“Lost and Delirious” by Lea Pool (mother-daughter relationships 25/29)

“Lost and Delirious”
by Lea Pool (Canada, 2001)

Great direction, images and music
Excellent personages, dialogues and gender content

“A hymn to teenage idealism and hormones” (Roger Ebert)
The usual Lea Pool’s family situations – difficult but crucial mother-daughter relationships and absent fathers – play a role in the background

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 5,4
Metascore 5,3
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 6,9
Average critics 6,5
Average public 7,5

Cast: Piper Perabo, Jessica Pare, Jackie Burroughs
Directed by Lea Pool
Written by Judith Thompson
Music by Robyn Schulkowsky
Cinematography by Jeanne Lapoirie
Film Editing by Michel Arcand

“The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” by Rebecca Miller (mother-daughter relationships 24/29)

“The Private Lives of Pippa Lee”
by Rebecca Miller (USA, 2009)

Good personages, dialogues, images, and message
Excellent direction and gender content

The relationship between an adult and a child is the main aspect of this movie, just like that of Rebecca Miller’s preceding one. The child’s guilt is not always central but often mentioned.
Other recurring themes: a dysfunctional mother, running away, insanity along the mother line, crucial mother-daughter relationship, strangely unobtrusive role of the fathers (except in “The Ballad of Jake and Rose”)
The best Rebecca Miller movie until now / Fantastic female lead!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,2
Metascore 4,9
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,4
IMDB 6,4
Average critics 5,6
Average public 6,4

Cast: Robin Wright, Alan Arkin, Mike Binder
Director: Rebecca Miller
Writers: Rebecca Miller
Music by Michael Rohatyn
Cinematography by Declan Quinn
Film Editing by Sabine Hoffman

“Little Forest” by Soon-rye Yim (mother-daughter relationships 22/29)

“Little Forest” by Soon-rye Yim (South Korea, 2018)

Good script, personages, dialogues, images and gender content
Excellent direction

A simple story, a very enjoyable movie
A milder movie in its political commitment than the previous “South Bound,” still the social angle is very similar in this story of a young woman – and her former classmate – who leaves the city to realize who she is.
This movie marks the social contrast between the city where others determine who you are and the countryside where there’s only you to do so. It also reinforces the original standpoint on the family that the precedent movie “South Bound” brought forward, in which the parents build for themselves an independent way of life, and stick to it even when their kids suffer from it. However, when they finally understand their parents’ choice, the children end up appreciating and valuing it.
Little Forest prolongs this theme: the mother has left her child without any apparent reason, and the child learns how to accept and honor her mother’s decision.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics —
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,0
IMDB 7,0
Average critics —
Average public 7,0

Cast: Tae-ri Kim, So-Ri Moon, Jun-yeol Ryu
Director: Soon-rye Yim
Writers: Seong-gu Hwang, Daisuke Igarashi (manga)

“Ava” by Léa Mysius (mother-daughter relationships 21/29)

“Ava” by Léa Mysius (France, 2017)

First Feature

Great script, direction and gender content
Excellent minority presence and message

This subversive coming-of-age story shows how impermeable to social norms a young girl can be.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,9
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,4
IMDB 6,7
Average critics 7,9
Average public 7,1

Cast: Noée Abita, Laure Calamy, Juan Cano
Director: Léa Mysius
Writers: Léa Mysius, Paul Guilhaume
Music by Florencia Di Concilio
Cinematography by Paul Guilhaume
Film Editing by Pierre Deschamps

“Cafe Funiculi Funicula” by Ayuko Tsukahara (mother-daughter relationships 19/29)

“Cafe Funiculi Funicula” by Ayuko Tsukahara (Japan, 2018)

First Feature

Good personages, dialogues and direction
Excellent script

Foreign films sometimes confront us with reactions or expressions that seem strange to us. For example, as a European, I find the reaction of ‘shame’ in American movies – when a man is shocked when he unintendedly sees female nudity – extremely hypocritical, even though I’ve seen it so many times…) Anyway, very little of this in this Japanese movie (except at one moment, with the cat…)
A fantasy dealing with mature subjects!

IMDB 6,3

Original title: Kohi ga Samenai Uchi Ni

Cast: Kasumi Arimura, Motoki Fukami,
Director: Ayuko Tsukahara
Writer: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Music by Masaru Yokoyama
Cinematography by Norimichi Kasamatsu
Film Editing by Ryûji Miyajima

“The Lost Husband” by Vicky Wight (mother-daughter relationships 17/29)

“The Lost Husband” by Vicky Wight (USA, 2020)

Good personages, images, and message
Top minority representation

Although script and direction are at times a bit clumsy, the movie has lots of good things and a good feeling about it
A very diversified cast, from beginning to end
As for the title, a mysterious choice…

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,1
Metascore 4,9
Roger Ebert 6,3
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 9,4
IMDB 5,6
Average critics 5,8
Average public 7,5

Cast: Leslie Bibb, Josh Duhamel, Sharon Lawrence, Kevin Alejandro, Georgia King
Director: Vicky Wight
Writer (novel): Katherine Center
Writer: Vicky Wight
Cinematographer: Aaron Kovalchik
Editor: Suzanne Spangler
Composer: Sherri Chung

“Share” by Pippa Bianco (mother-daughter relationships 9/29)

“Share” by Pippa Bianco (USA, 2019)

Great minority presence and message
Excellent gender content

The quest for the truth of a sixteen-year-old girl who wants to find out what happened at the party where she got raped.
The movie takes you through the silent meander of the girl’s survival trajectory.
The director systematically avoids ‘sharing’ with the public what keeps the action moving (which, at times, is a bit frustrating), but instead concentrates on the internal struggles of the girl.
The movie has a great ending.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,2
Metascore 7,3
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 5,4
IMDB 5,6
Average critics 8,2
Average public 5,5

Cast: Rhianne Barreto, Charlie Plummer, Poorna Jagannathan, Lovie Simone
Director: Pippa Bianco
Screenplay: Pippa Bianco
Director of Photography: Ava Berkofsky
Editor: Shelby Siegel
Original Music Composer: Shlohmo

Multiple facets of mother-daughter relationships (5/29)

“The Meddler” by Lorene Scafaria (USA, 2015)

The power of being positive: many clichés and little else

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,0
Metascore 6,8
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,6
IMDB 6,3
Average critics 7,9
Average public 6,5

Cast: Susan Sarandon, Rose Byrne, J.K. Simmons, Jason Ritter, Billy Magnussen
Director: Lorene Scafaria
Writer: Lorene Scafaria
Cinematographer: Brett Pawlak
Editor: Kayla Emter
Composer: Jonathan Sadoff

Multiple facets of mother-daughter relationships (1/29)

“Come Simi” by Jenica Bergere (USA, 2015)

First Feature

Weak direction and message
Bottom score: music (2)

Pointless script, unbearable music…

Rotten Tomatoes Critics —
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 6,1

Cast: Jenica Bergere, Molly Shannon, Tawny Kitaen
Director: Jenica Bergere
Writers: Jenica Bergere, Doc Pedrolie
Music by Johnny Harris
Cinematography by Peter Mosiman
Film Editing by Jaceson Mann

“Zero Dark Thirty” by Kathryn Bigelow (2012)

Favorite 52 movies screened between Aug 20 and May 21 (#12)

Good personages, humor, images and music
Excellent script, dialogues and gender content
Top direction

As often before, Kathryn Bigelow has made a sober film of dramatic events that could have givem way to much more exuberance in emotional situations as in historical perspective(s)

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,6
Metascore 9,5
Roger Ebert 7,5
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 7,4
Average critics 8,5
Average public 7,7

Cast: Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Writer: Mark Boal
Music by Alexandre Desplat
Cinematography by Greig Fraser
Film Editing by William Goldenberg, Dylan Tichenor

“Come Simi” by Jenica Bergere (2015)

Two movies by Jenica Bergere

First Feature

Weak direction and message
Bottom score: music (2)

Pointless script, unbearable music…

Rotten Tomatoes Critics —
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 6,1
Average critics —
Average public 6,1

Cast: Jenica Bergere, Molly Shannon, Tawny Kitaen
Director: Jenica Bergere
Writers: Jenica Bergere, Doc Pedrolie
Music by Johnny Harris
Cinematography by Peter Mosiman
Film Editing by Jaceson Mann

“Smooth Talk” by Joyce Chopra (1985)

The work of Joyce Chopra (1/2)

First Feature

Good humor, music and message
Excellent script and images
Top direction and gender content

Laura Dern is magnetic here as a 15-year old girl who wants to discover love, sex and boys, and who tries her best to keep what she provokes under control… a story that so many girls go through.
Towards the end, there’s a 23-minute long scene (23 minutes !!!) in which an older and experienced man (Treat Williams) tries to convince Connie (Laura Dern) to let him be her first lover … And it’s not only about what is said but also what emanates from their bodies… Hypnotic!
A movie with imperfections (uneven personages and dialogues), but exceptional in many ways

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,6
Metascore 7,4
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,2
IMDB 6,2
Average critics 7,6
Average public 6,2

Cast Laura Dern, Treat Williams, Mary Kay Place, Elizabeth Berridge, Levon Helm
Directed by Joyce Chopra
Story by Joyce Carol Oates, screenplay by Tom Cole
Music by James Taylor
Edited by Patrick Dodd
Photographed by James Glennon

“Fat Girl” by Catherine Breillat (2001)

Tribute to Catherine Breillat

Good direction
Great personages
Top gender content

Just as in 36 Fillette, we follow a not-even-sixteen-year-old girl and her still younger sister as they have their first sexual experience that ends up unexpectedly
A movie with the usual Catherine Breillat themes – female sexuality, age differences, virginity – in which everyone is lying to seduce someone else

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,4
Metascore 7,7
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,0
IMDB 6,5
Average critics 7,6
Average public 6,8

Original title: A Ma Soeur

Cast: Anaïs Reboux, Roxane Mesquida, Libero De Rienzo
Director: Catherine Breillat
Writer: Catherine Breillat
Cinematography by Giorgos Arvanitis
Film Editing by Pascale Chavance

“Frailer” by Mijke de Jong (2014)

Good script, personages, dialogues, direction and gender content

Documentary-like movie that follows a woman who is dying of cancer and gets frailer and frailer while surrounded by her (female) friends.
A touch of cinema-vérité certainly not to the taste of everyone although everything is filmed ‘smoothly’

IMDB 7,0

Original title: Brozer

Cast: Marnie Blok, Lieneke le Roux, Leonoor Pauw
Director: Mijke de Jong
Writers: Jolein Laarman
Music by Rutger Reinders
Cinematography by Ton Peters
Film Editing by Dorith Vinken

“Marlina The Murderer In Four Acts” by Mouly Surya (2017)

International update

Good humor, direction, images, gender content, and minority presence

A feminist version of a spaghetti western (inclusive a score à la Ennio Morricone) transposed in the landscape of the Sumbese Kampung (Indonesia)

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,8
Metascore 7,7
Roger Ebert 7,5
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,8
IMDB 7,0
Average critics 7,7
Average public 7,4

Cast: Marsha Timothy, Yoga Pratama, Dea Panendra, Egy Fedly, Haydar Salishz
Director: Mouly Surya
Writer: Rama Adi, Garin Nugroho, Mouly Surya
Music by Yudhi Arfani , Zeke Khaseli
Cinematography by Yunus Pasolang
Film Editing by Kelvin Nugroho

“Zero Dark Thirty” by Kathryn Bigelow (2012)

Best movies seen in 2020
A weekend treat!

Good personages, humor, images and music
Excellent script, dialogues and gender content
Top direction

As often before, Kathryn Bigelow has made a sober film of dramatic events that could have givem way to much more exuberance in emotional situations as in historical perspective(s)

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,6
Metascore 9,5
Roger Ebert 7,5
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 7,4
Average critics 8,5
Average public 7,7

Cast: Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Writer: Mark Boal
Music by Alexandre Desplat
Cinematography by Greig Fraser
Film Editing by William Goldenberg, Dylan Tichenor

“Bandits” by Katja von Garnier (1997)

Best movies seen in 2020

First Feature

Good script and images
Excellent personages, direction, music and message
Top humor and gender content

A classic jail break + pursuit story… of four female detainees who accumulates surprise after surprise!
First of all, there are only 2 male roles: a cop and an hostage. The cop thinks and acts as a man to whom things are due and that no one can resist. The hostage is attractive (that’s why he’s taken hostage, of course) and can be used for sex. He enjoys the female attention he gets until the women get tired of him and let him lose. He becomes angry, because, just like the cop, he thought he had everything under control 🙂
But this movie goes further and beyond these simple gender stereotypes, for it shows how differently these female escapees think and react from the way men react in the classic jail escape and pursuit movies. A real treat!
Besides a wink to Godard, I also had to think of Sergio Leone but you would have then to replace “the good,  the bad, and the ugly” by “the hysterical, the nun, the mother, and the whore”. Enjoy!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,0
Metascore 5,3
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,2
IMDB 6,5
Average critics 6,2
Average public 7,4

Cast: Katja Riemann, Jasmin Tabatabai, Nicolette Krebitz
Director: Katja von Garnier
Writers: Uwe Wilhelm, Katja von Garnier
Music by Udo Arndt, Volker Griepenstroh, Peter Weihe
Cinematography by Torsten Breuer
Film Editing by Hans Funck

“My Happy Family” by Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross (2017)

Best movies seen in 2020

Good message
Excellent script, personages, direction and gender content
Top music

A very simple story: her children being grown-ups, a woman in her fifties decides to stop playing the various roles her family (and society) imposes on her (mother, daughter, wife, sister…), and decides to leave her family for no other reason than wanting to be on her own.
Intelligent direction and exceptional (Georgian) music

Rotten Tomatoes Critics —
Metascore 8,6
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 7,4
Average critics 9,3
Average public 7,4

Original title: Chemi Bednieri Ojakhi

Cast: Ia Shugliashvili, Merab Ninidze, Berta Khapava, Tsisia Qumsashvili
Director: Nana Ekvtimishvili, Simon Groß
Writer: Nana Ekvtimishvili
Cinematographer: Tudor Vladimir Panduru
Editor: Stefan Stabenow

“Smooth Talk” by Joyce Chopra (1985)

Best movies seen in 2020

A Weekend Treat!

