ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

Female Film Critics 24/375

dana stevens

Reviews 

THE WOMAN KING – Review by Susan Granger

Susan Granger , , , , , , , , , ,

One of the many benefits of inclusion is the ability to learn about historical events that have never before been chronicled on the big screen. Set in 1823, this story follows Nawi (Thuso Mbebu), a rebellious Dahomey teenager who refuses an arranged marriage; infuriated, her father forces her to join warrior force known as the Agojie, commanded by General Nanisca (Viola Davis). Working from a jumbled, often overly melodramatic script by Maria Bello and Dana Stevens, director Gina Prince-Blythewood delivers a rousing, action-packed adventure.

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Movie of the Week 

MOVIE OF THE WEEK September 23, 2022: THE WOMAN KING

Jennifer Merin , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In the African kingdom of Dahomey, now a part of Benin, an elite all-female military regiment of warriors called the Agojie guarded the king and his subjects from the 1600s through the 1800s. By the mid-19th century, they accounted for a third of the entire Dahomey army. That’s history, and the inspiration for director Gina Prince-Bythewood’s historical epic The Woman King, starring Viola Davis, one of the few studio films releasing in 2022 directed by a female filmmaker.

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Reviews 

THE WOMAN KING – Review by Loren King

Loren King , , , , , , , , , , , ,

One of the most goosebump-inducing scenes in any big release this fall is the moment in The Woman King when an army of women warriors led by the fierce and radiant Viola Davis rise up in unison from the tall grass and run into battle. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood, who proved she could tackle the action genre last year with Netflix’s The Old Guard, has crafted a crowd pleaser that blends the historical epics of David Lean; recent action adventures with relevant themes such as Black Panther and Wonder Woman; and intimate, visceral drama about sisterhood, trauma and empowerment.

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Festivals Reviews 

THE WOMAN KING (TIFF 2022) – Review by Cate Marquis

Cate Marquis , , , , , , , , , ,

Do you like an epic film, one with rousing battle scenes, exciting fight choreography, a great story and memorable characters? Then The Woman King is for you, because it has it all. Yes, Gina Price-Bythewood’s The Woman King, a historical epic set in early 19th century Africa starring Viola Davis, is all that – and right out of the gate, was a big hit at the Toronto International Film Festival.

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Reviews 

THE WOMAN KING – Review by T.J. Callahan

T. J. Callahan , , , , , , , , , ,

Inspired by true events, The Woman King is the epic story of an all female band of African warriors, known as the Virgin Soldiers. Led by General Nanisca, played by the force known as Viola Davis, they removed their enemies from their small kingdom of Dahomey back in the 1800’s. The Woman King is Wonder Woman, Black Panther, The Ten Commandments, Days of Our Lives and, wait for it….Blazing Saddles all rolled into one larger than life historical action drama.

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Books Reviews 

CAMERA MAN: BUSTER KEATON, THE DAWN OF CINEMA AND THE INVENTION OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY – Book Review by Diane Carson

Diane Carson , ,

Buster Keaton certainly deserves the enduring praise his technical and aesthetic achievements have earned over the years. With this in mind, fans and scholars may wonder if his career warrants a new book. Happily, and perhaps surprisingly, Dana Stevens’ Camera Man: Buster Keaton, The Dawn of Cinema, and The Invention of the Twentieth Century confirms that the answer is a solid “Yes.” Stevens’ research proves so much more has remained to be said, primarily and essentially in the realm of cultural contextualization as well as acknowledgement of Keaton’s comic creativity and personal problems. Camera Man achieves what a thorough, insightful portrait should: it presents the subject as a complex human being, succeeding and failing, generous and foolish, inspired and self-defeating, and, in the case of Buster Keaton, a comic genius of his very distinctive time.

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