Search Results for “movie of the week” – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MOVIE OF THE WEEK September 24, 2021: EL PLANETA

September 19, 2021September 19, 2021 Jennifer Merin Ale Ulman, Amalia Ulman, betsy bozdech, El Planeta, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., motw, Movie of the Week, Pam Grady, susan wloszczyna, Zhou Chen

Part Grey Gardens, part Kajillionaire, and part Paper Moon, writer/director Amalia Ulman’s feature directorial debut, El Planeta, is also wholly its own beast. The film is a naturalistic, observational dramedy about a mother and daughter in Gijon, Spain, who find themselves facing impending eviction and doing whatever they need to in order to get by. Filmed in expressive black and white, El Planeta is a thoughtful, slice-of-life character study.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK September 17, 2021: I’M YOUR MAN

September 11, 2021September 19, 2021 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, dan stevens, I’m Your Man, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, Maren Eggert, Maria Schrader, Marilyn Ferdinand., motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, Sandra Hüller, sherin nicole, susan wlosczcyna

If Westworld had been a romcom instead of a gory sci-fi parable, it might have ended up looking something like Maria Schrader‘s winsome I’m Your Man, which follows a skeptical academic who agrees to test a “perfect partner” android in exchange for research funding support. Determined to poke the concept full of holes, she reluctantly finds herself drawn to her manufactured soulmate — and does a fair bit of self-analysis along the way.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK September 10, 2021: LANGUAGE LESSONS

September 5, 2021September 5, 2021 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech mcnab, Cate Marquis, jennifer merin, language lessons, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., mark duplass, motw, Movie of the Week, Natalie Morales, nell minow, Pam Grady, pandemic narratives, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, susan wloszczyna, zoom movies

After the last year and a half, it would be understandable if someone read the quick summary of Natalie Morales’ Language Lessons — two very different people bond through a series of online chats and messages — and thought “A Zoom movie? No way!” But this intimate, heartfelt dramedy is so much more than that. It’s a carefully observed character study about friendship, privilege, and the power of a genuine connection, whether it’s virtual or IRL.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK September 3, 2021: WHO YOU THINK I AM

August 28, 2021September 1, 2021 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, Camille Laurens, Cate Marquis, Guillaume Gouix, jennifer merin, juliette binoche, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, Safy Nebbou, sandie angulo chen, susan wloszczyna, Who You Think I Am

The power of love, the need for validation, and the nature of identity are compellingly tangled in Who You Think I Am, director Safy Nebbou’s adaptation of French writer Camille Laurens’ novel. Juliette Binoche stars as Claire Millaud, an accomplished academic who’s drifting and lonely in the wake of a midlife divorce. Her impulsive decision one night to pose as a much younger woman online leads to both joy and heartbreak.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK August 27, 2021: LILY TOPPLES THE WORLD

August 22, 2021September 1, 2021 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, documentaries, domino artist, h5, hevesh5, jennifer merin, Jeremy Workman, leslie combemale, Lily Hevesh, Lily Topples the World, liz whittemore, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, susan wloszczyna

In a social media world full of misinformation and over-filtered influencers, it’s always refreshing to encounter a creator who’s genuine, whose passion is about what they do, rather than just getting people to smash the subscribe button. That description perfectly fits accomplished domino-toppler Lily Hevesh, the subject of Jeremy Workman’s charming documentary Lily Topples the World. Ambitious but understated, focused but unassuming, Lily has earned success through an all-too-rare combination of talent and authenticity.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK August 20, 2021: REMINISCENCE

August 15, 2021September 5, 2021 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, Hugh Jackman, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, lisa joy, liz whittemore, Marilyn Ferdinand., motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, Pam Grady, rebecca ferguson, Reminiscence, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, Thandiwe Newton

Writer/director Lisa Joy’s twisty Reminiscence has all the hallmarks of a classic film noir. A flawed hero. A femme fatale with a dark past. A manipulative crime boss. Double-crosses and misdirection. Climate change. Wait, climate change? Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum might never have had to deal with soaring temperatures and rising sea levels, but that all-too-realistic threat underlines everything in Joy’s sci-fi-tinged mystery, offering a new angle on a familiar trope.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK August 16, 2021: CODA

August 8, 2021August 12, 2021 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, children of deaf adults, coda, Daniel Durant, Emilia Jones, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., Marlee Matlin, motw, Movie of the Week, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, Sian Heder, susan wloszczyna