First Feature

Good humor, music and message
Excellent script and images
Top direction and gender content

Laura Dern is really magnetic as a 15-year old girl who wants to discover love, sex and boys, and who tries her best to keep what she provokes under control… a story that so many girls go through.
Towards the end, there’s a 23-minute long scene (23 minutes !!!) in which an older and experienced man (Treat Williams) tries to convince Connie (Laura Dern) to let him be her first lover … And it’s not only about what is said but also what emanates from their bodies… Hypnotic!
A movie with imperfections (uneven personages and dialogues), but exceptional in many ways

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,6
Metascore 7,4
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,2
IMDB 6,2
Average critics 7,6
Average public 6,2

Cast Laura Dern, Treat Williams, Mary Kay Place, Elizabeth Berridge, Levon Helm
Story by Joyce Carol Oates
Directed by Joyce Chopra
Screenplay by Tom Cole
Based On Tom Cole
Music by James Taylor
Edited by Patrick Dodd
Photographed by James Glennon

“Lost In Paris” by Dominique Abel & Fiona Gordon (2016)

Best movies seen in 2020

Good script, images, and music
Excellent personages, direction, and minority presence
Top humor

Very original and funny, combining all sorts of styles without loosing its own voice

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,9
Metascore 7,4
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 6,2
Average critics 7,2
Average public 7,1

Original title: Pieds Nus à Paris

Cast: Fiona Gordon, Dominique Abel, Emmanuelle Riva, Pierre Richard
Directors: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon
Writers: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon
Cinematography by Claire Childeric, Jean-Christophe Leforestier
Film Editing by Sandrine Deegen

“Margarita With A Straw” by Shonali Bose and Nilesh Maniyar (2014)

Best movies seen in 2020

Great personages, dialogues and message
Excellent script, direction and images
Top gender content and minority presence

A movie that brings together personages with different physical disabilities, coming from antagonistic backgrounds and religions, and with sexualities diverging from the norm, in a true and poignant story
Extraordinary acting by Kalki Koechlin who can express so much and so clearly with her face and her body!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,1
Metascore 6,3
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 7,2
Average critics 6,7
Average public 7,6

Cast: Kalki Koechlin, Revathi, Sayani Gupta
Directors: Shonali Bose, Nilesh Maniyar (co-director)
Writers: Shonali Bose, Atika Chohan
Music by Mikey McCleary
Cinematography by Anne Misawa
Film Editing by Monisha R Baldawa, Bob Brooks, Saksham Verma

“How to Build a Girl” by Coky Giedroyc (2019)

Best movies seen in 2020

Great humor and images
Excellent dialogues and direction
Top gender content

How to lose yourself… and find yourself again… and lose yourself again… You know the feeling? A very original coming-of-age movie… Enjoy!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,5
Metascore 7,0
Roger Ebert 6,3
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 5,4
Average critics 6,6
Average public 5,4

Cast: Beanie Feldstein, Emma Thompson, Alfie Allen, Paddy Considine, Sarah Solemani, Laurie Kynaston, Lucy Punch
Director: Coky Giedroyc
Writer: Caitlin Moran
Cinematographer: Hubert Taczanowski
Editor: Gareth C. Scales
Composer: Oli Julian

“Emma.” by Autumn de Wilde (2019)

Best movies seen in 2020

First Feature

Good script and minority representation
Excellent dialogues, images, music and gender content
Top direction

Fine and clever direction that emphasizes, among other things, the extremely narrow limits within which women and men of the time and of this social class had to behave, creating thus an extremely codified society
A real Jane Austen treat!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,3
Metascore 7,1
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,8
IMDB 6,8
Average critics 7,7
Average public 7,3

Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy, Mia Goth, Josh O’Connor, Callum Turner, Rupert Graves, Miranda Hart
Director: Autumn de Wilde
Based on the novel by Jane Austen
Writer: Eleanor Catton
Cinematographer: Christopher Blauvelt
Editor: Nick Emerson
Composer: David Schweitzer, Isobel Waller-Bridge

“Never Rarely Sometimes Always” by Eliza Hittman (2020)

Best movies seen in 2020

A Weekend Treat!

Great script, personages, images and message
Excellent direction
Top gender content

A movie about a 17-years-old young girl who has to deal with a pregnancy that wasn’t planned and that she doesn’t want
A movie about girl power, without much glamour, just girls doing what has to be done
A quiet but intense movie

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,6
Metascore 9,2
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,8
IMDB 7,2
Average critics 8,9
Average public 7,0

Cast: Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder, Théodore Pellerin
Director: Eliza Hittman
Writer: Eliza Hittman
Cinematographer: Hélène Louvart
Editor: Scott Cummings
Composer: Julia Holter

“Clemency” by Chinonye Chukwu (2019)

Best movies seen in 2020

Good script, personages, humor, music
Excellent dialogues and images
Top direction, minority presence and message

One of the best movie against death penalty, if only because it’s not about guilt but about compassion
A very ‘mature’ direction for a second (almost first) feature

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,7
Metascore 7,7
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,0
IMDB 6,6
Average critics 8,5
Average public 6,8

Cast: Alfre Woodard, Wendell Pierce, Aldis Hodge, Richard Schiff
Director: Chinonye Chukwu
Writer: Chinonye Chukwu
Cinematographer: Eric Branco
Editor: Phyllis Housen
Composer: Kathryn Bostic

“A Question of Silence” by Marleen Gorris (1982)

Best movies seen in 2020

A weekend treat!

First Feature

Good humor, images, music and message
Excellent personages, dialogues and minority presence
Top script, direction and gender content

A very intelligent (and subversive) story in which a psychiatrist is asked to evaluate three women who have committed a murder without any reason and who refuse any attempt to reduce their ‘culpability’… 

IMDB 6,4

Original title: De stilte rond Christine M…

Cast: Edda Barends, Nelly Frijda, Henriëtte Tol
Director: Marleen Gorris
Writer: Marleen Gorris
Music by Lodewijk de Boer, Martijn Hasebos
Cinematography by Frans Bromet
Film Editing by Hans van Dongen

“Montparnasse Bienvenue” by Léonor Serraille (2017)

Best movies seen in 2020

Good dialogues, music and minority representation
Excellent gender content and message
Top direction and images

The perfect photography and editing, and the use of color make every new plan a surprise!
A woman who tries to survive being rejected by her first love
Great performance by Laetitia Dosch

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,7
Metascore 7,6
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,6
IMDB 6,5
Average critics 7,7
Average public 6,6

Original title: Jeune Femme

Cast: Laetitia Dosch, Souleymane Seye Ndiaye, Grégoire Monsaingeon
Director: Léonor Serraille
Writers: Léonor Serraille, Clémence Carré, Bastien Daret
Music by Julie Roué
Cinematography by Émilie Noblet
Film Editing by Clémence Carré

“Little Women” by Greta Gerwig (2019)

Best movies seen in 2020

Good dialogues and music
Excellent script, personages, direction, images, gender content and message

The story of the March sisters with sharpened edges, especially in relationship to women’s financial independence
A ‘long’ feature (more than 2 hours) that allows a good buildup of strong relationships between the personages

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,6
Metascore 9,1
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 9,0
IMDB 8,2
Average critics 9,2
Average public 8,6

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Timothée Chalamet, James Norton, Louis Garrel
Director: Greta Gerwig
Writer: Greta Gerwig, based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott
Cinematographer: Yorick Le Saux
Editor: Nick Houy
Composer: Alexandre Desplat

“Look at Me” by Agnes Jaoui (2004)

Best movies seen in 2020

Good images, gender content and minority presence
Excellent script, personages, dialogues and direction
Top music

Agnes Jaoui’s characters remind me of bumper cars: they change direction every time they run into someone!
As in her first feature, Jaoui manages to stage successive repressed relational situations without sinking into heaviness
Excellent musical score perfectly integrated!
“The thing about a movie like this is, the characters may be French, but they’re more like people I know than they could ever be in the Hollywood remake.” [Roger Ebert]

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,6
Metascore 7,9
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,2
IMDB 6,8
Average critics 8,1
Average public 7,0

Original title: Comme une image

Cast: Marilou Berry, Agnes Jaoui, Jean-Pierre Bacri, Laurent Grevill, Virginie Desarnauts
Directed by Agnès Jaoui
Written by Agnes Jaoui, Jean-Pierre Bacri
Music by Philippe Rombi
Cinematography by Stéphane Fontaine
Film Editing by François Gédigier

“Aniara” by Pella Kagerman, Hugo Lilja (2019)

A week of first features (2/4)

Original premises, but these get lost in the vast hopelessness its universe describes

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,9
Metascore 6,1
Roger Ebert 7,5
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,0
IMDB 6,3
Average critics 6,8
Average public 6,7

Cast: Emelie Jonsson, Arvin Kananian, Bianca Cruzeiro, Anneli Martini
Director: Pella Kågerman, Hugo Lilja
Writer (poem): Harry Martinson
Writer: Hugo Lilja, Pella Kågerman
Cinematographer: Sophie Winqvist
Editor: Pella Kågerman, Björn Kessler
Michał Leszczyłowski
Composer: Alexander Berg

“Elisa and Marcela” by Isabel Coixet (2019)

Good images and music
Top gender content

Early 20th century in a remote province of Catholic Spain, two young women fall in love with each other at first sight.
A beautifully pictured (black and white) movie with an abrupt end
A small parallel can be made with The Secret Life Of Words in the short but intense moment when the suffering of Marcella is revealed

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 5,7
Metascore 3,3
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 6,5
Average critics 4,5
Average public 6,5

Cast: Natalia de Molina, Greta Fernández, Sara Casasnovas
Director: Isabel Coixet
Writers: Isabel Coixet (screenplay by), Narciso de Gabriel (based on the literary essay by)
Music by Sofia Oriana Infante
Cinematography by Jennifer Cox
Film Editing by Bernat Aragonés

“Papicha” by Mounia Meddour (2019)

First Feature

Great personages
Excellent gender content and message

Sometimes, it’s good to be reminded to which extreme religious orthodoxy can lead, for the type of civil war that is described here could happen anywhere 😦
It also helps us cherish the freedom we have, for we cannot take it for granted

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,3
Metascore 6,8
Roger Ebert 7,5
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 9,0
IMDB 7,0
Average critics 7,2
Average public 8,0

Cast: Lyna Khoudr, Yasin Houicha, Nadia Kaci, Shirine Boutella, Amira Hilda Douaouda
Director: Mounia Meddour
Writer: Mounia Meddour. Fadette Drouard
Cinematographer: Léo Lefèvre
Editor: Damien Keyeux
Composer: Robin Coudert

“My Happy Family” by Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross (2017)

Good message
Excellent script, personages, direction and gender content
Top music

A very simple story: her children being grown-ups, a woman in her fifties decides to stop playing the various roles her family (and society) imposes on her (mother, daughter, wife, sister…), and decides to leave her family for no other reason than wanting to be on her own.
Intelligent direction and exceptional (Georgian) music

Rotten Tomatoes Critics —
Metascore 8,6
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 7,4
Average critics 9,3
Average public 7,4

Original title: Chemi Bednieri Ojakhi

Cast: Ia Shugliashvili, Merab Ninidze, Berta Khapava, Tsisia Qumsashvili
Director: Nana Ekvtimishvili, Simon Groß
Writer: Nana Ekvtimishvili
Cinematographer: Tudor Vladimir Panduru
Editor: Stefan Stabenow

“Share” by Pippa Bianco (2019)

A week of (US) first features

Great minority presence and message
Excellent gender content

The quest for the truth of a sixteen-year old girl who wants to find out what happened at the party where she got raped.
The movie takes you through the silent meander of the girl’s survival trajectory.
The director systematically avoids ‘sharing’ with the public what keeps the action moving (which, at times, is a bit frustrating), but instead concentrates on the internal struggles of the girl.
The movie has a great ending.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,2
Metascore 7,3
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 5,4
IMDB 5,6
Average critics 8,2
Average public 5,5

Cast: Rhianne Barreto, Charlie Plummer, Poorna Jagannathan, Lovie Simone
Director: Pippa Bianco
Screenplay: Pippa Bianco
Director of Photography: Ava Berkofsky
Editor: Shelby Siegel
Original Music Composer: Shlohmo

“Braid” by Mitzi Peirone (2018)

A week of (US) first features

Good images, music and gender content

Three girlfriends share a common madness
Interesting camera work, but not much substance

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,6
Metascore 6,0
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,2
IMDB 5,3
Average critics 7,5
Average public 6,3

Cast: Madeline Brewer, Imogen Waterhouse, Sarah Hay, Scott Cohen
Director: Mitzi Peirone
Writer: Mitzi Peirone
Director of Photography: Todd Banhazl
Editor: David Gutnik
Original Music Composer: Michael Gatt

“Zero Dark Thirty” by Kathryn Bigelow (2012)

A weekend treat!

