Jennifer Merin – 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.

Spotlight

SPOTLIGHT September 2021: Jane Campion, feminist filmmaker, Dame Companion and Lumiere Honoree

September 1, 2021September 1, 2021 Jennifer Merin brandy mcdonnell, EDA Awards, jane campion, jennifer merin, lumiere award, oscars, spotlight, the piano, the power of the dog

Jane Campion has furthered the cause of women in film by holding steady to her own extraordinary aesthetic, unique career choices and creation of dazzling visual poetry. Throughout her career, her feminist approach to filmmaking has been expressed in her distinctive vision and directorial style, and in her consistent creation of strong, complex and fully fleshed out female characters who rank among the finest, most compelling in film history.

Reviews

LANGUAGE LESSONS – Review by Jennifer Merin

September 1, 2021September 1, 2021 Jennifer Merin language lessons, mark duplass, motw, Movie of the Week, Natalie Morales, pandemic narratives

Language Lessons is a pandemic-inspired zoom-tech two-character, two- location, two-screen dramedy that’s thoroughly refreshing, emotionally engaging and, ultimately, utterly charming. Directed by Natalie Morales (who also stars and co-wrote the project with co-star Mark Duplass), the film follows the burgeoning understanding and growing friendship between Carino, a for-hire internet Spanish language teacher and her client, Adam, an affluent and bored white guy who has his regular daily routine and some social and emotional issues.

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.

Reviews

SHADOW OF AFGHANISTAN (2006, 2012) – Retroview by Jennifer Merin

August 17, 2021August 22, 2021 Jennifer Merin Cinema Citizen, documentaries, Jim Burroughs, lee shapiro, shadow of afghanistan, suzanne bauman

Shadow of Afghanistan is a primer about the history of Afghanistan. Providing extensive coverage and analysis of developments in the nation from 1959 to 2012, the documentary is a comprehensive overview of incidents and events that are extraordinarily entangled and complex. It’s a heartbreaking look at a devastated nation. There seems to be no end to the strife and anguish experienced by the people of Afghanistan during recent history.

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.

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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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