In telling the story of teenage Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones), the only hearing person in her deaf family, writer/director Sian Heder breathes fresh life into a familiar narrative about a young adult caught between following her dreams and a sense of duty to her home and loved ones. The result is CODA, a warm, funny family dramedy with excellent character development and strong performances. It’s easy to see why it was a hit at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK August 6, 2021: BRING YOUR OWN BRIGADE

August 1, 2021August 7, 2021 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, bring your own brigade, california wildfires, Cate Marquis, Cinema Citizen, documentaries, leslie combemale, lucy walker, motw, Movie of the Week, sandie angulo chen

Wildfires aren’t a new phenomenon in California, but it’s only in the last few years that the idea of “fire season” has become an inescapable fact of life. Lucy Walker’s viscerally powerful documentary Bring Your Own Brigade expertly explores the complex factors that have led to that devastating reality (hint: It’s more than climate change), not just in the Golden State but around the world, and offers the hopeful possibility that it’s not too late to turn things around.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK July 30, 2021: AILEY

July 25, 2021August 1, 2021 Jennifer Merin ailey, alvin ailey, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, betsy bozdech, Bill T. Jones, Cate Marquis, documentaries, George Faison, Jamila Wignot, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., modern dance, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole

Jamila Wignot’s captivating documentary Ailey is a welcome burst of celebration. This thoughtful chronicle of the life and work of groundbreaking, enormously talented dancer/choreographer Alvin Ailey centers Black pride, creativity, self-identity, empowerment, and achievement. And, of course, it captures the unforgettable performances that made Ailey and his company famous around the world.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK July 23, 2021: PLAYING WITH SHARKS: THE VALERIE TAYLOR STORY

July 17, 2021July 27, 2021 Jennifer Merin australian films, betdy bozdech, Cate Marquis, documentaries, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, loren king, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, Pam Grady, Playing With Sharks, Ron Taylor, sally aitken, susan wloszczyna, Valerie Taylor

Valerie Taylor started diving with sharks back when, as archival footage reveals, it was considered droll to refer to her as a “mermaid” who was there to support and presumably fawn over the male divers. But based on what we learn of her in Sally Aitken’s entertaining documentary Playing with Sharks, it seems likely that if Taylor ever heard that description, she probably rolled her eyes and left the guys eating her bubbles.

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#FemaleFilmCritics24365

Sasha Berman @ShotwellMedia·

18 Sep

IN BALANCHINE'S CLASSROOM, documentary by Connie Hochman, is now playing at @FilmForumNYC and opens at @laemmle in LA on 9/24.
https://awfj.org/blog/2021/09/09/in-balanchines-classroom-review-by-carol-cling/
#FemaleFilmCritics24365

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Carney Anne Nasser @carney__anne·

4 Sep

Thank you, @AWFJ, for your spot-on review of Michael Webber’s gripping documentary, the @BigCatMovie … “It’s so disillusioning to learn that someone you really admired is … unworthy of that admiration….”
#FemaleFilmCritics24365
#theconservationgame

https://awfj.org/blog/2021/08/24/the-conservation-game-review-by-lois-alter-mark/?fbclid=IwAR37VMwteKCDzqJ_CFAJD3Gw9B9ASbHlAH3NUeFv4rGZjhOS6T1NfXS8N_g

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LilyTopplesTheWorld @LilyTopples·

26 Aug

LILY TOPPLES THE WORLD is the Alliance of Women Film Journalists' "Movie Of The Week"!

@AWFJ, #AWFJ #FemaleFilmCritics24365

https://awfj.org/blog/2021/08/22/movie-of-the-week-august-27...

Stream #LilyTopplesTheWorld now on @discoveryplus!

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LilyTopplesTheWorld @LilyTopples·

23 Aug

So appreciative being featured as the MOVIE OF THE WEEK by @AWFJ, the Alliance of Women Film Journalists! Thanks for the great support and love!! #AWFJ #FemaleFilmCritics24365. Find #LilyTopplesTheWorld this Thursday on @discoveryplus

https://awfj.org/blog/2021/08/22/movie-of-the-week-august-27-2021-lily-topples-the-world/

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Peter Donovan @PeterPDonovan·

10 Jul

@AWFJ, #AWFJ, #FemaleFilmCritics24365
Is the new film “Back for Good” on your radar?
Women-focused; woman writer/director/lead actor.
Award-winning, inspiring.
“Sometimes to move forward, you have to move back”
http://BackForGoodFilm.com Now Streaming.
I’d love to hear from you.

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