Good personages, humor, images and music
Excellent script, dialogues and gender content
Top direction

As often before, Kathryn Bigelow has made a sober film of dramatic events that could have givem way to much more exuberance in emotional situations as in historical perspective(s)

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,6
Metascore 9,5
Roger Ebert 7,5
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 7,4
Average critics 8,5
Average public 7,7

Cast: Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Writer: Mark Boal
Music by Alexandre Desplat
Cinematography by Greig Fraser
Film Editing by William Goldenberg, Dylan Tichenor

“Mulan” by Niki Caro (2020)

Facets of (Confucian) Patriarchy

A positive aspect of the movie is to bring clearly forward a patriarchal society whose chief (Confucian) value is honor. Unfortunately, the message – honor your father – is hammered in a nauseating way. That Disney had to please Xi Jing Ping is no surprise. But that Nikki Caro (The Zookeeper’s wife, North Country, Whale rider…) agreed to direct this is baffling

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,8
Metascore 6,6
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,0
IMDB 5,4
Average critics 7,4
Average public 5,7

Cast: Yifei Liu, Donnie Yen, Li Gong
Director: Niki Caro
Writers: Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Music by Harry Gregson-Williams
Cinematography by Mandy Walker
Film Editing by David Coulson

“The Olive Tree” by Icíar Bollaín (2016)

The Work of Iciar Bollain (5)

Good script, personages, dialogues and images
Excellent humor and direction

Nice story by Paul Laverty

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,6
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,2
IMDB 6,8
Average critics 6,6
Average public 7,0

Original title: El Olivo

Cast: Anna Castillo, Javier Gutiérrez, Pep Ambròs
Director: Icíar Bollaín
Writer: Paul Laverty
Music by Pascal Gaigne
Cinematography by Sergi Gallardo
Film Editing by Nacho Ruiz Capillas

“Girlfriends” by Claudia Weill (1978)

First Feature

Great personages, dialogues, direction, images and gender content

A movie made with little means but that reaches its goal

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,7
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,4
IMDB 7,1
Average critics 6,7
Average public 7,3

Cast: Melanie Mayron, Eli Wallach, Adam Cohen
Director: Claudia Weill
Writers: Claudia Weill, Vicki Polon
Music by Michael Small
Cinematography by Fred Murphy
Film Editing by Suzanne Pettit

“Honey” by Valeria Golino (2013)

First Feature

Great script, personages, music, minority presence and message

A good story and a mysterious lead personage who only gets partially revealed

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,5
Metascore 7,5
Roger Ebert 6,3
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,0
IMDB 6,7
Average critics 7,1
Average public 6,9

Cast: Jasmine Trinca, Carlo Cecchi, Libero De Rienzo, Vinicio Marchioni, Iaia Forte
Director: Valeria Golino
Novel: Angela Del Fabbro
Screenplay: Valeria Golino, Francesca Marciano, Valia Santella
Music by Christian Rainer
Cinematography by Gergely Pohárnok
Film Editing by Giogiò Franchini

“Bandits” by Katja von Garnier (1997)

A German week

The work of Katja von Garnier (4/4)

First Feature

Good script and images
Excellent personages, direction, music and message
Top humor and gender content

A classic jail break + pursuit story… of four female detainees who accumulates surprise after surprise!
First of all, there are only 2 male roles: a cop and an hostage. The cop thinks and acts as a man to whom things are due and that no one can resist. The hostage is attractive (that’s why he’s taken hostage, of course) and can be used for sex. He enjoys the female attention he gets until the women get tired of him and let him lose. He becomes angry, because, just like the cop, he thought he had everything under control 🙂
But this movie goes further and beyond these simple gender stereotypes, for it shows how differently these female escapees think and react from the way men react in the classic jail escape and pursuit movies. A real treat!
Besides a wink to Godard, I also had to think of Sergio Leone but you would have then to replace “the good,  the bad, and the ugly” by “the hysterical, the nun, the mother, and the whore”. Enjoy!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,0
Metascore 5,3
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,2
IMDB 6,5
Average critics 6,2
Average public 7,4

Cast: Katja Riemann, Jasmin Tabatabai, Nicolette Krebitz
Director: Katja von Garnier
Writers: Uwe Wilhelm, Katja von Garnier
Music by Udo Arndt, Volker Griepenstroh, Peter Weihe
Cinematography by Torsten Breuer
Film Editing by Hans Funck

“The Lost Husband” by Vicky Wight (2020)

2020, a turbulent year!

Good personages, images and message
Top minority representation

Although script and direction are at times a bit clumsy, the movie has lots of good things and a good feeling about it
A very diversified cast, from beginning to end
As for the title, a mysterious choice…

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,1
Metascore 4,9
Roger Ebert 6,3
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 9,4
IMDB 5,6
Average critics 5,8
Average public 7,5

Cast: Leslie Bibb, Josh Duhamel, Sharon Lawrence, Kevin Alejandro, Georgia King
Director: Vicky Wight
Writer (novel): Katherine Center
Writer: Vicky Wight
Cinematographer: Aaron Kovalchik
Editor: Suzanne Spangler
Composer: Sherri Chung

“I Will Make You Mine” by Lynn Chen (2020)

2020, a turbulent year!

First Feature

Good music and minority representation

After a difficult start, the story gets going… but in the end one doesn’t get much insight into what it was all about
Original score played by the actors

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,0
Metascore 7,0
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 5,6
Average critics 7,0
Average public 5,6

Cast: Lynn Chen, Yea-Ming Chen, Goh Nakamura
Director: Lynn Chen
Writer: Lynn Chen
Music by Yea-Ming Chen, Goh Nakamura
Cinematography by Carl Nenzén Lovén, Bill Otto
Film Editing by Abe Forman-Greenwald

“The High Note” by Nisha Ganatra (2020)

2020, a turbulent year!

Great personages, dialogues and direction / Excellent music / Top minority presence

A good message that gets diluted in the story, but a wide array of actors from  various American minorities and melted altogether in a very natural way in the story
And then the lead: a woman, an artist, African-American, older than 40. What are her chances, she asks, of making a come back?
Nisha Ganatra uses the same premises as her successful Late Night to tackle another aspect of the music business. A few twists near the end of the movie are a bit overdone but they are quickly forgotten

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,1
Metascore 5,8
Roger Ebert 6,3
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 5,5
Average critics 6,1
Average public 6,8

Cast: Dakota Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Ice Cube
Director: Nisha Ganatra
Writer: Flora Greeson
Cinematography: Jason McCormick
Editor: Wendy Greene Bricmont
Composer: Amie Doherty

“Saints Rest” by Noga Ashkenazi (2018)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

First Feature

Good script
Excellent dialogues, humor, direction, images and gender content
Top personages, music and message

A simple story, directed with insight and finesse + a treasure of a cast + beautiful songs that belong to the personages and to their story. A real treat!

IMDB 4,7

Cast: Hani Furstenberg, Allie Trimm, Dana Ivgy
Director: Noga Ashkenazi
Writers: Noga Ashkenazi, Tyson Stock
Music by Naama Or, Eliya Scemama
Cinematography by Matthias Grunsky
Film Editing by Nili Feller

“The Farewell” by Lulu Wang (2019)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

Good dialogues, humor, gender content and minority presence
Excellent script, images and music
Top personages, direction and message

Thirteen minutes into the movie, the plot is clearly established, and we are emotionally involved
Emotions are very soberly displayed / no false notes in the characters /  good editing and photography, and a very interesting musical score… An amazing feat!
All this within the profound humility of an homage made by a grand-daughter to her grandma
This second feature is a strong follow-up to her first movie Posthumus.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,5
Metascore 8,9
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,6
IMDB 7,6
Average critics 9,1
Average public 8,1

Cast: Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Zhao Shuzhen, Lu Hong, Jiang Yongbo
Director: Lulu Wang
Screenplay: Lulu Wang
Director of Photography: Anna Franquesa Solano
Editor: Michael Taylor

“A Question of Silence” by Marleen Gorris (1982)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

First Feature

Good humor, images, music and message
Excellent personages, dialogues and minority presence
Top script, direction and gender content

A very intelligent (and subversive) story in which a psychiatrist is asked to evaluate three women who have committed a murder without any reason and who refuse any attempt to reduce their ‘culpability’… 

IMDB 6,4

Original title: De stilte rond Christine M…

Cast: Edda Barends, Nelly Frijda, Henriëtte Tol
Director: Marleen Gorris
Writer: Marleen Gorris
Music by Lodewijk de Boer, Martijn Hasebos
Cinematography by Frans Bromet
Film Editing by Hans van Dongen

“The Souvenir” by Joanna Hogg (2019)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

Good script
Excellent personages, dialogues, direction, music and gender content
Top images and minority presence

On the track of Exhibition, a very complex and extremely dense love story presented in an erupted form (thanks to Joanna Hogg’s long collaboration with editor Helle le Fevre)
Intelligent use of a rich musical score (Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle, Verdi’s La Forza del Destino)

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,1
Metascore 9,1
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 4,8
IMDB 6,5
Average critics 9,1
Average public 5,7

Cast: Honor Swinton Byrne, Tom Burke, Tilda Swinton
Director: Joanna Hogg
Writer: Joanna Hogg
Cinematographer: David Raedeker
Editor: Helle le Fevre

“Gett: The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem” by Ronit & Shlomi Elkabetz (2014)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

Good humor, images, minority presence and message
Excellent direction
Top script, personages, dialogues and gender content

An extraordinary movie about a woman who wants to divorce her husband according to Jewish religious law

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,5
Metascore 9,0
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 7,7
Average critics 9,2
Average public 7,9

Cast: Ronit Elkabetz, Simon Abkarian, Menashe Noy, Gabi Amrani, Dalia Beger
Director: Ronit Elkabetz. Shlomi Elkabetz
Writer: Ronit Elkabetz, Shlomi Elkabetz
Director of Photography: Jeanne Lapoirie

“Meditation Park” by Mina Shum (2017)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

Great script, humor, and images
Excellent personages, dialogues, and direction
Top gender content, minority presence and message

For her third feature, Mina Shum tackles again the problem of integration, this time, she takes the point of view of an older Chinese woman in Toronto who is kept subjugated by her husband. One day, she discovers that he cheats on her and decides to set herself free.
A warm and very real woman who belongs to the ‘forgotten’ individuals of our society; A husband who is prisoner of his Confucian values; and their children as mixed second-generation couples. All these aspects characterize Mina Shum’s work.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,7
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,4
IMDB 7,2
Average critics 7,7
Average public 7,8

Cast: Pei-Pei Cheng, Tzi Ma, Sandra Oh
Director: Mina Shum
Writer: Mina Shum
Music by Andrew Lockington
Cinematography by Peter Wunstorf
Film Editing by Daria Ellerman

“Clemency” by Chinonye Chukwu (2019)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

Good script, personages, humor, music
Excellent dialogues and images
Top direction, minority presence and message

One of the best movie against death penalty, if only because it’s not about guilt but about compassion
A very ‘mature’ direction for a second (almost first) feature

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,7
Metascore 7,7
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,0
IMDB 6,6
Average critics 8,5
Average public 6,8

Cast: Alfre Woodard, Wendell Pierce, Aldis Hodge, Richard Schiff
Director: Chinonye Chukwu
Writer: Chinonye Chukwu
Cinematographer: Eric Branco
Editor: Phyllis Housen
Composer: Kathryn Bostic

“Look at Me” by Agnes Jaoui (2004)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

Good images, gender content and minority presence
Excellent script, personages, dialogues and direction
Top music

Agnes Jaoui’s characters remind me of bumper cars: they change direction every time they run into someone!
As in her first feature, Jaoui manages to stage successive repressed relational situations without sinking into heaviness
Excellent musical score perfectly integrated!
“The thing about a movie like this is, the characters may be French, but they’re more like people I know than they could ever be in the Hollywood remake.” [Roger Ebert]

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,6
Metascore 7,9
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,2
IMDB 6,8
Average critics 8,1
Average public 7,0

Original title: Comme une image

Cast: Marilou Berry, Agnes Jaoui, Jean-Pierre Bacri, Laurent Grevill, Virginie Desarnauts
Directed by Agnès Jaoui
Written by Agnes Jaoui, Jean-Pierre Bacri
Music by Philippe Rombi
Cinematography by Stéphane Fontaine
Film Editing by François Gédigier

“Margarita With A Straw” by Shonali Bose & Nilesh Maniyar (2014)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

Great personages, dialogues and message
Excellent script, direction and images
Top gender content and minority presence

A movie that brings together personages with different physical disabilities, coming from antagonistic backgrounds and religions, and with sexualities diverging from the norm, in a true and poignant story
Extraordinary acting by Kalki Koechlin who can express so much and so clearly with her face and her body!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,1
Metascore 6,3
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 7,2
Average critics 6,7
Average public 7,6

Cast: Kalki Koechlin, Revathi, Sayani Gupta
Directors: Shonali Bose, Nilesh Maniyar (co-director)
Writers: Shonali Bose, Atika Chohan
Music by Mikey McCleary
Cinematography by Anne Misawa
Film Editing by Monisha R Baldawa, Bob Brooks, Saksham Verma

“Emma.” by Autumn de Wilde (2019)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

First Feature

Good script and minority representation
Excellent dialogues, images, music and gender content
Top direction

