WHITE BIRD (AMAZON PRIME) (2024)

SYNOPSIS: From the best-selling author of Wonder, the book that sparked a movement to “choose kind,” comes the inspirational next chapter. In White Bird, we follow Julian (Bryce Gheisar), who has struggled to belong ever since he was expelled from his former school for his treatment of Auggie Pullman. To transform his life, Julian’s grandmother (Helen Mirren) finally reveals to Julian her own story of courage — during her youth in Nazi-occupied France, a boy shelters her from mortal danger. They find first love in a stunning, magical world of their own creation, while the boy’s mother (Gillian Anderson) risks everything to keep her safe. From director Marc Forster (Finding Neverland and Christopher Robin), screenwriter Mark Bomback, and based on R.J. Palacio’s book, White Bird, like Wonder before it, is an uplifting movie about how one act of kindness can live on forever.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Marc Foster’s filmmaking career definitely has its ups and downs. From the much acclaimed Monster’s Ball and Finding Neverland to the troubled World War Z and Quantum of Solace to the forgettable Machine Gun Preacher. Certainly, he might not have a consistent output but you can’t deny his movies are incredibly watchable.

White Bird comes from the same world as Wonder (2017), you know the drama about a facially deformed boy, Auggie? This spinoff instead is about Julien (Bryce Gheisar), the boy who constantly bullies Auggie.

The movie opens after the events of Wonder. Julien has been expelled from his former school and is now studying in a private institute in New York City. Julien has been feeling down and remorse after his bullying antics and coincidentally his visiting grandmother, Sara Blum (Helen Mirren) a celebrated painter decides to tell him her own childhood story in the hope of changing the young man.

And that’s where the heart of the movie lies.

In the autumn of 1942 in a small French town, Sara (Ariella Glaser) and her parents are separated because of the invading Nazi army. Her polio-stricken classmate, Julien (Orlando Schwerdt ) shielded Sara from the danger by hiding her in his family barn. Eventually, their budding friendship turns to love and Julien promises even after the war, Sara will forever be part of his future.

The coming-of-age drama adapted to the screen by Mark Bomback (The Wolverine, War for the Planet of the Apes) reminisces one of Anne Frank, the German Jewish girl who kept a diary documenting her life in hiding. However, its clear that Sara at least has the nightly company of Julien. Together, their imaginary trips to Paris and New York in his parent’s broken down truck adds comfort to her despair and instilling a sense of hopefulness.

For a movie that was shot during the pandemic in 2021 and delayed till this year, White Bird is blessed with solid production values including top notch cinematography by Matthias Koenigswieser, a touching musical score by Thomas Newman and excellent performances by the young leads and Mirren.

With a Holocaust narrative thrown in and despite a two hours runtime, Foster delivers a relentless pacing with all the horror, action and drama elements perfectly coming together. The history lesson reminds one to be kind, to always forgive and even the weakest can be the strongest.

There’s so much to like here except probably that out of nowhere CGI wolves attack scene. White Bird definitely deserved more attention than the average theatre release.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee