1. Up in the Air
2. The Hurt Locker
3. An Education
4. Goodbye Solo
5. In the Loop
6. A Serious Man
7. Where the Wild Things Are
8. Precious
9. Beaches of Agnes
10. District 9

Sunshine Cleaning is really more dramedy than comedy; there are funny bits in there, yes, but the focus is very much more on the dramatic and relationship elements of the story — this isn’t slapstick. It’s a subtle, sometimes funny, often moving tale, as much about Rose and Norah cleaning up the messes in their own lives as it is about their cleaning business. Read more>>

Whether they’re selling ideas or merely reflecting the world around them, the reality is that movies perpetuate gender stereotypes and the objectification of women consistently Read more>>

Does it really matter that he’s not a women? Read more>>

The rape itself is not horribly graphic, although it is difficult to watch, but it’s equally discomfiting watching Fanning, throughout the film, run around costumed in a skimpy undershirt and panties, writhing and wriggling her hips and fanny seductively as she imitates Elvis Presley’s dance style. The point, I suppose, is that up until the rape Lewellen is play-acting innocently with no intent to be sexually provocative, and the way in which the rape happens takes that away from her, and Fanning’s performance saves that aspect of the film from being wasted.

http://www.cinematical.com/2007/01/25/sundance-review-hounddog/

The Toronto International Film Festival this year had a few noteworthy femmes in the spotlight; one of the highlights of fest included outstanding performances by both Kristin Scott Thomas and Elsa Zylberstein in I’ve Loved You so Long, which is one of my favorite films this year. Read the rest of this entry »

Melissa Leo’s performance is deeply moving, and very deserving of all the Oscar-possibility buzz swirling around her, but I also have to give some props to Hunt for an amazingly solid, assured directorial debut. Read more>>

If you’re going to make an American Girl movie for theaters, you want an actress with a big-screen presence, and Abigail Breslin certainly fits that bill. Read more>>

With Kit Kittredge: An American Girl finally opening in limited release on Wednesday, it seemed like a good time to take a look at other films girls in the same age demographic might also enjoy. As a mother of three daughters, I like to seek out films that have strong female characters. Read more>>

Although I sometimes have a bit of what Laura Linney referred to at this year’s Telluride Film Festival as an “allergic reaction” to film festival panels that focus on women in filmmaking, I also understand the need to have such panels. The point has been made, not inaccurately, that so long as women continue to be marginalized in Hollywood, the need for panels that highlight women’s accomplishments in film will still exist. Unfortunately, that marginalization exists across the board in our industry, extending also to women who work as film journalists. Read the rest of this entry »