Fine and clever direction that emphasizes, among other things, the extremely narrow limits within which women and men of the time and of this social class had to behave, creating thus an extremely codified society
A real Jane Austen treat!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,3
Metascore 7,1
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,8
IMDB 6,8
Average critics 7,7
Average public 7,3

Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy, Mia Goth, Josh O’Connor, Callum Turner, Rupert Graves, Miranda Hart
Director: Autumn de Wilde
Based on the novel by Jane Austen
Writer: Eleanor Catton
Cinematographer: Christopher Blauvelt
Editor: Nick Emerson
Composer: David Schweitzer, Isobel Waller-Bridge

“Montparnasse Bienvenue” by Léonor Serraille (2017)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

Good dialogues, music and minority representation
Excellent gender content and message
Top direction and images

The perfect photography and editing, and the use of color make every new plan a surprise!
A woman who tries to survive being rejected by her first love
Great performance by Laetitia Dosch

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,7
Metascore 7,6
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,6
IMDB 6,5
Average critics 7,7
Average public 6,6

Original title: Jeune Femme

Cast: Laetitia Dosch, Souleymane Seye Ndiaye, Grégoire Monsaingeon
Director: Léonor Serraille
Writers: Léonor Serraille, Clémence Carré, Bastien Daret
Music by Julie Roué
Cinematography by Émilie Noblet
Film Editing by Clémence Carré

“Little Women” by Greta Gerwig (2019)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

Good dialogues and music
Excellent script, personages, direction, images, gender content and message

The story of the March sisters with sharpened edges, especially in relationship to women’s financial independence
A ‘long’ feature (more than 2 hours) that allows a good buildup of strong relationships between the personages

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,6
Metascore 9,1
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 9,0
IMDB 8,2
Average critics 9,2
Average public 8,6

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Timothée Chalamet, James Norton, Louis Garrel
Director: Greta Gerwig
Writer: Greta Gerwig, based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott
Cinematographer: Yorick Le Saux
Editor: Nick Houy
Composer: Alexandre Desplat

“Jinn” by Nijla Mumin (2018)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

Great script, personage, dialogues and gender content
Excellent direction and images
Top minority presence and message

Coming of age? This movie puts it the other way around, as  Summer, a 16-year-old girl, wants to fulfill her (contagious) desire to discover the world around her and experience religion (Islam), dance, sex, and everything that triggers her interest. After the necessary clashes, parents and peers eventually support her, understanding that the freedom that is paramount to her age cannot tolerate any compromise. Whose coming of age is it, thus?
Khalil Gibran’s poetic image – children are arrows that parents shoot and have then to follow – comes to mind. Young people show us the way! Today, this could be our new reality: think about Greta Grünberg and many others in Hong-Kong and elsewhere… I love it!

The songs are great, but the constant (and unnecessary) ‘atmosphere’ music deprives the movie of some of its sharpness
Great acting by Zoe Renee: “Renee and Missick’s performances are so remarkable and the story is so compelling, I left the movie with a new feeling: hope that audiences watching this movie may be more empathetic towards others’ life changes.” [Monica Castillo]

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,0
Metascore 7,5
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,8
IMDB 5,4
Average critics 8,1
Average public 7,1

Cast:  Zoe Renee, Simone Missick, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Dorian Missick, Hisham Tawfiq, Kelly Jenrette, Ashlei Foushee, Damien D. Smith, Maya Morales
Director: Nijla Mu’min
Writer: Nijla Mu’min
Cinematographer: Bruce Francis Cole
Editor: Collin Kriner
Composer: Jesi Nelson

“Lost In Paris” by Dominique Abel & Fiona Gordon (2016)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

Good script, images, and music
Excellent personages, direction, and minority presence
Top humor

Very original and funny, combining all sorts of styles without loosing its own voice

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,9
Metascore 7,4
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 6,2
Average critics 7,2
Average public 7,1

Original title: Pieds Nus à Paris

Cast: Fiona Gordon, Dominique Abel, Emmanuelle Riva, Pierre Richard
Directors: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon
Writers: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon
Cinematography by Claire Childeric, Jean-Christophe Leforestier
Film Editing by Sandrine Deegen

“Angels Wear White” by Vivian Qu (2017)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

Good script and music
Excellent direction and images
Top content

Tightly knit movie about exploitation, corruption, gender inequalities, and child abuse in China / It shows the total absence of value women and girls have and how corruption impregnates all levels of society
Directed with a steady hand!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,6
Metascore 7,8
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,4
IMDB 7,2
Average critics 8,1
Average public 7,3

Original title: Jia nian hua

Cast: Vicky Chen, Zhou Meijun, Weiwei Liu, Wang Yuexin, Li MengNan, Geng Le
Director: Vivian Qu
Writer: Vivian Qu
Cinematographer: Benoit Dervaux
Editor: Hongyu Yang
Composer: Zi Wen

“The Sower” by Marine Francen (2017)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

First Feature

Good personages, direction and minority representation
Excellent script and images
Top gender content and message

 

When all the men of the village have been taken away (for political reasons), the women have to learn to survive on their own… A beautiful story about love, desire, and solidarity

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,1
Metascore 7,6
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 6,3
Average critics 7,4
Average public 6,3

Original title: Le Semeur

Cast: Pauline Burlet, Géraldine Pailhas, Alban Lenoir
Director: Marine Francen
Writers: Marine Francen, Jacqueline Surchat, Jacques Fieschi
Music by Frédéric Vercheval
Cinematography by Alain Duplantier
Film Editing by Minori Akimoto

“How to Build a Girl” by Coky Giedroyc (2019)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

Great humor and images
Excellent dialogues and direction
Top gender content

How to lose yourself… and find yourself again… and lose yourself again… You know the feeling? A very original coming-of-age movie… Enjoy!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,5
Metascore 7,0
Roger Ebert 6,3
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 5,4
Average critics 6,6
Average public 5,4

Cast: Beanie Feldstein, Emma Thompson, Alfie Allen, Paddy Considine, Sarah Solemani, Laurie Kynaston, Lucy Punch
Director: Coky Giedroyc
Writer: Caitlin Moran
Cinematographer: Hubert Taczanowski
Editor: Gareth C. Scales
Composer: Oli Julian

“Vita & Virginia” by Chanya Button (2018)

My Year’s Favorites (Aug. 2019-July 2020)

Good script, personages, direction and images
Top dialogues

Message: Love has a multitude of facets (how poor of us, we have only one word to embrace them all)
The critics did not like this movie, and although many of their observations are somewhat justified, I cannot understand why: a movie with such rich dialogues, a movie that is able to show so many facets of love at play within its 6 main personages – not to talk about the way Virginia Woolf from a frail and unstable woman becomes dominant, self-assured…
A much richer and finer movie than many many others that the same critics have appreciated… But yes, it have to say it at least once: through the years, I’ve noticed time and again that critics are much harder with female than with male directors…
You may judge by yourself…

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 5,6
Metascore 4,3
Roger Ebert 3,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,2
IMDB 5,5
Average critics 4,6
Average public 6,4

Cast: Elizabeth Debicki, Gemma Arterton, Isabella Rossellini, Rupert Penry-Jones, Peter Ferdinando, Emerald Fennell
Director: Chanya Button
Screenplay: Eileen Atkins, Chanya Button
Original Music Composer: Isobel Waller-Bridge
Director of Photography: Carlos De Carvalho
Editor: Mark Trend

“Never Rarely Sometimes Always” by Eliza Hittman (2020)

MY YEAR’S FAVORITES (Aug. 2019 – July 2020)

Great script, personages, images and message
Excellent direction
Top gender content

A movie about a 17-years-old young girl who has to deal with a pregnancy that wasn’t planned and that she doesn’t want
A movie about girl power, without much glamour, just girls doing what has to be done
A quiet but intense movie

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,6
Metascore 9,2
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,8
IMDB 7,2
Average critics 8,9
Average public 7,0

Cast: Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder, Théodore Pellerin
Director: Eliza Hittman
Writer: Eliza Hittman
Cinematographer: Hélène Louvart
Editor: Scott Cummings
Composer: Julia Holter

“Parisienne” by Danielle Arbid (2015)

French Week

Good personage, direction and minority presence
Excellent music

The journey of a Lebanese young woman who tries to survive as a student in Paris
A movie that includes a university lecture on ugliness
Appealing, mysterious female lead

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,6
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 5,8
IMDB 6,7
Average critics 6,6
Average public 6,3

Original title: Peur de Rien

Cast: Manal Issa, Vincent Lacoste, Paul Hamy
Director: Danielle Arbid
Writers: Danielle Arbid
Cinematography by Hélène Louvart
Film Editing by Mathilde Muyard

“Lost In Paris” by Dominique Abel & Fiona Gordon (2016)

French Week

Good script, images, and music
Excellent personages, direction, and minority presence
Top humor

Very original and funny, combining all sorts of styles without loosing its own voice

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,9
Metascore 7,4
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 6,2
Average critics 7,2
Average public 7,1

Original title: Pieds Nus à Paris

Cast: Fiona Gordon, Dominique Abel, Emmanuelle Riva, Pierre Richard
Directors: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon
Writers: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon
Cinematography by Claire Childeric, Jean-Christophe Leforestier
Film Editing by Sandrine Deegen

“Buffaloed” by Tanya Wexler (2019)

2019 was a good year!

Good dialogues, humor, direction
Great gender content and minority representation

It’s probably the first time such a (typical bad guy) role has been written for a young woman … and Zoey Deutch brings it to a top level

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,5
Metascore 6,1
Roger Ebert 7,5
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,8
IMDB 6,1
Average critics 6,7
Average public 7,5

Cast: Zoey Deutch, Judy Greer, Jermaine Fowler, Jai Courtney, Jermaine Fowler
Director: Tanya Wexler
Writer: Brian Sacca
Cinematographer: Guy Godfree
Editor: Casey Brooks
Composer: Matthew Margeson

“Little Forest” by Soon-rye Yim (2018)

The work of Soon-rye Yim (5/5)

Good script, personages, dialogues, images and gender content
Excellent direction

A simple story, a very enjoyable movie
A milder movie in its political commitment than the previous “South Bound,” still the social angle is very similar in this story of a young women – and her former classmate – who leaves the city to realize who she is.
This movie marks the social contrast between the city where others determine who you are and the countryside where there’s only you to do so. It also reinforces the original standpoint on the family that the precedent movie “South Bound” brought forward, in which the parents build for themselves an independent way of life, and stick to it even when their kids suffer from it. However, when they finally understand their parents’ choice, the children end up appreciating and valuing it.
Little Forest prolongs this theme: the mother has left her child without any apparent reason, and the child learns how to accept and honor her mother’s decision.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics —
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,0
IMDB 7,0
Average critics —
Average public 7,0

Cast: Tae-ri Kim, So-Ri Moon, Jun-yeol Ryu
Director: Soon-rye Yim
Writers: Seong-gu Hwang, Daisuke Igarashi (manga)

“Forever the Moment” by Soon-rye Yim (2008)

The work of Soon-rye Yim (2/5)

Good script, personages, dialogues, humor, images, minority presence and message
Excellent direction and gender content

Most Yim’s movies have a politcal angle. Here, it is the patriarchal social order against which Korea’s olympic handball female team has to fight: discriminated at home because they are women, they are also discriminated in Europe because they are Asians… A good sport movie with a message
Little known outside her country, Yim succeeded in making cool movies (mostly comedies) with a strong message

IMDB 6,5

Cast: So-Ri Moon, Jeong-eun Kim, Natallia Bulynia
Director: Soon-rye Yim
Writers: Hyeon Na, Soon-rye Yim
Music by Min-hwa Yun
Cinematography by Ki S. Hwang, Alekos Yiannaros
Film Editing by In-Dae Moon

“Maggie’s Plan” by Rebecca Miller (2015)

The work of Rebecca Miller (5/5)

Good dialogues

A completely different tone in this most recent feature, but not much to say.
The first half of the movie has excellent dialogues, good humor, and a story with potential, but it all gets drowned in the second half to leave us empty handed

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,1
Metascore 7,6
Roger Ebert 6,3
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,4
IMDB 6,2
Average critics 7,0
Average public 6,3

Cast: Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Travis Fimmel, Julianne Moore, Bill Hader
Director: Rebecca Miller
Writer: Karen Rinaldi
Writer: Rebecca Miller
Cinematographer: Sam Levy
Editor: Sabine Hoffman
Composer: Michael Rohatyn

“The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” by Rebecca Miller (2009)

The work of Rebecca Miller (4/5)

 

Good personages, dialogues, images and message
Excellent direction and gender content

The relationship between an adult and a child is a main aspect of this movie, just like that of Rebecca Miller’s preceding one. The child’s guilt is not always central but often mentioned.
Other recurring themes: a dysfunctional mother, running away, insanity along the mother line, crucial mother-daughter relationship, strangely unobtrusive role of the fathers (except in “The Ballad of Jake and Rose”)
The best Rebecca Miller movie until now / Fantastic female lead!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,2
Metascore 4,9
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,4
IMDB 6,4
Average critics 5,6
Average public 6,4

Cast: Robin Wright, Alan Arkin, Mike Binder
Director: Rebecca Miller
Writers: Rebecca Miller
Music by Michael Rohatyn
Cinematography by Declan Quinn
Film Editing by Sabine Hoffman

“How to Build a Girl” by Coky Giedroyc (2019)

2019 was a good year!

