant to connect with others. This urges his grandmother (Helen Mirren) to tell him the story of when she was a girl living in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. Young Sara (Ariella Glaser) was a precocious young girl with an active social life who also cast aside any concern for those not like herself, particularly the boy stricken with polio ostracized by his classmates who also has the name Julian (Orlando Schwerdt). Her seemingly carefree existence is shattered by the encroaching Nazi soldiers who have overtaken her small village and begun rounding up the Jews. She escapes with the aid of her classmate and hides in his family’s barn. While there, she develops a stronger bond with Julian, learning to care for this person she initially dismissed as the world succumbs to cruelty.

Marc Forster is one of those directors with a consistent track record of being a solid work-for-hire without ever having a distinct style to call his own. He fits within a glossy studio sheen that is absolutely felt here, and the filmmaking reflects that lack of authorship. At the same time, he does get credit for establishing a charming relationship between these two central characters. For all his faults, Forster has shown a talent for getting good performances out of his younger actors, and he manages to craft an environment that elevates those aspects that are appealing to a more youthful crowd. The scenes of danger have a compelling tension without being overly bleak, and the budding romance fits in line with how these young adults would behave. The film does have bloat to it, and the pacing at the top of the second act does start to slow down the momentum, but the direction does its best to keep up an engaging atmosphere, especially with the assistance of Thomas Newman’s sweeping score.

Writer Mark Bombak is a similar company hire, whose previous work on large-scale action spectacles seems to be at odds with this more grounded material. In truth, the writing can feel stilted in many parts, with some stiff dialogue that can impede one’s immersion within the story. The framing device with the modern-day characters also threatens to disrupt the narrative’s rhythm but, fortunately, is not an overused ploy. The true strength is less of the mechanics of the storytelling and more of the themes being explored. It may seem like a simplified examination of the Nazi occupation, but it does serve as an important lesson in combating prejudices. This is true both in the massacre of Europe’s Jewish population as well as the pre-judgments made on neighbors without taking the opportunity to know them on a human level. These observations may seem quaint but ultimately work in the tone the film has established. In that respect, the script does not exceed any extraordinary territory but does showcase a captivating story attempting to appeal to a less mature audience.

The performances from the whole ensemble may range in their overall impression, but none are giving actively bad turns either. There is a hurdle one must overcome at first to hear characters who are living in the French countryside all speak with English accents, but one assumes it is meant to accommodate the child performers. Glaser and Schwerdt both have strong moments and deliver a grounded believability in such grandiose circumstances. Each has arcs that take them from a reserved emotional state to one that is more open with themselves and each other, and they embody these aspects quite well. They serve film much better than many of their counterparts, especially those who end up joining the Nazi youth program and are not giving nuanced performances. The adults are mostly serviceable, including an appearance from Gillian Anderson as Julian’s mother, though she does have effective moments. Gheisar and Mirren are not tasked to do much in their setting, though the former at least showcases a tad more emotion than Mirren’s mostly stoic narration.

It’s easy to watch “White Bird” and think what it’s attempting to depict is not particularly revolutionary. While that’s true to a certain extent, what it offers the viewer is a mostly engrossing perspective on an atrocity filtered through a tolerable viewpoint. It also comes with a valuable lesson on the importance of connectivity that adults may find reductive but feels efficient for those who have not yet had the life experience to comprehend such education. The storytelling plays broad but appropriate for the tone that is set, and the film becomes an absorbing portrait that succeeds despite the flaws, especially with the assist of Thomas Newman’s sweeping score. Tonally, it fits right in line with its predecessor as another example of work that can instill important messaging that needs to be taken to heart.

THE RECAP

THE GOOD - There is a worthy message about battling prejudices that is suitable for a younger audience, and it is delivered with an effective tone. The filmmaking balances the moments of tension with endearing emotional connections, and the storytelling explores its themes suitably. The performances are all mostly compelling.

THE BAD - The direction lacks style and can leave sections with a slow pace. The script has some stilted dialogue. Some of the supporting cast have difficulty selling the time and place in a believable way.

THE OSCAR PROSPECTS - None

THE FINAL SCORE - 7/10

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Josh Parham
Josh Parhamhttps://nextbestpicture.com
I love movies so much I evidently hate them. Wants to run a production company.

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<b>THE GOOD - </b>There is a worthy message about battling prejudices that is suitable for a younger audience, and it is delivered with an effective tone. The filmmaking balances the moments of tension with endearing emotional connections, and the storytelling explores its themes suitably. The performances are all mostly compelling.<br><br> <b>THE BAD - </b>The direction lacks style and can leave sections with a slow pace. The script has some stilted dialogue. Some of the supporting cast have difficulty selling the time and place in a believable way.<br><br> <b>THE OSCAR PROSPECTS - </b>None<br><br> <b>THE FINAL SCORE - </b>7/10<br><br>"WHITE BIRD"