kristen page kirby – Page 2 – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MOVIE OF THE WEEK, November 2, 2018: WHAT THEY HAD

October 28, 2018December 5, 2018 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments anne brodie, blythe danner, Cate Marquis, elizabeth chomko, hilary swank, jennifer merin, kristen page kirby, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., maryann johanson, Michael Shannon, nell minow, nikki baughan, Pam Grady, robert forster, sandie angulo chen, susan wloszczyna, what they had

What They Had, the first feature from actress-turned-writer/director Elizabeth Chomko, is a stirring family drama in which adult siblings, Bridget (Hilary Swank) and Nick (Michael Shannon) are trying to cope with their mother’s (Blythe Danner) progressive dementia and their father’s (Robert Forster) denial of her disability. Chomko’s well-crafted script and sensitive direction, and the superb performances from the stellar ensemble bring a balance of heartbreak and humor to this painful and entirely relatable situation.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK August 17, 2018: THE WIFE

August 12, 2018December 5, 2018 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments anne brodie, bjorn runge, glenn close, jane anderson, jeanne wolf, jennifermerin, kristen page kirby, liz whittemore, Marilyn Ferdinand., maryann johanson, meg wolitzer, nell minow, sandie angulo chen, susan wloszczyna, the wife

Glenn Close delivers a brilliant performance in Bjorn Runge’s The Wife. Based on Meg Wolitzer’s eponymous novel about the wife of a newly minted Nobel Prize-winning writer, this closely observed drama follows Close’s Joan and her husband, Joe (Jonathan Pryce), as they travel to Stockholm for his anointing — but will their marriage survive the trip?

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK July 20, 2018: 93Queen

July 15, 2018September 12, 2018 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments anne brodie, betsy bozdech, borouch park, brooklyn, Cate Marquis, esther iverem, Ezras Nashim, hasidic community, hatsolah, jennifer merin, kristen page kirby, Marilyn Ferdinand., maryann johanson, nikki baughan, Pam Grady, rachel ruchie freier

Paula Eiselt’s documentary follows Rachel ‘Ruchie’ Freier, an Orthodox Jewish wife, mother and lawyer, as she launches an all-female ambulance corps to serve women of NY’s Hasidic community in Brooklyn. The result is a compelling glimpse inside an insular community and a fascinating portrait of a determined feminist.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK July 13, 2018: DARK MONEY

July 8, 2018September 12, 2018 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, dark money, documentaries, esther iverem, jennifer merin, kimberly reed, kristen page kirby, maryann johanson, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, political expose, sandie angulo chen

If you’re already feeling cynical about the current state of our country, fair warning: Dark Money isn’t going to lighten your mental load. Kimberly Reed’s intelligent documentary is an important, timely expose of the dangers that shady funding of political campaigns poses to the democratic ideals that many Americans hold dear.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK June 29, 2018: LEAVE NO TRACE

June 24, 2018September 6, 2018 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments anne brodie, anne rosellini, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, dabra granik, esther iverem, jennifer merin, kristen page kirby, leave no trace, liz whittemore, nell minow, nikki baughan, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, susan wloszczyna, thomasin mckenzie

Debra Granik’s Leave No Trace is a gripping drama about a teenage girl living with her dissident father in survivalist mode in the woods, shunning society until authorities force them to enter the mainstream and conform. Granik’s subtle style creates an environment of fear, without relying on violence or dystopian elements.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK June 22, 2018: WOMAN WALKS AHEAD

June 17, 2018December 5, 2018 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments anne brodie, esther iverem, jennifer merin, jessica chastain, kristen page kirby, Marilyn Ferdinand., motw, Movie of the Week, nikki baughan, sandie angulo chen, susanna white, woman walks ahead

In Susanna White’s Woman Walks Ahead, 19th century artist Catherine Weldon defies convention and the U.S. government to paint a portrait of Chief Sitting Bull and learn about the Lakota nation. Jessica Chastain delivers an excellent performance as Weldon, who ultimately found more than artistic inspiration on the open prairies. Continue reading…

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK June 8, 2018: NANCY

June 3, 2018December 5, 2018 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments anne brodie, Cate Marquis, christina choe, esther iverem, jennifer merin, kristen page kirby, Marilyn Ferdinand., maryann johansom, nancy, nell minow, nikki baughan

Fragile, unpredictable, and melancholy, the tone of Christina Choe’s debut feature Nancy is a lot like its main character, a lonely, very sad woman who desperately needs meaning in her life. Played perfectly by Andrea Riseborough, Nancy is complex, captivating, ambiguous and often hard to root for, but you can’t help getting caught up in her search for purpose and connection. Continue reading…

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK May 25, 2018: MARY SHELLEY

May 21, 2018December 5, 2018 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments anne brodie, biopics, Cate Marquis, elle fanning, frankenstein, Haifaa Al Mansour, jennifer merin, kristen page kirby, liz whittemore, Marilyn Ferdinand., mary shelley, maryann johanson, nikki baughan, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen

Saudi filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour’s biopic about Frankenstein author Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin’s romance with poet Percy Bysshe Shelley — and her struggle to be recognized as a female author — is a compelling, atmospheric, truth-based tale of a truly gifted woman who courageously rebelled against the repressive customs of her day. Continue reading…

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK May 18, 2018: SUMMER 1993

May 13, 2018December 5, 2018 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments carla simon, esther iverem, jennifer merin, kristen page kirby, Marilyn Ferdinand., maryann johanson, nell minow, summer 1993

Carla Simon’s debut feature tells the story of six-year-old Frida, sent to live with relatives after her mother dies of AIDS. Without overplayed emotional notes or bouts of excessive drama, Simon explores Frida’s difficult adjustment as she grapples with changes in her life. As Frida, ten year old Laia Artigas captures your heart. Continue reading…

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK May 11, 2018: MOUNTAIN

May 6, 2018April 10, 2023 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments catemarquis, documentaries, esther iverem, jennifer merin, jennifer peedom, jennifermerin, kristen page kirby, Marilyn Ferdinand., maryann johanson, motw, mountain, Movie of the Week, nell minow, nikki baughan, Pam Grady, susan wloszczyna, willem dafoe

The word “majestic” doesn’t do justice to the stunning visuals in Jennifer Peedom’s documentary “Mountain” — but it’s quite possible that no word is up to the task of capturing this film’s sweeping, monumental imagery. When combined with the gravitas of Willem Dafoe’s narration and the power of the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s score (composed by Richard Tognetti), the result is a movie that begs to be seen on the largest, highest-definition screen available.