monesque Beautifully constructed, and always wistful, this enchanting little film features hard choices (not always wise ones), an air of dread and strong acting. Ronan centers the film as her character goes from cranky kid to driven survivor. The failure to explain the background in more detail is not a failure at all. It is not relevant for anything more than was portrayed. It just gets the story started. This is about the characters and their will to survive.There aren't many wrongs here and the film's refusal to fix all problems increases the sense of loss and admiration for the courage of Ronan's character. Well done.

Devo X I'm struggling to understand why the reviews aren't better. It's a magnificent film, from a long and difficult source, turned into a fine screenplay. One of the best gangster movies in many years. Sprawling, epic, lovingly photographed and well acted, the film shows that Hollywood can still make good genre films if the script is right. You have to like Afflect to go along with this project, but his character and his performance have depth and the support cast are uniformly believable, the prohibition/gangster era is well-wrought and the story maintains its tempo all the way. It avoids clichés as much as possible , given the genre, and remains plausible throughout.It's well worth your time.

sheree-walker I enjoyed this film and was surprised I would. It was clever and the acting was amazing for such a young cast. I thoroughly enjoyed the female leadership and the metaphysical journey the young girl take as part of their survival. I was so moved by the way the roles were switched between the two younger lovers - he originally took care of her and loved her and protected her, then she took over the carers role for the remainder of the family survivors. If you are into the English countryside you will also appreciate the landscapes and the flora. Another aspect I really enjoyed was the realization of the aftermath of the war and the human behavior and chaos that follows -this was very scary - and this would not have been so successful if the acting could not pull it off.

Bearded MovieGuy How I Live Now is an interesting look at what happens to a group of young people who are left to fend for themselves once World War 3 breaks out. The main character is a self obsessed girl visiting from America, who has to grow up in a hurry once her and her cousins are rounded up and separated by the army. The cousins all vow to make their way back to their house no matter where they are taken. This story is fairly well made, with equal time spent developing characters and allowing the story to unfold. The acting is good for the most part, with Saoirse Ronan doing a terrific job in the main role. Although it sometimes seems a little too unbelievable in parts, overall this post apocalyptic film strives for a smaller more intimate portrayal of the aftermath, and does a decent job accomplishing just that. 3 Beards Out Of 5