The moment I heard that Greta Gerwig was attached to the first live-action film about “Barbie” I was totally on-board, especially when I heard that the wonderful Margot Robbie was going to be playing Barbie herself. The film is set to be released July 21, 2023 (which seems like a long long way off). So, what details do we know so far about the “Barbie” movie? Continue reading Everything We Know About “Barbie” So Far…
In honor of the new year, the League takes a look at a few of our favorite films that reference time and time travel Continue reading In Their Own League: A Few of Our Favorite Timey Whimey Things
Good news everyone, there’s only 177 days left of 2020! Did you check out our picks for numbers 15-11? Well, if not then you can find them here. We’re not going to lie, picking our top 15 films of the year (so far) has been tough especially seeing how release dates of certain films have been delayed and how we’ve been trapped inside for months. However, we’re pleased that the ITOL team have come together to create our top 15 films from the last 6 months. Please let us know which films make your top 15 list and what films are you looking forward to catching later this year! Continue reading ITOL Top 15 Films of 2020 (So Far), Numbers 10-6
When you watch the trailer for “I, Tonya” (2017), you get the tonal sense of the film. It is a dark comedy about infamous skating figure Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie). I can yammer on all day about I am still not over Robbie losing the Oscar; her performance is magnetic. She was captivating from start to finish. It was a career-defining performance, one that demonstrated her innate talent…but I am seriously digressing. Robbie is incredible in the film, which is why I think the abuse and trauma we see in the film makes it all the more difficult to watch.
I have my Master’s degree in Professional Counseling. One of the courses I took was on trauma-informed therapy. Trauma is everyone. Trauma is, in essence, completely defined by a person. Continue reading “I, Tonya” and the Preponderance of Trauma
Can you recollect those moments from your life that become exceedingly significant for you and your memory, although they don’t seem vital for your life path? I, for example, often think about that time when my wife and I got stuck on West Magnolia Boulevard and North Niagara Street. Her car broke down; hence we had to wait for a tow truck. It took a couple of hours to organize this. Not wanting to waste time, we went to buy a sandwich in a little Italian-styled restaurant and waited for a rescue. Continue reading The City of Angels Perceived Through One’s Eyes And Hollywood Depicted in “Once Upon a Time In Hollywood”
Following the infamous “Suicide Squad”, “Birds of Prey” sees the return of of the infamous Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) to the big screen. Only this time things have changed since we’ve last spent time with her, she and the Joker have broken up. With this framing “Birds of Prey” follows Harley as she navigates her newfound independence from her toxic relationship, through various means she ends up in the hands of Roman Sionis/Black Mask (Ewan McGregor) and his twisted henchman Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina), that eventually see her crossing paths (Reluctantly) with Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), and Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco). Continue reading Review: Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn)
The British Academy Film Awards are somewhat of a black sheep in the trinity of lavish, self-indulgent film awards ceremonies in the early months of each new year. Their bizarre practice of pre-recording the ceremony – so the winners end up announced before it’s even televised – then editing out a bunch of the technical and ‘smaller’ awards, makes it a very lacklustre viewing experience. Though that being said, there’s a lot to say about the awards and the ceremony itself.
First, and most obvious, is the sweep of “1917”. Seven wins out of nine nominations, only losing Makeup and Hair to “Bombshell” and Original Score to “Joker”. Not unexpected given the film’s staggering momentum this awards season, plus the film being British which the BAFTAs highly favour. But it’s still telling. Expect “1917” to make a similar sweep of the upcoming Academy Awards, with a near-guaranteed shot at Best Picture and Best Director, winning both of its equivalents here. Continue reading BAFTA The Party’s Over
To celebrate the last decade 2010-2019 we are counting down the best actresses and discussing some of their most notable and memorable performances of the last decade. With the help of Film Twitter, the ITOL team have selected 30 actresses. Entry No. 16 is Margot Robbie, and writer Nicole Ackman discusses Robbie’s career over the last decade. Continue reading Best Actress of the Decade, Entry No.16: Margot Robbie
For me, 2019’s most divisive film was “Bombshell.” which chronicles the downfall of right-wing propagandist Roger Ailes (John Lithgow). Ailes, a well-known predator, was eventually ousted at Fox News, the ‘fascist’ juggernaut he created. Numerous women came forward with horrific stories of sexual harassment and abuse.
“Bombshell” highlights the story of three characters – two real women and one who is the amalgamation of stories. The real women Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) and Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) have a history of perpetuating the far-right ideology of Fox News. Kayla (the stellar Margot Robbie) is a fictional portrayal of many women who encountered Ailes. Continue reading The “Bombshell” Backlash is Problematic
Last year was probably one of the best years for film in quite some time. Throughout the entire fall, week after week, it felt like the phrase “oh, this is going to be in my top ten for sure” became incredibly common. From Bong-Ho Joon’s enthralling and mind-blowing depiction of class with “Parasite” to the box-office smashing end of the Infinity Saga with the Russo Brothers’ “Avengers: Endgame”, there were so many new kinds of stories and visions that constantly pushed genre boundaries. 2019 was especially a great year for female filmmakers as there was an onslaught of incredible films from both new and already established women in film. Continue reading The Most Anticipated Movies of 2020
In Their Own League 