Great humor and images
Excellent dialogues and direction
Top gender content

How to lose yourself… and find yourself again… and lose yourself again… You know the feeling? A very original coming-of-age movie… Enjoy!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,5
Metascore 7,0
Roger Ebert 6,3
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 5,4
Average critics 6,6
Average public 5,4

Cast: Beanie Feldstein, Emma Thompson, Alfie Allen, Paddy Considine, Sarah Solemani, Laurie Kynaston, Lucy Punch
Director: Coky Giedroyc
Writer: Caitlin Moran
Cinematographer: Hubert Taczanowski
Editor: Gareth C. Scales
Composer: Oli Julian

“Margarita With A Straw” by Shonali Bose & Nilesh Maniyar (2014)

Teens & Sex / A Weekend Treat!

Great personages, dialogues and message
Excellent script, direction and images
Top gender content and minority presence

A movie that brings together personages with different physical disabilities, coming from antagonistic backgrounds and religions, and with sexualities diverging from the norm, in a true and poignant story
Extraordinary acting by Kalki Koechlin who can express so much and so clearly with her face and her body!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,1
Metascore 6,3
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 7,2
Average critics 6,7
Average public 7,6

Cast: Kalki Koechlin, Revathi, Sayani Gupta
Directors: Shonali Bose, Nilesh Maniyar (co-director)
Writers: Shonali Bose, Atika Chohan
Music by Mikey McCleary
Cinematography by Anne Misawa
Film Editing by Monisha R Baldawa, Bob Brooks, Saksham Verma

“Lost and Delirious” by Lea Pool (2001)

Teens & Sex / A Weekend Treat!

Great direction, images and music
Excellent personages, dialogues and gender content

“a hymn to teenage idealism and hormones” (Roger Ebert)
The usual Lea Pool’s family situations – difficult but crucial mother-daughter relationships and absent fathers – play a role in the background

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 5,4
Metascore 5,3
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 6,9
Average critics 6,5
Average public 7,5

Cast: Piper Perabo, Jessica Pare, Jackie Burroughs
Directed by Lea Pool
Written by Judith Thompson
Music by Robyn Schulkowsky
Cinematography by Jeanne Lapoirie
Film Editing by Michel Arcand

“Blockers” by Kay Cannon (2018)

Teens & Sex / First Feature

Great dialogues and gender content
Excellent minority presence

Sex and the (millenial) generation gap

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,8
Metascore 6,9
Roger Ebert 6,3
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,0
IMDB 6,2
Average critics 6,7
Average public 6,1

Cast: Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz, John Cena, Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan, Gideon Adlon
Director: Kay Cannon
Writer: Brian Kehoe, Jim Kehoe
Cinematographer: Russ T. Alsobrook
Editor: Stacey Schroeder
Composer: Mateo Messina

“Somersault” by Cate Shortland (2004)

Teens & Sex / First Feature

Great gender content

 

Weak story, shallow personages

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,9
Metascore 7,3
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,4
IMDB 6,7
Average critics 7,1
Average public 7,1

Cast: Abbie Cornish, Sam Worthington, Lynette Curran
Director: Cate Shortland
Writer: Cate Shortland
Music by Decoder Ring
Cinematography by Robert Humphreys
Film Editing by Scott Gray

“Jinn” by Nijla Mumin (2018)

Teens & Sex / First Feature

Great script, personage, dialogues and gender content
Excellent direction and images
Top minority presence and message

Coming of age? This movie puts it the other way around, as  Summer, a 16-year-old girl, wants to fulfill her (contagious) desire to discover the world around her and experience religion (Islam), dance, sex, and everything that triggers her interest. After the necessary clashes, parents and peers eventually support her, understanding that the freedom that is paramount to her age cannot tolerate any compromise. Whose coming of age is it, thus?
Khalil Gibran’s poetic image – children are arrows that parents shoot and have then to follow – comes to mind. Young people show us the way! Today, this could be our new reality: think about Greta Grünberg and many others in Hong-Kong and elsewhere… I love it!

The songs are great, but the constant (and unnecessary) ‘atmosphere’ music deprives the movie of some of its sharpness
Great acting by Zoe Renee: “Renee and Missick’s performances are so remarkable and the story is so compelling, I left the movie with a new feeling: hope that audiences watching this movie may be more empathetic towards others’ life changes.” [Monica Castillo]

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,0
Metascore 7,5
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,8
IMDB 5,4
Average critics 8,1
Average public 7,1

Cast:  Zoe Renee, Simone Missick, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Dorian Missick, Hisham Tawfiq, Kelly Jenrette, Ashlei Foushee, Damien D. Smith, Maya Morales
Director: Nijla Mu’min
Writer: Nijla Mu’min
Cinematographer: Bruce Francis Cole
Editor: Collin Kriner
Composer: Jesi Nelson

“But I’m A Cheerleader” by Jamie Babbit (1999)

Teens & Sex / First Feature

Great humor, directio, images and music
Top gender content and message

A good comedy about homosexuality

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 4,9
Metascore 3,9
Roger Ebert 7,5
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,6
IMDB 6,6
Average critics 5,4
Average public 7,1

Cast: Natasha Lyonne, Clea Duvall, Cathy Moriarty, Rupaul Charles, Michelle Williams
Directed by Jamie Babbit
Written by Brian Wayne Peterson
Music by Pat Irwin
Cinematography by Jules Labarthe
Film Editing by Cecily Rhett

“Lovely Rita” by Jessica Hausner (2001)

Teens & Sex / First Feature

Great script, personages, direction, images and gender content
Excellent message

A girl – who does everything ‘wrong’ because of her impossibility to communicate what she feels and what she wants – loses her only friend while discovering the excitements of sexuality, a real break in the boredom of the home and school aimless routine.
A first feature about a girl who tries to escape the world imposed on her (home + school), a theme that recurs in Jessica Hausner’s following movies.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics —
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,0
IMDB 5,8
Average critics —
Average public 5,9

Cast: Barbara Osika, Christoph Bauer, Peter Fiala
Director: Jessica Hausner
Writer: Jessica Hausner
Cinematography by Martin Gschlacht
Film Editing by Karin Hartusch

“The Miseducation Of Cameron Post” by Desiree Akhavan (2018)

 

Teens & Sex

Great dialogues
Excellent script, personages, direction, images, music and minority presence
Top gender content and message

A magnificent illustration of the conflicts teenagers can have between what society and religion impose on them – who they should be and not be – and the identity they feel they possess
Another look on identity conflicts – See Appropriate Behavior

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,5
Metascore 6,9
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,6
IMDB 6,6
Average critics 7,7
Average public 7,1

Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Sasha Lane, Forrest Goodluck, Jennifer Ehle, John Gallagher Jr., Owen Campbell, Quinn Shephard
Director: Desiree Akhavan
Writer (novel): Emily M. Danforth
Writer: Desiree Akhavan, Cecilia Frugiuele
Cinematographer: Ashley Connor
Editor: Sara Shaw
Composer: Julian Wass

“Ava” by Léa Mysius (2017)

Teens & Sex / First Feature

Great script, direction and gender content
Excellent minority presence and message

This subversive coming of age story shows how impermeable to social norms a young girl can be.

 

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,9
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,4
IMDB 6,7
Average critics 7,9
Average public 7,1

Cast: Noée Abita, Laure Calamy, Juan Cano
Director: Léa Mysius
Writers: Léa Mysius, Paul Guilhaume
Music by Florencia Di Concilio
Cinematography by Paul Guilhaume
Film Editing by Pierre Deschamps

“Life Partners” by Susanna Fogel (2014)

Teens & Sex / First Feature

Great script, personages, dialogues. direction, images and gender content
Top minority presence

Two long-time best friends come into adulthood in very different ways
A coming of age story that avoids stereotypes

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,1
Metascore 5,7
Roger Ebert 6,3
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,4
IMDB 6,2
Average critics 6,0
Average public 6,3

Cast: Leighton Meester, Gillian Jacobs, Adam Brody, Gabourey Sidibe, Beth Dover, Abby Elliott, Mark Feuerstein, Kate McKinnon, Greer Grammer
Director: Susanna Fogel
Writer: Joni Lefkowitz, Susanna Fogel
Director of Photography: Brian Burgoyne

“Laggies” by Lynn Shelton (2014)

Tribute to Lynn Shelton 1965–2020

Summarized: only the perfect (male) match can give sense to a woman’s life. No story to be proud of!
Just like in Touchy Feely, a female reacts dramatically when her boyfriend offers her to commit herself more fully to their relationship. Adding to the ‘sequel’ feeling, both movies stage an adult female, a teenager, and 2 adult males. In both movies, the “mother” is absent.
But instead of defining its personages realistically as they are in Touchy Feely, those in Laggies are inconsistent. A hopefully one-time hiccup in an up-to-now interesting oeuvre.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,0
Metascore 6,3
Roger Ebert 5,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,6
IMDB 6,4
Average critics 5,8
Average public 6,5

Cast: Keira Knightley, Sam Rockwell, Chloë Grace Moretz, Mark Webber, Ellie Kemper, Jeff Garlin, Kaitlyn Dever
Director: Lynn Shelton
Screenplay: Andrea Seigel
Director of Photography: Benjamin Kasulke
Original Music Composer: Benjamin Gibbard

“Touchy Feely” by Lynn Shelton (2013)

Tribute to Lynn Shelton 1965-2020

Great personages, humor, direction and gender content

See next movie Laggies

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 5,2
Metascore 5,5
Roger Ebert 6,3
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 5,0
IMDB 5,3
Average critics 5,7
Average public 5,2

Cast: Rosemarie DeWitt, Josh Pais, Ellen Page, Scoot McNairy, Allison Janney, Ron Livingston, Alycia Delmore
Director: Lynn Shelton
Writer: Lynn Shelton
Music by Vinny Smith
Cinematography by Benjamin Kasulke
Film Editing by Lynn Shelton

“Meditation Park” by Mina Shum (2017)

Tribute to Mina Shum (3/3)

Great script, humor, and images
Excellent personages, dialogues, and direction
Top content

For her third feature, Mina Shum tackles again the problem of integration, this time, she takes the point of view of an older Chinese woman in Toronto who is kept subjugated by her husband. One day, she discovers that he cheats on her and decides to set herself free.
A warm and very real woman who belongs to the ‘forgotten’ individuals of our society; A husband who is prisoner of his Confucian values; and their children as mixed second-generation couples. All these aspects characterize Mina Shum’s work.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,7
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,4
IMDB 7,2
Average critics 7,7
Average public 7,8

Cast: Pei-Pei Cheng, Tzi Ma, Sandra Oh
Director: Mina Shum
Writer: Mina Shum
Music by Andrew Lockington
Cinematography by Peter Wunstorf
Film Editing by Daria Ellerman

“Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity” by Mina Shum (2002)

Tribute to Mina Shum (2/3)

Great script, personages, direction and content

A young girl tries magic to bring her mother happiness: it works for everyone around her except for the mother
As in her first feature, Double Happiness, women are depicted as flexible, adapting themselves to new circumstances while men heavily suffer from the Confucian patriarchal ideology in which they are still stuck

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 5,3
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,2
IMDB 6,5
Average critics 5,3
Average public 6,9

Cast: Sandra Oh, Valerie Tian, Ric Young
Director: Mina Shum
Writers: Dennis Foon, Mina Shum
Music by Andrew Lockington
Cinematography by Peter Wunstorf
Film Editing by Alison Grace

“Double Happiness” by Mina Shum (1994)

A weekend treat!

Impressive First Features

Tribute to Mina Shum (1/3)

Great personages, direction, minority presence and message
Excellent gender content

Straightforward story of a young Canadian woman of Chinese origin who is torn between obeying her father and lving according to traditions on the one hand, and leading an independant life and following her dreams and instincts on the other hand.
As in her next movie, the father perpetuates the patriarchal (Confucian) role model and has the most to lose, namely his honor, whereas the mother would accept the wishes of her daughter, was it not for her duty to blindly follow and support her husband

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,1
Metascore —
Roger Ebert 7,5
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,2
IMDB 7,0
Average critics 7,3
Average public 7,1

Cast: Sandra Oh, Stephen Chang, Alannah On
Director: Mina Shum
Writer: Mina Shum
Music by Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet
Cinematography by Peter Wunstorf
Film Editing by Alison Grace

“The Party’s Just Beginning” by Karen Gillan (2018)

Impressive First Features

Great dialogues, direction, minority presence, and message
Excellent images, music, and gender content

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,4
Metascore 6,8
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,2
IMDB 6,2
Average critics 6,6
Average public 7,2

Cast: Karen Gillan, Lee Pace, Matthew Beard
Director: Karen Gillan
Writer: Karen Gillan (screenplay)
Music by Pepijn Caudron
Cinematography by Edd Lukas
Film Editing by Brett W. Bachman

“Skate Kitchen” by Crystal Moselle (2018)

Impressive First Feature

 

Great dialogues, images, music, and message
Excellent personages and direction
Top gender content and minority presence

An 18-year old girl joins a colorful group of girls, and while she skates with them, she learns what friendship means.
Cool because the movie shows “a younger generation [of women] that feels empowered to cross boundaries and to make their own world.” [Pat Brown]

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,3
Metascore 7,2
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,4
IMDB 6,8
Average critics 7,3
Average public 7,1

Cast: Rachelle Vinberg, Jaden Smith, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Ardelia Lovelace, Nina Moran
Director: Crystal Moselle
Writer: Crystal Moselle, Aslihan Ünaldı, Jen Silverman
Cinematography: Shabier Kirchner
Music: Aska Matsumiya
Editor: Nico Leunen

