elizabeth whittemore – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MOVIE OF THE WEEK September 16, 2022: THE SILENT TWINS

September 10, 2022September 11, 2022 Jennifer Merin Agnieszka Smoczyńska, betsy bozdech, elizabeth whittemore, Eva-Arianna Baxter, Jennifer Gibbons, jennifer merin, June Gibbons, Leah Mondesir-Simmonds, leslie combemale, letitia wright, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., motw, Movie of the Week, sandie angulo chen, susan wloszczyna, Tamara Lawrance, The Silent Twins, truth-based

As the saying goes, truth is often stranger than fiction — though in the case of Jennifer and June Gibbons, both their truth and their fiction were pretty out there. In The Silent Twins, director Agnieszka Smoczynska tells the fascinating story of the real-life identical twin sisters who grew up in Wales in the 1960s and ’70s, speaking only to each other and spinning elaborate fantasies both via felt dolls and through their prolific writing.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK February 5, 2021: TWO OF US

January 31, 2021February 12, 2021 Jennifer Merin barbara sukova, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, elizabeth whittemore, Filippo Menghetti, french films, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, loren king, martine chevallier, maryann johanson, motw, Movie of the Week, nikki baughan, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, susan wloszczyna, two of us

Boasting powerful performances by stars Barbara Sukowa and Martine Chevallier, Two of Us is a poignant, empathetic drama about two aging women who live in Paris whose love has lasted for decades but who’ve never felt free to live the life they dream of. Nina (Sukowa) and Madeline (Chevallier) don’t have especially ambitious goals for their retirement: All they want is to live together, openly, in Rome, as the couple they’ve been in secret for so long.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK April 10, 2020: THE OTHER LAMB

April 5, 2020April 10, 2020 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, cs mcmullen, elizabeth whittemore, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, loren king, Malgorzata Szumowska, marina antunes, motw, Movie of the Week, nikki baughan, Pam Grady, Raffey Cassidy, sandie angulo chen, susan wloszczyna, the other lamb

Stylish, intense, and thought-provoking, Malgorzata Szumowska’s The Other Lamb is both a gripping coming-of-age story and a dark, disturbing fable about a community of women who find the necessary strength to push back against and escape from a stifling patriarchy that dictates everything about their behavior and expectations in life.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK November 30, 2018: Best 2018 #MOTWs

November 24, 2018September 24, 2022 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments all about nina, anne brodie, betsy bozdech, can you ever forgive me, Cate Marquis, colette, dark money, elizabeth whittemore, esther iverem, jane fonda in five acts, jennifer merin, kristen page kirby, leave no trace, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., maryann johanson, nell minow, nikki baughan, outside in, Pam Grady, pioneers early female filmmakers, RBG, sandie angulo chen, susan wloszczyna, the party, the rider

AWFJ’s Movie of the Week focuses attention on excellent films directed by women and/or centered on the stories of complex and fully realized women characters who are grappling — directly or metaphorically — with the issues women face in daily life. From January 1 to November 23 of this year, we have designated 48 Movie of the Week films. All of these have had strong women characters and 36 of them have been directed by women. We heartily applaud the variety of style and story, we honor the moviemakers who’ve brought them to the screen. As year end holidays approach and the movie awards season heats up, Team #MOTW members revisit our selections to suggest their favorites for immediate viewing.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK November 9, 2018: HERE AND NOW

November 4, 2018December 5, 2018 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments Cate Marquis, elizabeth whittemore, here and now, jennifer merin, kristen page kirby, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., motw, Movie of the Week, nikki baughan, parker, sarah jessica parker, susan wloszczyna

Introspective and contemplative, Fabien Constant’s drama Here and Now follows talented singer Vivienne (Sarah Jessica Parker) through roughly 24 hours after she’s diagnosed with a serious form of brain cancer and learns she may have no more than 14 months left to live. With everything from her upcoming tour to her time with her teenage daughter now up in the air, Vivienne struggles to come to terms with this unexpected twist of fate.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK September 21, 2018: COLETTE

September 16, 2018December 5, 2018 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments Cate Marquis, colette, elizabeth whittemore, esther iverem, jennifer merin, kiera knightly, Marilyn Ferdinand., maryann johanson, nell minow, nikki baughan, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, wash westmoreland

Keira Knightley shines as the star of Wash Westmoreland’s “Colette,” a beautifully realized biopic about the early years of the celebrated French writer. Knightly immerses herself in the role, bringing Colette’s personal struggles — and self-awakening — vividly to life within the lavish Belle Epoche environs established with gorgeous sets, costumes and cimenatography.