MOVIE OF THE WEEK May 24, 2019: ASK DR. RUTH
With her twinkling eyes, mischievous grin, and clear zest for talking about all things intimate, Dr. Ruth Westheimer — the
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Author: Jennifer Merin
ASK DR. RUTH – Review by Jennifer Merin
You may think you know sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer intimately from her candidly specific and remarkably graphic public discussions — widely broadcast on radio and television, often despite the media’s taboos — of every aspect of human sexuality, but Dr. Ruth’s personal story is filled with hardship and this enlightening documentary reveals that her life’s journey has not only been difficult, but that she has, in fact, overcome enormous adversity without giving in to or being deterred by despair.
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MOVIE OF THE WEEK May 17, 2019 : Amy Poehler’s WINE COUNTRY
If you can’t get to wine country with your own girlfriends anytime soon, you could do far worse than tagging along with Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, and their crew as they celebrate female friendship in all its messy glory. Blending crisp whites and robust reds with both humor and introspection, Wine Country is like a cross between a buddy comedy and a midlife-crisis therapy session.
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WINE COUNTRY – Review by Jennifer Merin
Amy Poehler’s directorial debut is a truly femme centric production — cast and crew — through and through The ensemble is essentially a feminist reunion of Saturday Night Live sketch comediennes. And, Liz Cackowski and Emily Spivey’s script stakes out and covers territory that is certainly familiar to women who will delight in seeing the film’s refreshing feminist perspective on screen.
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WILD HORSE, WILD RIDER – Documentary Retroview by Jennifer Merin
It may sound like a reality TV show, but it’s an annual event that has become a way of life for devoted participants. It’s The Extreme Mustang Makeover Challenge, and it’s the subject of this documentary film. The premise is simple: place 100 wild mustang horses in the hands of 100 capable trainers and give the trainers 100 days to tame the mustangs, teach them a series of tricks and perform with them as a horse and trainer team in a competitive horse show.
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MOVIE OF THE WEEK May 10, 2019: Mary Harron’s CHARLIE SAYS
Bringing a female gaze to one of the 20th century’s most notorious criminals and the influence he exerted over his zealous followers Mary Harron’s Charlie Says is a compelling look at the power of community and the need to belong. By focusing her film on the women around Charles Manson, rather than directly on Manson himself, Harron shows us how that need can lead to delusion, denial, and destruction.
THE FIRST SATURDAY IN MAY – Documentary Retroview by Jennifer Merin
Filmmakers John and Brad Hennegan follow six trainers as they put their amazing and beautiful thoroughbred horses–including the fabulous and tragic Barbaro–through the paces leading up to the Kentucky Derby, the annual race that takes place on the first Saturday of May. Think of this documentary as a cross between Seabiscuit and The Horse Whisperer, but it’s a true story told with actual footage.
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CHARLIE SAYS – Review by Jennifer Merin
Charlie Says is a truth-based narrative that explores the lives and mindsets of the vulnerable young women who were key members of Charles Manson’s ‘family’ and were brainwashed into complete acceptance of his warped philosophy–and into following his orders in daily life and in the unimaginably brutal 1969 slayings of actress Sharon Tate and friends who had gathered at her Los Angeles home.
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MOVIE OF THE WEEK May 3, 2019: Laura Steinel’s FAMILY
Stories about stand-offish/lonely/workaholic adults being transformed by their relationship with precocious/charming/offbeat kids aren’t hard to find in Hollywood, but — until Family — none have hinged on the transformative power of acceptance by the Juggalos. And that helps make Laura Steinel’s quirky, poignant comedy about a reluctant aunt and her awkward niece stand out from the crowd.
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MOVIE OF THE WEEK April 26, 2019: Jennifer Townsend’s CATCHING SIGHT OF THELMA & LOUISE
Few films have made the kind of impact on feminist-minded moviegoers as Thelma & Louise did when it hit theaters in 1991. Ridley Scott’s story of female friendship and empowerment struck a powerful chord with women (yes, men, too, but let’s let the ladies own this one) — one that still resonates almost three decades later. In the compelling documentary Catching Sight of Thelma & Louise, director Jennifer Townsend, helming her first film at age 80, digs into exactly why the movie had — and continues to have — such an impact.
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