“Never Rarely Sometimes Always” by Eliza Hittman (2020)

Great script, personages, images and message (8)
Excellent direction (9)
Top gender content (10)

A movie about a 17-years-old young girl who has to deal with a pregnancy that wasn’t planned and that she doesn’t want
A movie about girl power, without much glamour, just girls doing what has to be done
A quiet but intense movie

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,6
Metascore 9,2
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,8
IMDB 7,2
Average critics 8,9
Average public 7,0

Cast: Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder, Théodore Pellerin
Director: Eliza Hittman
Writer: Eliza Hittman
Cinematographer: Hélène Louvart
Editor: Scott Cummings
Composer: Julia Holter

“Clueless” by Amy Heckerling (1995)

Tribute to Amy Heckerling (3/3)

Great direction (8)

Another “dumb blonde” movie with great dialogues and good acting by Alicia Silverstone
However, heavy on traditional gender roles and light on content…

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,9
Metascore 6,8
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,8
IMDB 6,8
Average critics 7,5
Average public 7,3

Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy
Director: Amy Heckerling
Writer: Amy Heckerling
Music by David Kitay
Cinematography by Bill Pope
Film Editing by Debra Chiate

“The Half Of It” by Alice Wu (2020)

Great script, humor, and direction (8)
Excellent dialogues and content (gender + minorities) (9)

A clever mix between a high school romance, a bullied Chinese nerd, lesbian love, and Rostand’s Cyrano’s triangular relationship transposed today, with lots of film and literature references… Makes Fred Schepisi’s Roxanne (1987) suddenly age overnight 🙂
Alice Wu’s second feature, the first one Saving Face was made in 2004.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,6
Metascore 7,5
Roger Ebert 7,5
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 7,2
Average critics 7,5
Average public 7,2

Cast: Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire, Collin Chou, Wolfgang Novogratz
Director: Alice Wu
Writer: Alice Wu
Cinematographer: Greta Zozula
Editor: Lee Percy, Ian Blume
Composer: Anton Sanko

“Clemency” by Chinonye Chukwu (2019)

2019 was a good year!

Good script, personages, humor, music (8)
Excellent dialogues, images and content (9)
Top direction (10)

One of the best movie against the death penalty, if one thing, because it’s not about guilt but about compassion
A very ‘mature’ direction for it being Chukwu’s second (almost first) feature

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,7
Metascore 7,7
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,0
IMDB 6,6
Average critics 8,5
Average public 6,8

Cast: Alfre Woodard, Wendell Pierce, Aldis Hodge, Richard Schiff
Director: Chinonye Chukwu
Writer: Chinonye Chukwu
Cinematographer: Eric Branco
Editor: Phyllis Housen
Composer: Kathryn Bostic

“TUNA Girl” by Mana Yasuda (2019)

2019 was a good year!

Good humor and direction (8)

For those of you who love Japan (and/or sashimi), an interesting insider view
on the fish farming industry
Besides, a look at how difficult relationships in Japan are and why they are so codified

IMDB 6,5

Cast: Tom Fujita, Hidetoshi Hoshida, Fûka Koshiba
Director: Mana Yasuda

“Booksmart” by Olivia Wilde (2019)

2019 was a good year!

First Feature

Good personages, dialogues, direction and content (8)

Begins just like any other high-school movie, but the surprises pile up quickly
Fun!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,3
Metascore 8,4
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 7,2
Average critics 8,9
Average public 7,6

Cast: Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Mason Gooding, Skyler Gisondo, Victoria Ruesga, Billie Lourd, Molly Gordon, Jason Sudeikis
Director: Olivia Wilde
Writers: Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, Katie Silberman
Cinematographer: Jason McCormick
Editor: Jamie Gross
Composer: Dan Nakamura

“Emma.” by Autumn de Wilde (2019)

2019 was a good year!

First Feature

Good script (8)
Excellent dialogues, images and music (9)
Top direction (10)

Fine and clever direction that emphasizes, among other things, the extremely narrow limits within which women and men of the time and of this social class had to behave, creating thus an extremely codified society
A real Jane Austen treat!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,3
Metascore 7,1
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,8
IMDB 6,8
Average critics 7,7
Average public 7,3

Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy, Mia Goth, Josh O’Connor, Callum Turner, Rupert Graves, Miranda Hart
Director: Autumn de Wilde
Based on the novel by Jane Austen
Writer: Eleanor Catton
Cinematographer: Christopher Blauvelt
Editor: Nick Emerson
Composer: David Schweitzer, Isobel Waller-Bridge

“The Farewell” by Lulu Wang (2019)

2019 was a good year!

Good dialogues, humor and content (8)
Excellent script, images and music (9)
Top personages and direction (10)

Thirteen minutes into the movie, the plot is clearly established, and we are emotionally involved
Emotions are very soberly displayed / no false notes in the characters /  good editing and photography, and a very interesting musical score… An amazing feat!
All this within the profound humility of an homage made by a grand-daughter to her grandma
This second feature is a strong follow-up to her first movie Posthumus.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,5
Metascore 8,9
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,6
IMDB 7,6
Average critics 9,1
Average public 8,1

Cast: Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Zhao Shuzhen, Lu Hong, Jiang Yongbo
Director: Lulu Wang
Screenplay: Lulu Wang
Director of Photography: Anna Franquesa Solano
Editor: Michael Taylor

“Elizabeth Is Missing” by Aisling Walsh (2019)

2019 was a good year!

Good humor, music, content (8)
Excellent dialogues, direction, images (9)
Top personages (10)

An older woman gradually loses touch with the present, but the memories of her past help solve a crime
The script could have been less anecdotic but what Walsh has built around it makes one easily forget its shortcomings
Fantastic Glenda Jackson playing a very difficult personage
(no poster yet…)

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,7
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 7,9
Average critics 8,7
Average public 7,9

Cast: Glenda Jackson, Maggie Steed, Sophie Rundle
Director: Aisling Walsh
Writers: Andrea Gibb (adaptation), Emma Healey (novel)
Music by Dominik Scherrer
Cinematography by Lukas Strebel
Film Editing by Alex Mackie

“Paradise Hills” by Alice Waddington (2019)

2019 was a good year!

First Feature

Good content (8)

A movie that shows how girls’ identity is shaped according to the social roles they have to fulfill, and advocates rebellion to preserve who they are
A movie about social divisions
A movie with many references to Alice in Wonderland
A movie in which the lead personage is much less interesting than the secondary ones; a movie in which men play no significant part
A movie with potential but that had needed much more attention and care

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,3
Metascore 5
Roger Ebert 3,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,2
IMDB 5,6
Average critics 6,3
Average public 5,6

Cast: Emma Roberts, Danielle Macdonald, Awkwafina
Director: Alice Waddington
Writers:: Alice Waddington, Brian DeLeeuw, Nacho Vigalondo
Cinematographer: Josu Inchaustegui
Editor: Guillermo de la Cal
Composer: Lucas Vidal

“Cafe Funiculi Funicula” by Ayuko Tsukahara (2018)

A Weekend Treat!

First Feature

Good personages, dialogues and direction (8)
Excellent script (9)

Foreign films sometimes confront us with reactions or expressions that seem strange to us. For example, as an European citizen, I find the reaction of ‘shame’ in American movies – when a man is chocked when he unintendly sees female nudity – extremely hypocritical, even though I’ve seen it so many times…) Anyway, very little of this in this Japanese movie (except at one moment, with the cat…)
A fantasy dealing with mature subjects!

IMDB 6,3

Original title: Kohi ga Samenai Uchi Ni

Cast: Kasumi Arimura, Motoki Fukami,
Director: Ayuko Tsukahara
Writer: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Music by Masaru Yokoyama
Cinematography by Norimichi Kasamatsu
Film Editing by Ryûji Miyajima

“Hustlers” by Lorene Scafaria (2019)

Lorene Scafaria (3/3)

2019 was a good year!

Good script and personages (8)

Objectified because of their sex, women decide to return the compliment to men by objectifying them for their money
A black-and-white world as it depicts gender relationships, but an intimate world of friendship and trust between women as well

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,3
Metascore 7,9
Roger Ebert 7,5
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,4
IMDB 6,3
Average critics 7,6
Average public 6,9

Cast: Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Lizzo, Cardi B
Director: Lorene Scafaria
Screenplay: Lorene Scafaria
Director of Photography: Todd Banhazl
Editor: Kayla Emter

“The Meddler” by Lorene Scafaria (2015)

Lorene Scafaria (2/3)

Top score: script, dialogues, images, gender (7)

The power of being positive: many clichés and little else

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,0
Metascore 6,8
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,6
IMDB 6,3
Average critics 7,9
Average public 6,5

Cast: Susan Sarandon, Rose Byrne, J.K. Simmons, Jason Ritter, Billy Magnussen
Director: Lorene Scafaria
Writer: Lorene Scafaria
Cinematographer: Brett Pawlak
Editor: Kayla Emter
Composer: Jonathan Sadoff

“Angels Wear White” by Vivian Qu (2017)

Vivian Qu (2/2)

Good script and music (8)
Excellent direction and images (9)
Top content (10)

Tightly knit movie about exploitation, corruption, gender inequalities, and child abuse in China / It shows the total absence of value women and girls have and how corruption impregnates all levels of society
Directed with a steady hand!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,6
Metascore 7,8
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,4
IMDB 7,2
Average critics 8,1
Average public 7,3

Original title: Jia nian hua

Cast: Vicky Chen, Zhou Meijun, Weiwei Liu, Wang Yuexin, Li MengNan, Geng Le
Director: Vivian Qu
Writer: Vivian Qu
Cinematographer: Benoit Dervaux
Editor: Hongyu Yang
Composer: Zi Wen

“Aurora” by Miia Tervo (2019)

2019 was a good year!

First Feature

Good script and content (8)
Excellent direction (9)

 

A movie that shows how a long winter (with snow melting everything into a colorless nature) brings people to do the craziest things
A movie in which Fins either drink to death or flee their country
A movie in which an Iraqi refugee brings some ‘value’ into the decadent/hopeless life of a Finnish woman who spends her time drinking and partying
Great Film Editing by Antti Reikko

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,4
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 6,9
Average critics 7,4
Average public 6,9

Cast: Mimosa Willamo, Amir Escandari, Oona Airola
Director: Miia Tervo
Writer: Miia Tervo
Music by Jaakko Laitinen, Lau Nau
Cinematography by Arsen Sarkisiants
Film Editing by Antti Reikko

“Late Night” by Nisha Ganatra (2019)

2019 was a good year!

Good personages, direction and images (8)
Excellent humor and content (9)
Top dialogues (10)

Hats off to Mindy Kaling for a good story and excellent dialogues!
Great cast!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,8
Metascore 7,0
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 6,5
Average critics 7,5
Average public 7,3

Cast: Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, John Lithgow, Reid Scott, Amy Ryan, Denis O’Hare, Hugh Dancy, Max Casella, Ike Barinholtz
Director: Nisha Ganatra
Writer: Mindy Kaling
Cinematographer: Matthew Clark
Editor: Eleanor Infante, David Rogers
Composer: Lesley Barber

“Above The Shadows” by Claudia Myers (2019)

2019 was a good year!

Weak direction (4)

 

Ambitious script that loses its focus with too many subplots
Uninspired direction + Olivia Thirlby does not have the stature for such a role

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,0
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,2
IMDB 5,8
Average critics 6,0
Average public 7,0

Cast: Olivia Thirlby, Justine Cotsonas, Megan Fox
Director: Claudia Myers
Writer: Claudia Myers
Music by Kaki King
Cinematography by Eric Robbins
Film Editing by Kathryn J. Schubert

“Ride Like A Girl” by Rachel Griffiths (2019)

2019 was a good year!

First Feature

Good direction and content (8)

A feel-good and girl-success story…
The music emphasizes the ‘nationalistic’ message of the movie

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,2
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 6,8
Average critics 6,2
Average public 7,4

Cast: Teresa Palmer, Sam Neill, Sullivan Stapleton
Director: Rachel Griffiths
Writers: Andrew Knight, Elise McCredie
Music by David Hirschfelder
Cinematography by Martin McGrath
Film Editing by Jill Bilcock, Maria Papoutsis

“Little Women” by Greta Gerwig (2019)

2019 was a good year!

Good dialogues, music, and content (8)
Excellent script, personages, direction, and images (9)

 

The story of the March sisters with sharpened edges, especially in relationship to women’s financial independence
A ‘long’ feature (more than 2 hours) that allows a good buildup of strong relationships between the personages

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,6
Metascore 9,1
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 9,0
IMDB 8,2
Average critics 9,2
Average public 8,6

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Timothée Chalamet, James Norton, Louis Garrel
Director: Greta Gerwig
Writer: Greta Gerwig, based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott
Cinematographer: Yorick Le Saux
Editor: Nick Houy
Composer: Alexandre Desplat

“Miss Bala” by Catherine Hardwicke (2019)

 

2019 was a good year!

A script with many clichés (drug cartels and corrupt police at every corner) but a good performance by Gina Rodriguez, who in the last 5 minutes is transformed “from a survivor to a superhero, as if the only way to liberate herself was by using the same violence that kept her captive” [Monica Castillo]

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 4,6
Metascore 4,1
Roger Ebert 5,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 5,6
Average critics 4,6
Average public 5,6

Cast: Gina Rodriguez, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Anthony Mackie, Matt Lauria, Cristina Rodlo
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Writer: Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer
Music by Alex Heffes
Cinematography by Patrick Murguia
Film Editing by Terilyn A. Shropshire

“The Souvenir” by Joanna Hogg (2019)

2019 was a good year!

