Lashana Lynch – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

February 14, 2024February 17, 2024 Valerie Kalfrin Bob Marley, Chris Blackwell, Exodus, Frank E. Flowers, Jamaican, Kingsley Ben-Adair, Lashana Lynch, Marley and the Wailers, One Love, Rastafarian, reggae, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Terence Winter, Zach Baylin

When he died of cancer in 1981 at age thirty-six, Jamaican reggae singer, songwriter, and guitarist Bob Marley was a worldwide sensation. The new drama One Love, which spotlights a brief period in his too-short life, treats Marley and his work with affectionate reverence yet fails to dive deep into the life of the man behind the music. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, One Love centers on the 1977 recording of Exodus, the ninth studio album by Marley and the Wailers shortly after Marley survived an assassination attempt at his home in Jamaica. How Marley handles certain events in his life are shown so subtly as to feel unexplored.

Reviews

THE WOMAN KING – Review by Susan Granger

September 20, 2022September 22, 2022 Susan Granger dana stevens, Gina Prince-Bythewood, John Boyega, Lashana Lynch, Maria Bello, Sheila Atim, the woman king, Thuso Mbedu, TIFF 2022, toronto international film festival, viola davis

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.

Movie of the Week

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

September 16, 2022September 18, 2022 Jennifer Merin Cate Marquis, dana stevens, Gina Prince-Bythewood, jennifer merin, John Boyega, Lashana Lynch, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, Maria Bello, Marilyn Ferdinand., motw, Movie of the Week, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, Sheila Atim, sherin nicole, the woman king, Thuso Mbedu, TIFF 2022, toronto international film festival, viola davis

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.

Interviews

Gina Prince-Bythewood on Cast, Action and Camera in THE WOMAN KING – Leslie Combemale interviews

September 16, 2022September 17, 2022 Leslie Combemale Gabriella McLean, Gina Prince-Bythewood, John Boyega, Lashana Lynch, motw, Movie of the Week, Polly Morgan, Sheila Atim, Terilyn Shropshire, the woman king, Thuso Mbedu, viola davis

With the new historical epic The Woman King, Gina Prince-Bythewood has added yet another winner to her impressive filmography. Based on historical events, the film is centered on a cast of Black women portraying members of the Agojie, a legion of female warriors who protected the Kingdom of Dahomey (now part of Benin) in 1800s Africa. Full of action, the performers in The Woman King do nearly all their own stunts, and every actor portraying a member of the Agojie plays a powerful, fully-formed, three dimensional character. Prince-Bythewood chats about her cast, her collaborators above and below the line, and how The Woman King has changed her as a director.

Interviews

Terilyn Shropshire on Gina Prince-Bythewood, Evolutional Editing and THE WOMAN KING – Leslie Combemale interviews

September 16, 2022September 17, 2022 Leslie Combemale female editors, Gina Prince-Bythewood, John Boyega, Lashana Lynch, motw, Movie of the Week, Polly Morgan, Sheila Atim, Terilyn Shropshire, the woman king, Thuso Mbedu, viola davis

Terilyn Shropshire has been building a career as a film and television editor in Hollywood for over 30 years, working with some of the best directors in the business. Her ongoing collaboration with Gina Prince-Bythewood began in 2000 with the director’s now classic Love and Basketball. Now Shropshire is in the spotlight for her work with Prince-Bythewood on the new and critically acclaimed release The Woman King. AWFJ.org’s Leslie Combems;le spoke with Shropshire about her process, and the joy of a project that highlights powerful Black women in a positive and dynamic way never done before onscreen.

Reviews

THE WOMAN KING – Review by Sherin Nicole

September 12, 2022September 16, 2022 Sherin Nicole Gina Prince-Bythewood, John Boyega, Lashana Lynch, Maria Bello, motw, Movie of the Week, Sheila Atim, the woman king, Thuso Mbedu, viola davis

It’s been a long time coming but The Woman King has arrived and, damn, it’s amazing. The story focuses on Nanisca (Viola Davis), the general of The Agojie under the reign of King Ghezo (John Boyega). Of course, something or someone has to shake things up. Say hello to Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), our POV character who is as young, brash, rash, and reckless as you want her to be. But she isn’t Nanisca’s only problem. How can a girlie win? Gina Prince-Bythewood’s epic is about to let us know if she can.

Reviews

THE WOMAN KING – Review by Loren King

September 12, 2022September 17, 2022 Loren King dana stevens, Gina Prince-Bythewood, John Boyega, Lashana Lynch, Maria Bello, motw, Movie of the Week, Sheila Atim, the woman king, Thuso Mbedu, TIFF 2022, toronto international film festival, viola davis

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.

Festivals Reviews

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

September 12, 2022September 17, 2022 Cate Marquis dana stevens, Gina Prince-Bythewood, John Boyega, Lashana Lynch, Maria Bello, Sheila Atim, the woman king, Thuso Mbedu, TIFF 2022, toronto international film festival, viola davis

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.

Reviews

THE WOMAN KING – Review by T.J. Callahan

September 9, 2022September 15, 2022 T. J. Callahan dana stevens, Gina Prince-Bythewood, John Boyega, Lashana Lynch, Maria Bello, Sheila Atim, the woman king, Thuso Mbedu, TIFF 2022, toronto international film festival, viola davis

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.

Reviews

NO TIME TO DIE – Review by Liz Braun

October 6, 2021October 10, 2021 Liz Braun ana de armas, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Daniel Craig, james bond, Lashana Lynch, No Time to Die, phoebe waller-bridge

No Time To Die is more of an event than a movie, but that’s the territory with James Bond. Fans waited 18 months to see the film and everyone knows it’s Daniel Craig’s last time at bat as the famed British spy, so the film came freighted with massive expectations. Luckily, it’s hugely entertaining — with explosive action, wild car chases, fascinating spy gadgets, beautiful women, evil villains, somewhat incomprehensible plotting and many narrow escapes — but this time out with a whole new level of emotional engagement. Writing about women and film is what we do around here, so it’s important to note that Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) reshaped the story with the blessing of all concerned, including Daniel Craig, who described her as a “fucking great writer” to the Financial Times.

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