Lois Alter Mark – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

HORSEGIRLS – Review by Lois Alter Mark

June 29, 2026July 4, 2026 Lois Alter Mark autism, Gretchen Mol, Horsegirls, Lauren Meyering, Lillian Carrier, neurodivergent

There’s nothing like a quirky little indie movie to make you look at the world through fresh eyes. In Horsegirls, those eyes belong to Margarita (Lillian Carrier), a young woman with autism who loves to tell the NSFW story behind her name. By showcasing a neurodivergent young woman with a unique interest, Lauren Meyering has created a small miracle of a movie with surprisingly universal themes. It’s part coming of age story, part tearjerker, part sports movie. Its focus on the power of simply being nice will definitely make you feel good.

Reviews

CHRIS & MARTINA: THE FINAL SET – Review by Lois Alter Mark

June 26, 2026July 4, 2026 Lois Alter Mark Chris & Martina: The Final Set, Chris Evert, documentary, martina navratilova, netflix, Rebecca Gitlitz, tennis legends

I can sum up my reaction to Chris & Martina: The Final Set, Netflix’s new documentary about two of the greatest tennis players of all time, in two words: Love, love. Over the course of 15 years, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova played a record-setting 80 matches against each other, living out one of the greatest rivalries in sports history. But what makes their competition so inspiring and documentary-worthy is not just the pinnacle of excellence these athletes reached but the deep friendship that resulted from it and the way the two women are still there for each other all these years later as they fight a common enemy: cancer. Even if you’ve never watched a tennis match, it’s impossible not to be deeply moved by these two women. Gitlitz aces the film’s most important contribution, which, according to 22-time Grand Slam champion, Pam Shriver, is that it proves that true sportsmanship really exists. And that’s a lesson we all need to learn now more than ever.

Reviews

SUGAR BEACH – Review by Lois Alter Mark

June 19, 2026June 27, 2026 Lois Alter Mark clming of age, Emma Blomquist, Noely Mendoza, Ryley Schroeder, Sugar Beach, Zoe Manzotti

The kids are not alright in Sugar Beach, which continues to haunt me because this beautiful and raw film was inspired by true events. A festival favorite, Sugar Beach deals with grief and trauma and the often-destructive ways teens attempt to manage them. The film focuses on Rosalyn, a straight A high school senior trying to come to terms with the drowning accident that killed her twin brother. Alcohol becomes her method of self-soothing until her friends, Emma and Isaac invite her to be their girlfriend. The three, all of whom are smart and popular school athletes grappling with demons, provide a welcoming, safe haven for each other in a confusing and cruel world.

Reviews

COUTURE – Review by Lois Alter Mark

June 18, 2026June 21, 2026 Lois Alter Mark Alice Winocour, angelina jolie, Anyier Anei, couture, Garance Marillier, paris fashion week

Couture is more about the human beings of the fashion world rather than the fashion itself – and that’s what makes it so interesting even though it moves slowly and all of its elements don’t always work together. It’s refreshing to see that, even in an industry as glamorous as fashion, people are still just people, trying to do their jobs, sometimes messing up and often getting help from others.

Reviews

TWO PIANOS – Review by Lois Alter Mark

April 22, 2026April 26, 2026 Lois Alter Mark Arnaud Desplechin, charlotte rampling, François Civil, Two Pianos

Like the best musical compositions, Arnaud Desplechin’s Two Pianos takes viewers on a wild emotional ride. There are high notes and low notes and enough unexpected shifts in tempo to strike a chord. Mathias (Francois Civil), a concert pianist who has spent the last few years teaching abroad, returns to Lyon after being summoned by his former mentor, the highly celebrated piano virtuoso, Elena (Charlotte Rampling). She wants (more like demands) him to perform with her in what she considers a win-win: he can revive his career while helping her gently retire from hers.