Good script and content (8)
Excellent personages, dialogues, direction and music (9)
Top images (10)

On the track of Exhibition, a very complex and extremely dense love story presented in an erupted form (thanks to Joanna Hogg’s long collaboration with editor Helle le Fevre)
Intelligent use of a rich musical score (Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle, Verdi’s La Forza del Destino)

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,1
Metascore 9,1
Roger Ebert 10,0
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 4,8
IMDB 6,5
Average critics 9,1
Average public 5,7

Cast: Honor Swinton Byrne, Tom Burke, Tilda Swinton
Director: Joanna Hogg
Writer: Joanna Hogg
Cinematographer: David Raedeker
Editor: Helle le Fevre

“Queen of Hearts” by May el-Toukhy (2019)

2019 was a good year!

Good script, dialogues, direction, images and music (8)

A middle-aged mother starts a relationship with her stepson, but pushes him to suicide to prevent him from destroying her family.
One critic saw Anne (Trine Dyrholm) as “one of the most complicated female villains of recent memory.” I saw a woman who seeks to fulfill unsatisfied sexual needs, but realizes when it’s too late that she will lose her daughters. The price to pay for her sexual escapade is too high, and she fights to the most dramatic end. A man who would have sex with the (adult) daughter of his ex-wife would not be punished as harshly…

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,3
Metascore 6,7
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,6
IMDB 7,2
Average critics 7,0
Average public 7,4

Cast: Trine Dyrholm, Gustav Lindh, Magnus Krepper
Director: May el-Toukhy
Writers: Maren Louise Käehne, May el-Toukhy
Music by Jon Ekstrand
Cinematography by Jasper Spanning
Film Editing by Rasmus Stensgaard Madsen

“Miss & Mrs. Cops” by Jung Da-Won (2019)

2019 was a good year!

First Feature

Good direction (8)

Good direction but uninteresting script

IMDB 5,7

Cast: Seong-Bong Ahn, Jung-woo Ha, Joo Woo Jae
Director: Jung Da-Won
Writer: Jung Da-Won

“Love the Way You Are” by Mengying Dai & Tong Zhou (2019)

2019 was a good year!

A college romantic comedy Chinese style, with all the clichés you can imagine, but in a refreshing setting: worth a look, despite the disappointing end
Nice performance by Vivian Sung

IMDB 6,7

Cast: Vivian Sung, Weilong Song, Yen-Jou Lin
Directors: Mengying Dai, Tong Zhou
Writers: Mengying Dai, Wanyue Zhang
Music by Chris Hou
Cinematography by Sam Hu
Film Editing by Derek Hui, Yuan Zhou

“Captain Marvel” by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck (2019)

2019 was a good year!

Fine humor and an intersting use of flashbacks
A wink to millennials: no love story, no sex!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,8
Metascore 6,4
Roger Ebert 6,3
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,4
IMDB 7,0
Average critics 6,5
Average public 6,7

Cast: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Annette Bening
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Writer: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Geneva Robertson-Dworet
Cinematographer: Ben Davis
Editor: Elliot Graham, Debbie Berman
Composer: Pinar Toprak

“The Olive Tree” (El olivo) by Icíar Bollaín (2016)

The Work of Iciar Bollain (5)

Good script, personages, dialogues and images (8)
Excellent humor and direction (9)

 

Nice story by Paul Laverty

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,6
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,2
IMDB 6,8
Average critics 6,6
Average public 7,0

Cast: Anna Castillo, Javier Gutiérrez, Pep Ambròs
Director: Icíar Bollaín
Writer: Paul Laverty
Music by Pascal Gaigne
Cinematography by Sergi Gallardo
Film Editing by Nacho Ruiz Capillas

“Katmandú lullaby” (Katmandú, un espejo en el cielo) by Icíar Bollaín (2012)

The Work of Iciar Bollain (4)

Good personages and content (8)

 

Lacks the intricated complexity of previous works
The movie only ennumerates the gender and cultural ‘bias’ of a people in the eyes of a Westerner, and  with its one-sided colionatist approach, it makes a strange follow-up to Even The Rain.

IMDB 6,1

Cast: Verónica Echegui, Sumyata Bhattarai, Norbu Tsering Gurung
Director: Icíar Bollaín
Writers: Icíar Bollaín, Paul Laverty
Music by Pascal Gaigne
Cinematography by Antonio Riestra
Film Editing by Nacho Ruiz Capillas

“Mataharis” by Icíar Bollaín (2007)

The Work of Iciar Bollain (2)

Good dialogues, images and music (8)
Excellent personages, direction and content (9)

 

Three women who work together for a private detective agency are asked to investigate cases that give them some insight on the problems they experience in their private life
Complex script, excellent direction. As one viewer said, the more I think about it, the more I love it!

IMDB 6,8

Cast: Najwa Nimri, Tristán Ulloa, María Vázquez
Director: Icíar Bollaín
Writers: Icíar Bollaín, Tatiana Rodríguez
Music by Lucio Godoy
Cinematography by Kiko de la Rica
Film Editing by Ángel Hernández Zoido

“Take My Eyes” (Te doy mis ojos) by Iciar Bollain (2003)

 

The Work of Iciar Bollain (1)

Good script, dialogues, images and music (8)
Excellent personages, direction and content (9)

A movie about the painfully hard struggle a woman has to go through in order to liberate herself from the patriarchal straightjacket that has annihilated her identity.
“The point is that anything that Pilar does in the outside world, any skill she demonstrates or independence she shows, is a challenge to him. He cannot bear the possibility that she could live without him, could exist as herself and not as his possession.” [Roger Ebert]
Fantastic acting by Laia Marull

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,6
Metascore 7,4
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,8
IMDB 7,4
Average critics 7,9
Average public 7,6

Cast: Laia Marull, Luis Tosar, Candela Pena, Rosa Maria Sarda
Directed by Iciar Bollain
Written by Iciar Bollain, Alicia Luna
Music by Alberto Iglesias
Cinematography by Carles Gusi
Film Editing by Ángel Hernández Zoido

“Carolina” by Marleen Gorris (2003)

A Tribute to Marleen Gorris (5/5)

Good dialogues and humor (8)

Remake of “Antonia” transposed in California today
Despite the fantastic acting by Shirley MacLaine, the movie misses (too) much of the content and atmosphere of the original Dutch version

Rotten Tomatoes Critics —
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,4
IMDB 6,1
Average critics —
Average public 7,3

Cast: Julia Stiles, Shirley MacLaine, Alessandro Nivola
Director: Marleen Gorris
Writer: Katherine Fugate
Music by Steve Bartek
Cinematography by John Peters
Film Editing by Alan Heim, Michiel Reichwein

“Mrs Dalloway” by Marleen Gorris (1997)

A Tribute to Marleen Gorris (3/5)

Good personages, direction (8)

Post World War One in the UK. A story that brings in parallel two personage whose experience relates to the old world: the soldier who suffers from PTSD and can’t enjoy that he’s still alive in the 20th century when his companion is dead; the cosmpolitan lady who still lives in the fancies of the 19th century and organizes parties to keep this world alive.

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,5
Metascore —
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,6
IMDB 6,6
Average critics 7,7
Average public 6,6

Cast: Vanessa Redgrave, Natascha McElhone, Rupert Graves, Michael Kitchen, Alan Cox
Directed by Marleen Gorris
Written by Eileen Atkins
Based On The Novel by Virginia Woolf
Music by Ilona Sekacz
Cinematography by Sue Gibson
Film Editing by Michiel Reichwein

“A Question of Silence” by Marleen Gorris (1982)

A Tribute to Marleen Gorris (1/5)

First Feature

Good humor, images and music (8)
Excellent personages, dialogues and content (9)
Top script and direction (10)

A very intelligent (and subversive) story in which a psychiatrist is asked to evaluate three women who have committed a murder without any reason and who refuse any attempt to reduce their ‘culpability’… 

Rotten Tomatoes Critics —
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 6,4

Cast: Edda Barends, Nelly Frijda, Henriëtte Tol
Director: Marleen Gorris
Writer: Marleen Gorris
Music by Lodewijk de Boer, Martijn Hasebos
Cinematography by Frans Bromet
Film Editing by Hans van Dongen

“Saints Rest” by Noga Ashkenazi (2018)

(great) Movies with Humor (5/5)

First Feature

Good script and content (8)
Excellent dialogues, humor, direction and images (9)
Top personages and music (10)

A simple story, directed with insight and finesse + a treasure of a cast + beautiful songs that belong to the personages and to their story. A real treat!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics –
Metascore –
Roger Ebert –
Rotten Tomatoes Audience –
IMDB 4,7

Cast: Hani Furstenberg, Allie Trimm, Dana Ivgy
Director: Noga Ashkenazi
Writers: Noga Ashkenazi, Tyson Stock
Music by Naama Or, Eliya Scemama
Cinematography by Matthias Grunsky
Film Editing by Nili Feller

“Late Night” by Nisha Ganatra (2019)

(great) Movies with Humor (2/5)

Good personages, direction and images (8)
Excellent humor and content (9)
Top dialogues (10)

Hats off to Mindy Kaling for a good story and excellent dialogues!
Great cast!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,8
Metascore 7,0
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 6,5
Average critics 7,5
Average public 7,3

Cast: Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, John Lithgow, Reid Scott, Amy Ryan, Denis O’Hare, Hugh Dancy, Max Casella, Ike Barinholtz
Director: Nisha Ganatra
Writer: Mindy Kaling
Cinematographer: Matthew Clark
Editor: Eleanor Infante, David Rogers
Composer: Lesley Barber

“A Vigilante” by Sarah Daggar-Nickson (2018)

Week of the Weak

First Feature

Weak humor and direction (4)
(but good content (8))

Unimaginative script, mediocre editing, but most of all personages without substance
On the positive side, an expressive performance by Olivia Wilde and an empowering message asking victims of domestic violence not to be subjugated by the love they might have shared with or still feel for the perpetrator – a difficult task for adults, an impossible one for children

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,9
Metascore 6,9
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,4
IMDB 5,5
Average critics 7,5
Average public 6,0

Cast: Olivia Wilde, Morgan Spector, Kyle Catlett, Cheryse Dyllan
Director: Sarah Daggar-Nickson
Writer: Sarah Daggar-Nickson
Cinematographer: Alan McIntyre Smith
Editor: Matthew C. Hart, Ben Baudhuin
Composer: Danny Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans

“Different Flowers” by Morgan Dameron (2017)

Week of the Weak

First Feature

Bad script, dialogues and direction (3)
Bottom content (1)

Poor direction and desolating script on the a-woman-has-to-find-the-one-and-only theme. What a waste!

Rotten Tomatoes Critics —
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 5,2

Cast: Shelley Long, Emma Bell, Hope Lauren
Director: Morgan Dameron
Writer: Morgan Dameron
Music by Chris Westlake
Cinematography by Jordan McNeile
Film Editing by Nate Orloff

“Family” by Laura Steinel (2018)

Week of the Weak

Weak personages and direction (4)

A bunch of immatures (nothing to do with their age) struggles to fit into the “normal” world… A coming-of-age story, but in the end, you ask yourself: coming of age, what for?

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,4
Metascore 6,0
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,0
IMDB 6,3
Average critics 6,2
Average public 7,2

Cast: Kate McKinnon, Allison Tolman, Taylor Schilling
Director: Laura Steinel
Writer: Laura Steinel
Music by Jeremy Turner
Cinematography by Michael Simmonds
Film Editing by Glenn Garland

“The Breaker Upperers” by Madeleine Sami & Jackie van Beek (2018)

Week of the Weak

First Feature

Weak direction (4)

A few good moments… too few / sharp dialogues

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,1
Metascore 7,6
Roger Ebert 7,5
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,4
IMDB 5,9
Average critics 7,4
Average public 6,2

Cast: Madeleine Sami, Jackie van Beek, James Rolleston, Celia Pacquola
Director: Madeleine Sami, Jackie van Beek
Cinematographer: Ginny Loane
Editor: Tom Eagles

“Montparnasse Bienvenue” (Jeune Femme) by Léonor Serraille (2017)

Week of First Features

Good dialogues, music, content (8)
Top direction, images (10)

The perfect photography and editing, and the use of color make every new plan a suprise!
A woman who tries to survive being rejected by her first love
Great performance by Laetitia Dosch

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,7
Metascore 7,6
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 6,6
IMDB 6,5
Average critics 7,7
Average public 6,6

Cast: Laetitia Dosch, Souleymane Seye Ndiaye, Grégoire Monsaingeon
Director: Léonor Serraille
Writers: Léonor Serraille, Clémence Carré, Bastien Daret
Music by Julie Roué
Cinematography by Émilie Noblet
Film Editing by Clémence Carré

“Miss & Mrs. Cops” by Jung Da-Won (2019)

Week of First Features

Good direction (8)

Good direction but uninteresting script

Rotten Tomatoes Critics —
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 5,6

Cast: Seong-Bong Ahn, Jung-woo Ha, Joo Woo Jae
Director: Jung Da-Won
Writer: Jung Da-Won

“Love the Way You Are” by Mengying Dai & Tong Zhou (2019)

Week of First Features

A college romantic comedy Chinese style, with all the clichés you can imagine, but in a refreshing setting: worth a look, despite the disappointing end
Nice performance by Vivian Sung

