Female Film Critics 24/375
1969 is greatly remembered as the day when man first walked on the moon. Well, the new romantic comedy, Fly Me to the Moon, starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, twists the true story of how that mission came to be. Director Greg Berlanti captures our attention with his focus on an engaging story, a humorous cast, and some exciting shots — making Fly Me to the Moon a light-hearted, blast everyone can enjoy.
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Motivated by the pandemic isolation, French writer/director Bertrand Bonello’s Coma explores the dreams and fears, hopes and anxieties of an unnamed eighteen-year-old. Through live action and animation, the journey chaotically glides through a myriad of current issues, skipping from one to another: the environment, social media influencers, cheating on and breaking up with romantic partners, and psychological entrapment.
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Call me a philistine but I wouldn’t wish having to watch Yorgos Lanthimos’ dreadful 165-minute Kinds of Kindness dirge on my worst enemy! After intriguing audiences with Poor Things (2023) and The Favourite”= (2018), which were – at least – comprehensible, Greek ‘auteur’ Lanthimos reunites with his co-screenwriter Efthimis Filippou to create a trilogy of bizarre, almost incoherent cinematic ‘essays’ exploring themes of dominance/control, faith and love.
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Anyone who says, “They don’t make movies like that anymore” should see Young Woman and the Sea. This rousing old-fashioned sports biopic has rich characters and relationships that make the triumph of the first woman to swim across the English Channel truly soar. Trudy Ederle crossed the channel in 1926, an achievement all the more remarkable for the era’s limited technology and overwhelming sexism. As Trudy, Daisy Ridley (Magpie) radiates plucky intelligence, impish humor, and an athlete’s determination, aided by an all-around charming cast.
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While Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation, subtitled How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, soars on Best Seller lists, Pixar animation captures the angst with Inside Out 2. Pixar’s follow-up to the 2015 family flick about talking emotions centers on 13 year-old Riley (Kensington Tallman), teetering on the cusp of puberty. Anxiety, Embarrassment, Envy, and Ennui (the French word that combines the feeling of tiredness & boredom) join the core emotions from the previous film: Anger, Disgust, Fear, Joy, and Sadness.
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Twice Colonized chronicles the life and activism of Aaju Peter, a revered Inuit feminist lawyer who has fought for equal rights in Canada, Denmark, Greenland and around the world. She is amazingly charismatic and her story is fascinating. Director Lin Alluna has done a wonderful job of telling it. Be prepared to be inspired!!!
Read moreThe Alliance of Women Film Journalists highlights movies made by and about women. With a vigilant eye toward current releases, we maintain an interactive record of films that are pertinent to our interests. Be they female-made or female-centric productions, they are films that represent a wide range of women’s stories and present complex female characters. As such, they are movies that will most likely be reviewed on AWFJ.org and will qualify for consideration for our annual EDA Awards, celebrating exceptional women working in film behind and in front of the camera.
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Louis C.K is ready for his closeup, again. Sorry/Not Sorry is the documentary about the rise and fall and rise(ish) of comic Louis C.K. Caroline Suh and Cara Mones’ film centers on a New York Times article that chronicles the downfall and comeback of the comedian in the wake of serious sexual harassment allegations. We are not talking about rape but exposure-related intimidations.
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The End Of America presents the ten step blueprint that Hitler and other dictators used to subvert democratic process and put an end to personal freedoms. It compares, step by step, events leading up to establishment of the Third Reich with what has happened in the United States in recent years. Very convincing. Very scary. Should be required viewing for anyone old enough to vote or join the army. Caveat emptor. Voter beware. Watch for NOW.
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A Family Affair is a Hallmark movie – only it’s on Netflix. Shallowly concocted by debuting screenwriter Carrie Solomon, it’s clumsily directed by Richard La Gravensese, who desperately tries to breathe life into a mundane romantic fantasy that’s filled with beautiful, privileged people wearing stunning ‘designer’ clothes, cavorting on lavish sets.
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