‘White Bird’ Review: Teen Romance Flowers Amidst Nazi Persecution in a Refined YA Adaptation
variety.comDennis Harvey Film Critic Marc Forster has frequently demonstrated an ability to tastefully moderate the more manipulative or saccharine aspects of popular but somewhat blunt-edged source material, in bestseller screen translations like “The Kite Runner” and “A Man Called Otto.” That knack comes in handy once more with “White Bird,” a graceful adaptation of a YA graphic novel by R.J.
Palacio. A “Wonder story” tangentially related to 2012’s “Wonder,” it may get some boost from the connection to that book’s successful 2017 film version with Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson.
This less-starry affair (with brightest luminary Helen Mirren relegated to a glorified cameo) is a period piece mixing the Holocaust and teen romance, likely to appeal to a somewhat narrower audience — albeit one that will broaden in home formats.
Though one can quibble over some of the more simplistic story elements here, the director’s astute craftsmanship delivers a handsome result that hits the desired poignant and inspirational notes without belaboring them.
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