Rotten Tomatoes Critics —
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 6,7
Average critics —
Average public 6,7

Cast: Vivian Sung, Weilong Song, Yen-Jou Lin
Directors: Mengying Dai, Tong Zhou
Writers: Mengying Dai, Wanyue Zhang
Music by Chris Hou
Cinematography by Sam Hu
Film Editing by Derek Hui, Yuan Zhou

“Paradise Hills” by Alice Waddington (2019)

Week of First Features

Good content (8)

A movie that shows how girls’ identity is shaped according to the social roles they have to fulfill, and advocates rebellion to preserve who they are
A movie about social divisions
A movie with many references to Alice in Wonderland
A movie in which the lead personage is much less interesting than the secondary ones; a movie in which men play no significant part
A movie with potential but that had needed much more attention and care

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,1
Metascore 5,0
Roger Ebert 3,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 8,4
IMDB 5,9
Average critics 5,0
Average public 7,2

Cast: Emma Roberts, Danielle Macdonald, Awkwafina
Director: Alice Waddington
Writers:: Alice Waddington, Brian DeLeeuw, Nacho Vigalondo
Cinematographer: Josu Inchaustegui
Editor: Guillermo de la Cal
Composer: Lucas Vidal

“Great Moments in Aviation” by Beeban Kidron (1994)

Movies of the ’90s

Good dialogues, direction, images, music, and content (8)

A black female lead in a predominantly white cast (see the poster!)
A very agreeable movie with lots of surprises
The last scenes probably meant to reconcile all the facets of the film were not really necessary

Rotten Tomatoes Critics —
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 6,5
Average critics —
Average public 6,5

Cast: Rakie Ayola, Vanessa Redgrave, John Hurt, Jonathan Pryce
Director: Beeban Kidron
Writer: Jeanette Winterson
Music by Rachel Portman
Cinematography by Remi Adefarasin
Film Editing by John Stothart

“Elizabeth Is Missing” by Aisling Walsh (2019)

A British week: Aisling Walsh (3/3)

Good humor, music, content (8)
Excellent dialogues, direction, images (9)
Top personages (10)

An older woman gradually loses touch with the present, but the memories of her past help solve a crime
The script could have been less anecdotic but what Walsh has built around it makes one easily forget its shortcomings
Fantastic Glenda Jackson playing a very difficult personage
(no poster yet…)

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,7
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 8,1
Average critics 8,7
Average public 8,1

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 8,7
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 8,1
Average critics 8,7
Average public 8,1

Cast: Glenda Jackson, Maggie Steed, Sophie Rundle
Director: Aisling Walsh
Writers: Andrea Gibb (adaptation), Emma Healey (novel)
Music by Dominik Scherrer
Cinematography by Lukas Strebel
Film Editing by Alex Mackie

“Vita & Virginia” by Chanya Button (2018)

A British week: Chanya Button (2/2)

Good script, personages, direction and images (8)
Top dialogues (10)

Message: Love has a multitude of facets (how poor of us, we have only one word to embtace them all)
The critics did not like this movie, and although many of their observations are somewhat justified, I cannot understand why: a movie with such rich dialogues, a movie that is able to show so many facets of love at play within its 6 main personages – not to talk about the way Virginia Woolf from a frail and instabile woman becomes dominant, self-assured…
A much richer and finer movie than many many others that the same critixs have appreciated… But yes, it have to say it at least once: through the years, I’ve noticed time and again that critixs are much harder with female than with male directors…
You may judge by yourself…

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 5,6
Metascore 4,3
Roger Ebert 3,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,2
IMDB 5,5
Average critics 4,6
Average public 6,4

Cast: Elizabeth Debicki, Gemma Arterton, Isabella Rossellini, Rupert Penry-Jones, Peter Ferdinando, Emerald Fennell
Director: Chanya Button
Screenplay: Eileen Atkins, Chanya Button
Original Music Composer: Isobel Waller-Bridge
Director of Photography: Carlos De Carvalho
Editor: Mark Trend

“Burn Burn Burn” by Chanya Button (2015)

A British week: Chanya Button (1/2)

First Feature

Good humor and direction (8)

Original, surprising and fun first feature
Pity the end doesn’t match the raw savagery of the first hour

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 6,2
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,6
IMDB 7,0
Average critics 6,2
Average public 7,3

Cast: Laura Carmichael, Chloe Pirrie, Julian Rhind-Tutt
Director: Chanya Button
Writer: Charlie Covell
Music by Marc Canham, Candy Says
Cinematography by Carlos De Carvalho
Film Editing by Mark Trend

“Look at Me” (Comme une image) by Agnes Jaoui (2004)

The films of Agnès Jaoui (2/4)

Good images (8)
Excellent script, personages, dialogues, direction (9)

Agnes Jaoui’s characters remind me of bumper cars: they change direction every time they run into someone!
As in her first feature, Jaoui manages to stage successive repressed relational situations without sinking into heaviness
Excellent musical score perfectly integrated!
“The thing about a movie like this is, the characters may be French, but they’re more like people I know than they could ever be in the Hollywood remake.” [Roger Ebert]

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,6
Metascore 7,9
Roger Ebert 8,8
Rotten Tomatoes Audience 7,2
IMDB 6,8
Average critics 8,1
Average public 7,0

Cast: Marilou Berry, Agnes Jaoui, Jean-Pierre Bacri, Laurent Grevill, Virginie Desarnauts
Directed by Agnès Jaoui
Written by Agnes Jaoui, Jean-Pierre Bacri
Music by Philippe Rombi
Cinematography by Stéphane Fontaine
Film Editing by François Gédigier

“The Chambermaid” by Lila Avilés (2018)

International update (4/10)

First Feature

Top score: minorities (9)

A claustrophobic take on a routine and directionless life
Absence of action, repetitions, absence of variation in shots, in decor, in color, elements that are meant to build the message revealed in the last shot: a great cinematic exercise but not much more than that

Cast: Gabriela Cartol, Teresa Sánchez
Director: Lila Avilés
Writer: Lila Avilés, Juan Carlos Marquéz
Editor: Omar Guzmán
Director of Photography: Carlos Rossini

“Ginger And Rosa” by Sally Potter (2012)

Facets of Fatherhood (8/10)

Good script, music
Excellent personages, direction, images, dialogues
Top score: minorities, message (10)

Set during the Cold War in the nascent post-war world of feminism and youth activism / Another facet of the influence of a strong fatherly figure on a young girl (see also The Man Who Cried (2000)) 

Cast: Elle Fanning, Alice Englert, Alessandro Nivola, Annette Bening, Timothy Spall
Written and directed by Sally Potter
Cinematography by Robbie Ryan
Film Editing by Anders Refn

“Toni Erdmann” by Maren Ade (2016)

Facets of Fatherhood (6/10)

Good images, dialogues, humor, music
Excellent script, personages, direction

Very surprising movie / Strong direction
A father and a daughter who haven’t much to say to each other, a father and a daughter that so much separates and that so much unites.

Cast: Peter Simonischek, Sandra Hüller, Lucy Russell, Vlad Ivanov, Hadewych Minis
Director: Maren Ade
Writer: Maren Ade
Cinematographer: Patrick Orth
Editor: Heike Parplies

“Aurora” by Miia Tervo (2019)

First Feature

Good script and content (8)
Excellent direction (9)

 

A movie that shows how a long winter (with snow melting everything into a colorless nature) brings people to do the craziest things
A movie in which Fins either drink to death or flee their country
A movie in which an Iraqi refugee brings some ‘value’ into the decadent/hopeless life of a Finnish woman who spends her time drinking and partying
Great Film Editing by Antti Reikko

Rotten Tomatoes Critics 7,4
Metascore —
Roger Ebert —
Rotten Tomatoes Audience —
IMDB 6,9
Average critics 7,4
Average public 6,9

Cast: Mimosa Willamo, Amir Escandari, Oona Airola
Director: Miia Tervo
Writer: Miia Tervo
Music by Jaakko Laitinen, Lau Nau
Cinematography by Arsen Sarkisiants
Film Editing by Antti Reikko

“Orlando” by Sally Potter (UK, 1992)

man/woman/other…

A wo/man crosses a 400-year destiny through history – a tribute to gender unity

Cast: Tilda Swinton, Billy Zane, Lothaire Bluteau, Quentin Crisp
Written and Directed by Sally Potter
Music by David Motion, Sally Potter
Cinematography by Aleksei Rodionov
Film Editing by Hervé Schneid

“When Night Is Falling” by Patricia Rozema (Canada, 1995)

Lesbian love seen by a female director

The passion a woman feels for another woman makes her abandon all her moral certitudes / Some weaknesses in the script / Excellent camera work on bodies and movement

Cast: Pascale Bussières, Rachael Crawford, Henry Czerny
Director: Patricia Rozema
Writer: Patricia Rozema
Music by Lesley Barber
Cinematography by Douglas Koch
Film Editing by Susan Shipton

“A Perfect Ending” by Nicole Conn (USA, 2012)

Lesbian love seen by a female director

An unnecessary soapy script saved by good acting and directing, and the surprising editing / Shunned by critics

Cast: Barbara Niven, Bryan Mordechai Jackson, Jessica Clark
Director: Nicole Conn
Writer: Nicole Conn
Music by Bob Fowler, Stephen Ridley
Cinematography by Tal Lazar
Film Editing by Nicole Conn

“Elena Undone” by Nicole Conn (USA, 2010)

Lesbian love seen by a female director

Predictable but very real, with good love scenes / Shunned by critics

Cast: Necar Zadegan, Traci Dinwiddie, Gary Weeks
Director: Nicole Conn
Writer: Nicole Conn
Music by Mark Chait
Cinematography by Tal Lazar
Film Editing by Nicole Conn, Brian Wessel

“I Can’t Think Straight” by Shamim Sarif (UK, 2008)

Lesbian love seen by a female director

Less audacious than her preceding movie, but better acting, a more confident direction, and a nice touch of humor

Cast: Lisa Ray, Sheetal Sheth, Antonia Frering
Director: Shamim Sarif
Writers: Shamim Sarif, Kelly Moss
Music by Raiomond Mirza
Cinematography by Aseem Bajaj
Film Editing by David Martin

“The World Unseen” by Shamin Sarif (South Africa, 2007)

Lesbian love seen by a female director

 

Weakness in the script, stiff acting, clumsy direction, but lots of good intention in Sarif’s debut feature: “Everyone’s breaking barriers and causing trouble in this film, or least yearning to.” Jay Antani

Cast: Lisa Ray, Sheetal Sheth, Parvin Dabas, Nandana Sen, Grethe Fox, David Dennis, Bernard White, Colin Moss, Amber Ross Revah, Rajesh Gopie
Director: Shamim Sarif
Screenwriter/novelist: Shamim Sarif
Music by Richard Blackford
Cinematography by Michael Downie
Film Editing by David Martin

“Project Eden vol.1” by Ashlee Jensen & Terrance Young (USA, 2017)

Very foreseeable developments, many cliches (the mafia speaks Russian, to make sure we know it is the mafia), enormous mistakes in the continuity (after she has been running hard for a few hundred meters, he asks her if she can walk), and a dystopian setting that is not even necessary to the plot… The few twists after an hour or so don’t make it better. One of the worse movies I’ve ever seen!

Actors: Erick Avari, Mike Dopud, Anna McGahan
Directors: Ashlee Jensen, Terrance M. Young
Writers: Ashlee Jensen, Terrance M. Young | 1 more credit »
Music by Jamie Murgatroyd
Cinematography by Christopher Lange
Film Editing by Terrance M. Young

“Nena” by Saskia Diesing (Netherlands, 2014)

A heavy subject treated with lightness

Cast: Abbey Hoes, Uwe Ochsenknecht, Gijs Blom
Director: Saskia Diesing
Writers: Saskia Diesing, Esther Gerritsen
Music by Paul Eisenach
Cinematography by Aage Hollander
Film Editing by Barbara Toennieshen

“Every Secret Thing” by Amy Berg (USA, 2014)

Good acting, good drama / “The interrogation scenes, between Alice and a detective played by Elizabeth Banks, explore the social disadvantages of a fat woman with a stark bluntness that’s unheard of in a popular cinema” writes Chuck Bowen.

Cast: Diane Lane, Elizabeth Banks, Dakota Fanning, Danielle Macdonald
Director: Amy Berg
Screenplay: Nicole Holofcener
Novel: Laura Lippman
Director of Photography: Rob Hardy
Editor: Ron Patane, Billy McMillin

“The Female Brain” by Whitney Cummings (USA, 2017)

First feature / Characters are too caricatural to create empathy, most dialogues sound unnatural and forced, and at times just poor

Cast: Whitney Cummings, Sofía Vergara, Toby Kebbell, James Marsden, Lucy Punch
Director: Whitney Cummings
Writer: Neal Brennan, Louann Brizendine, Whitney Cummings
Cinematographer: Bradford Lipson
Editor: Peggy Eghbalian
Composer: Jeff Cardoni

“Obvious Child” by Gillian Robespierre (USA, 2014)

First feature / A Woody Allen (the artist not the dirty old man) in a liberated female way!

Cast: Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy, Gaby Hoffman, Gabe Liedman, David Cross, Richard Kind. Polly Draper, Paul Briganti, Cindy Cheung, Stephen Singer
Director: Gillian Robespierre
Screenplay: Gillian Robespierre
Music by Chris Bordeaux
Cinematography by Chris Teague
Film Editing by Casey Brooks