Mental Health Awareness Month: Inland Empire and The Mental Health of Women in Hollywood

“Inland Empire” is Lynch’s commentary on how Hollywood treats women. It also says a great deal about how this takes a toll on a woman’s mental health and motivates her to do things that would get in the way of her own personal happiness. According to Hollywood, women have short shelf lives because their looks and youth play a huge role in the jobs they get. It’s also sort of an acknowledgement of us, the audience members–the people who consume films and the sum total of our life experiences with us when we see a movie.  Continue reading Mental Health Awareness Month: Inland Empire and The Mental Health of Women in Hollywood

A first timer’s view of “Little Women”

I have never read the book “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott or seen any of the previous adaptations. I have little interest in period dramas, frocks and debutant balls. All I knew about the film was that there were a bunch of teenage-ish girls, it was written 150 years ago and the Joey on Friends got upset about one of the characters dying.

So, I knew I’d be a hard sell on this but after a shaky start this film really won me over. Continue reading A first timer’s view of “Little Women”

Review: Little Women (2019)

It’s not an easy task to adapt one of the most famous American novels of all time for the screen. Not only has Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” been beloved since it was first published in 1868, it has also had several well-regarded film adaptations before, starring actresses like Katharine Hepburn and Winona Ryder. And yet, if anyone was going to take on this mammoth task, Greta Gerwig seems like the perfect person. Gerwig broke onto the directing scene in 2017 with her first film, “Lady Bird,” a coming-of-age story starring Saoirse Ronan. She returns this year with one of the most iconic female coming-of-age stories of all time, “Little Women,” refreshed and updated for a modern audience without losing any of the spirit of the book — and once again starring Saoirse Ronan.  Continue reading Review: Little Women (2019)

Review: “Marriage Story” (2019) Netflix

As with some of Bambach other films, “MARRIAGE STORY” is long on talk and short on cinema. While most are at least a good watch, this one tricks you into thinking you’re getting a marriage story for the first five minutes, but it’s got a little trick up its sleeve and you soon find out that what you almost fell for, is nothing of the sort. With its sorta jokey NY/LA rivalry theme, and in certain LA frames giving us the “Annie Hall” feels, (along with other films in the same vein appear to be evoked here) but the mere mention of these kinds films only highlights the weakness of this one. Continue reading Review: “Marriage Story” (2019) Netflix

ITOL Top 50 Films of the Decade, Entry No. 45: Certain Women

Year: 2016 Runtime: 107 Minutes Director: Kelly Reichardt Writer: Kelly Reichardt Stars: Michelle Williams, Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern, Lily Gladstone Certain Women: A Woman’s Lonely and Honest Landscape By Ariana Martinez Films that progress slowly and with gentle telling are not something most audiences are accustomed to but must allow themselves to experience. “Certain Women” (2016) is one such film, as it subverts predisposed expectations … Continue reading ITOL Top 50 Films of the Decade, Entry No. 45: Certain Women