Tag: Nicole Kidman

Practical Magic
Female Writer, Feminism, Film Reviews, Retrospect Reviews

Witchcraft Month: “Practical Magic” (1998)

“Practical Magic” (1998) has always been way ahead of its time. The film centers on sisters Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) who are raised by their aunts (Diane Wiest and Stockard Channing) after their parents die. The sisters learn that long ago, their ancestor was scorned by a man and vowed that if any man tried to love her or her daughter, that man would die. So the curse took Sally and Gillian’s father, and in turn their mother. Growing up, Sally was deathly afraid of love, while Gillian went looking for it in all of the wrong places. Sally ends up falling in love and losing her husband to the same curse. Meanwhile, Gillian has met the wrong man. When fate reunites the sisters, the dastardly Jimmy (Goran Višnjić) sours their reunion. Continue reading Witchcraft Month: “Practical Magic” (1998)

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Female Filmmakers, Film Reviews, Retrospect Reviews, Reviews, Women in Film

#Womeninaction- Retrospective review: Destroyer

“Destroyer” (2018) isn’t your typical action movie. For one thing, it stars Nicole Kidman who isn’t the first person I think of when I think “action movie.” It’s also directed by a woman who is not Kathryn Bigelow, which is something of an anomaly. Director Karyn Kusama, who you might know as the director of the cult classic Jennifer’s Body, plays with the typical cop drama here. She flips the gendered stereotype on its head and crafts an intense story with Detective Erin Bell (Nicole Kidman) at the center. Continue reading #Womeninaction- Retrospective review: Destroyer

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Female Characters, Personal Essays, Women in Film

The “Bombshell” Backlash is Problematic

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

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Female Characters, Film Reviews, Reviews

Review: Bombshell

“Bombshell,” tells a tale of how neither predators nor victims fit into a box; anyone, no matter who they are, or how they identify, can be capable of harassing/being harassed. It showcases the events which brought each of these women, at first hesitant to speak up, to eventually speak their truths. This isn’t a film which will change anyone’s mind on politics: staunch, conservative viewers of Fox may be slightly put off by Hollywood’s opinion of their favourite news network Continue reading Review: Bombshell

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Female Characters, Female Filmmaker, Film Reviews, Top 50 of the Decade

ITOL Top 50 Films of the Decade, Entry No.31: Destroyer

Earlier this year gritty thriller “Destroyer” (2019) stormed onto the big screen, with all of its rage, vengeance and gusto. Surprisingly it failed to blow up, instead crashing and burning at the box office making only $5.5 million in comparison to its $9 million budget. We can only really guess at what exactly caused the film to flop, but poor distribution and weak marketing certainly played their roles.

Despite gunning for those golden gongs, especially with Nicole Kidman’s central phenomenal transformative performance, it received barely any attention on the awards circuit, although it has to be said organisations like The Academy have never been known for their good taste in cinema. Continue reading ITOL Top 50 Films of the Decade, Entry No.31: Destroyer

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Female Characters, Female Filmmaker, Film Reviews, Retrospect Reviews, Reviews, Top 50 of the Decade

ITOL Top 50 Films of the Decade, Entry No. 46: The Beguiled

Sofia Coppola’s American Southern Gothic film, “The Beguiled” (2017), is an atmospheric drama that takes place at a girls’ school in Virginia in 1864. The American Civil War rages around the house, ever-present despite the lack of action. The film features a trio of talented blonde women — Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning — in addition to Colin Farrell. While it’s not the masterpiece that some of Coppola’s other films like “Marie Antoinette” (2006) or “The Virgin Suicides” (1999) are, it’s a moving and aesthetically beautiful portrait of women in wartime. Continue reading ITOL Top 50 Films of the Decade, Entry No. 46: The Beguiled

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Directors, Female Characters, Film Reviews, Reviews, Women in Film

Karyn Kusama’s “Destroyer” and The Portrayal of Moral Decay

Karyn Kusama was always most known from her direction of “Jennifer’s Body”. She later mostly directed television episodes such as “Casual”, “Chicago Fire”, etc. At the end of 2018, however, her newest picture had its premiere – the film titled “Destroyer” with Nicole Kidman in a leading role. Continue reading Karyn Kusama’s “Destroyer” and The Portrayal of Moral Decay

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