Reviews

TWO WOMEN – Review by Lois Alter Mark

April 15, 2026April 15, 2026 Lois Alter Mark canadian films., Chloé Robichaud, Deux femmes en or, Karine Gonthier-Hyndman, Laurence Leboeuf, Two Women

Two Women, a remake of the 1970 French comedy Deux femmes en or, is the kind of movie critics often call a “sex romp,” which sounds fun but is, ultimately, soft porn-ish and demeaning to women. No one in this movie fares particularly well but the “sex with the handyman” trope is so cartoonish it makes it ridiculous to try to analyze the film in any depth. There’s satire here and director Chloé Robichaud attempts to make a point but it just doesn’t work, despite excellent performances by the two women leads. It simply comes across as cheesy and uncomfortable to watch.

Reviews

BLUE HERON – Review by Lois Alter Mark

April 10, 2026 Lois Alter Mark Blue Heron, canadian films., Edik Beddoes, Eylul Guven, Sophy Romvari

Blue Heron is that rare kind of film that sneaks up on you, quietly moving along until it leaves you completely devastated and wondering what just happened. The story begins over a summer in Canada, with a Hungarian immigrant family still trying to fit into their not so new surroundings. It’s told from the point of view of eight-year-old Sasha, who has three older brothers. The eldest, Jeremy, is her mother’s teenage son from a previous marriage and he has serious behavioral issues that are getting worse despite his parents’ desperate attempts to get him help. Blue Heron is a beautiful and gut punching film about grief and love and family and memory. This debut feature from Sophy Romvari is partially autobiographical, expanding on the themes of her short films. In creating this masterful piece of art, she may not have found answers but I hope she found some peace.

Reviews

TOW – Review by Lois Alter Mark

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026 Lois Alter Mark Corbin Bernsen, Elsie Fisher, rose byrne, Stephanie Laing, Tow

A day after watching Tow, Stephanie Laing’s gut-puncher of a film, I’m still outraged about two things: 1) The never-should-have-happened true story that inspired the movie and 2) the fact that Rose Byrne remains so underrated despite an Oscar nomination. Tow could easily fix both of those. The movie starts by sharing the staggering statistic that there are between one and three million vehicular residents in the United States. That means that millions of people are sleeping in their cars every single night. Amanda Ogle (Byrne) is one of them. Tow is a David and Goliath story and it’s impossible not to root for underdog Amanda, especially when Byrne makes her so real and so empathetic.

Reviews

SLANTED – Review by Lois Alter Mark

March 4, 2026March 8, 2026 Lois Alter Mark Amelie Zilber, Amy Wang, mckenna grace, sci fi horror, Shirley Chen, Slanted

Yes, Slanted is a satire. Yes, it’s a body horror film. But what it is, above all, is a powerful social commentary on race, immigration and diversity that’s more relevant and important than ever. In Amy Wang’s excellent feature directorial debut, Joan and her parents emigrate from China to a generic U.S. city. All the little girl wants to do is fit in at her new school but she’s immediately made fun of for her appearance. Fast forward to high school, where she’s determined to become prom queen, dyeing her hair blonde and trying to befriend the popular girls led by influencer Olivia (Amelie Zilber). They, of course, are only interested in what she can do for them, like getting a discount at the local Asian nail salon.

Reviews

COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT – Review by Lois Alter Mark

November 7, 2025November 7, 2025 Lois Alter Mark Andrea Gibson, cancer, Come See Me in the Good Light, documentary, Megan Falley, poetry, ryan white

It is virtually impossible to write anything nearly as eloquent about this gorgeous film as its subject, Colorado poet laureate Andrea Gibson, wrote about their own life and impending death. Especially when writing through tears. Come See Me in the Good Light, a line taken from one of Gibson’s poems, documents the aftermath of Gibson’s diagnosis of incurable ovarian cancer and, while it is definitely a tearjerker, it is so much more. Thanks to Gibson’s attitude, humor and ability to dig deep into their feelings, the film is life-affirming, spiritual and, above all, a love story.

← Previous