ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

Female Film Critics 24/375

Author: Sarah Knight Adamson

Reviews 

DOLITTLE – Review by Sarah Knight Adamson

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Unfortunately, this movie is a prime example of the half-baked idea that Stephen Gaghan, a director known for filmswith intense violence, can cross over into classic children’s literature genre. The beloved “Dr. Dolittle,” books originating in 1920 by Hugh Lofting, were written and intended for children ages nine and ten. There are two reasons why I can’t recommend this film: the fear-provoking violence of animals fighting one another, and an actual ‘dark tonal’ problem with the character of Dr. Dolittle.

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Interviews 

Tracy Letts chats Chicago, Writing and FORD V FERARRI – Sarah Knight Adamson interviews

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Tracy Letts, currently starring in two highly acclaimed award-contending films — James Mangold’s Ford vs Fararri and Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, chats about his Chicago theater roots, his writing process, his admiration of Greta Gerwig and why everyone should see Ford v Ferrari on the big screen.

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Reviews 

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD – Review by Sarah Knight Adamson

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Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers? Yep, it works—it works so well you’ll start shaking your head in utter wonderment as Tom Hanks has channeled Fred Rogers—his mannerisms, his quiet demeanor, his uncanny listening abilities, his deep curiosity into people’s lives, and his perceptive insight into a person’s soul.

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Interviews 

Filmmaker Alma Har’el on Shia LeBeouf and the Truth of HONEY BOY – Sarah Knight Adams interviews

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Honey Boy, her first narrative feature film, premiered in the dramatic competition at Sundance 2019, where Alma Har’el won the Special Jury Award for Vision and Craft. Honey Boy is based on the volatile upbringing of actor Shia LeBeouf, who wrote the script during his ordered re-hab stay. He reached out to Har’el and asked her to direct the feature film about his life, with him playing the character based on his father, a rodeo-clown, haunted with regrets.

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Reviews 

JOKER – Review by Sarah Knight Adamson

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The painfully sad backstory transformation of a depressed, clinically ill Arthur Fleck, to that of a sociopath killer, a.k.a. Joker is extremely tough to view. He’s prescribed seven different medications for depression, and tells his caseworker he wants more meds so he can stop feeling so awful. He’s told that the government is cutting back funds, and that she can do nothing more to help him, and that she’ll not be seeing him in the future. Here, society turns it’s back again on Arthur, sending a statement about mental health care.

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Reviews 

NATIONAL THEATER LIVE: FLEABAG – Review by Sarah Knight Adamson

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Now, film enthusiasts will be able to see Phoebe Waller-Bridge’ work first-hand in her one-woman monologue through the sixty-five-minute event titled, National Theater Live: Fleabag, playing in theaters in London, and beginning this Saturday in Chicago at the Gene Siskel Film Center, with more theaters to be announced.

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Festivals Interviews 

TIFF 19 Ron Howard talks DADS, Bryce Dallas and Women in Film – Sarah Knight Adamson interviews

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Ron Howard beams when he’s asked to comment on his daughter’s directing debut. In Dads, Bryce Dallas Howard’s documents anecdotes, humor and wisdom told by famous Hollywood fathers Will Smith, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Judd Apatow, Neil Patrick Harris and Ron Howard, among others, who answer the question, “What does it mean to be a dad in today’s society?”

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Festivals Interviews 

Latresia D Bobo on Memphis Film Prize, Acting Aspirations and Motherhood – Sarah Knight Adamson interviews

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At this year’s Memphis Film Prize awards ceremony, when Latresia D Bobo’s name was announced as Best Actress for her starring performance in the short film Pages, she responded with a heartfelt acceptance speech that produced an emotional reaction from the crowd, some of whom even teared up. Latresia, who is a Memphis native, conveyed her thankfulness to her supporters. I, serving as a member of the Memphis Film Prize jury, was among them. Latresia a has a bright future, and I’m pleased to be in her corner.

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Festivals 

Memphis Film Prize 2019 Wrap – Sarah Knight Adamson reports

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The Memphis Film Prize is a uniquely creative showcase for emerging talent. Filmmakers from across the country submit short films — five to fifteen minutes long — for a cash prize of $10,000. The main requirement is that the films be shot in Shelby County, Tenn. Ten films selected for the competition are screened for audiences and judges in August, and a winner is chosen. The goal of the festival is to compensate creativity, allowing filmmakers to keep their creative work moving forward. I was one of three AWFJ members on the 2019 jury.

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Interviews 

Lulu Wang on THE FAREWELL, Love and Her Grandmother – Sarah Knight Adamson interviews

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Lulu Wang speaks about the special bond Wang shares with her grandmother and some of the qualities that she most admires in her grandmother. “My grandmother is an incredibly strong person, she actually joined the Army at age 14 as a way to escape an arranged marriage, and that speaks a lot to who she is as a person. She’s a very willful person, and she’s the one who really holds the entire family together. We’ve always had a special relationship because I’ve always been told that I take after her,” says Wang.

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