Review of Margaret (2011) by Brian M — 07 Dec 2016

While Kenneth Lonergan has entered the cinematic lexicon again with this year's awards favorite Manchester by the Sea, it's beyond understandable to now go back and watch his previous film and feel that it's one of the most overlooked masterpieces in recent memory.

Delayed release for years due to its lengthy editing period (and the legal battles it spawned), Margaret's running time clocks in at just over three hours, but it achieves that impossible cinematic goal of being both grandiose as a whole, while also considering nuance and humanity in every single shot.

Scene-after-scene Margaret is a simply unforgettable experience, with Lonergan aptly balancing the harrowing parts with desirable spurts of sly humor, and the multitude of storylines come together in a way that satisfies viewers without spoon-feeding them.

An ensemble piece too (featuring more than a few actors that have since become A-listers), Margaret displays some truly profound performances, and it isn't exactly likely that star Anna Paquin will ever have another role that's as revelatory towards her range.

More thematically rich and sublime than any other American coming-of-age movie you're likely to see, Margaret is one of this past decade's most brilliant hidden gems.