loren king – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MOVIE OF THE WEEK March 31, 2023: A THOUSAND AND ONE

March 25, 2023March 27, 2023 Jennifer Merin A Thousand and One, A.V. Rockwell, Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Aven Courtney, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, focus features, Jamie Broadnax, jennifer merin, Josiah Cross, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, motw, Movie of the Week, nikki fowler, Pam Grady, sandie angulo cen, sherin nicole, Teyana Taylor, William Catlett

Teyana Taylor is fiercely compelling as Inez, a mother with a complicated history who will do anything for her son, Terry, in writer/director A.V. Rockwell’s powerful drama A Thousand and One. That includes pulling him out of the foster system without permission (in other words, kidnapping him) and giving him a new name to protect him and their life together. As the film follows Inez and Terry over more than a decade, it captures the highs and lows of their relationship and the bond that connects them.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK March 24, 2023: THE WORST ONES

March 18, 2023March 20, 2023 Jennifer Merin banlieue drama, betsy bozdech, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Cate Marquis, Elénore Gurrey, jennifer merin, Johan Heldebergh, Les Pires, leslie combemale, Lise Akoka, Loïc Pech, loren king, Mallory Wanescque, Mélina Vanderplancke, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, nikki fowler, Pam Grady, Romane Gueret, The Worst Ones, Timéo Mahaut

Following a director and his crew who are making a movie with non-actor kids and teens from the working-class Picasso neighborhood in Boulogne-Sur-Mer in Northern France, filmmakers Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret’s drama The Worst Ones provides an empathetic look at growing up in challenging circumstances. Documentary-like in its candor, the coming-of-age film is also touchingly tender as it captures a memorable summer in its characters’ lives.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK March 17, 2023: RODEO

March 12, 2023March 13, 2023 Jennifer Merin Antonia Buresi, betsy bozdech, Cannes Film Festival 2022, Cate Marquis, Coup de Coeur prize, Dave Nsaman, french films, jennifer merin, Julie Ledru, leslie combemale, Lola Quivoron, loren king, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, rodeo, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, Yannis Lafki

In director Lola Quivoron’s compelling drama Rodeo — which won the Coup de Coeur prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival — Julia (Julie Ledru) finds joy and freedom behind the handlebars of a motocross dirt bike, soaring down rural French roads with the wind in her hair and a grin on her face. But these moments of escape are hard to find in a world that wants to limit her at every turn.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK March 10, 2023 – BACK TO THE DRIVE-IN

March 5, 2023March 5, 2023 Jennifer Merin April Wright, Back to the Drive-In, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, documentaries, drive-in movie theaters, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, nell minow, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen

Watching April Wright’s earnest, affectionate documentary Back to the Drive-In, one thing becomes very clear: Nobody gets into the drive-in business because it’s an easy gig or a cash cow. This is a labor of love, a passion project for people who adore movies, who believe in the spirit of community that comes with watching movies with other people who adore movies, and who get a kick out of kitsch, nostalgia, and the perfect movie snack.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK March 3, 2023: PALM TREES AND POWER LINES

February 25, 2023March 5, 2023 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, Jamie Broadnax, Jamie Dack, jennifer merin, jonathan tucker, leslie combemale, Lily McInerny, liz whittemore, loren king, motw, Movie of the Week, Palm Trees and Power Lines, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole

A teenage girl looking for connection and affection falls prey to an older man who says all the right things — but has all the wrong intentions — in Jamie Dack’s wrenching drama Palm Trees and Power Lines. Often difficult to watch as it follows lonely Lea’s (Lily McInerny) willing entry into Tom’s (Jonathan Tucker) untrustworthy orbit, the film is ultimately part character study and part grooming cautionary tale.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK February 24, 2023: JUNIPER

February 18, 2023March 5, 2023 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, charlotte rampling, George Ferrier, Jamie Broadnax, jennifer merin, juniper, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., Marton Csokas, Matthew J. Saville, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, new zealand films, Pam Grady, sherin nicole

Sam is hurting, still grieving the fairly recent death of his mother and angry at his father, Robert , for not finding a way to bridge the ensuing distance between them. In fact, Robert has packed Sam off to boarding school — and now expects Sam to spend his holidays helping care for his grandmother, Ruth, a former globe-trotting photo journalist who now needs somewhere to stay after suffering a particularly nasty broken leg. Not only is Ruth distant and irascible, but she’s also an alcoholic who literally hurls a glass at Sam when he dares to water down her drink. Charlotte Rampling is brilliant in the role.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK February 10, 2023: CINEMA SABAYA

February 5, 2023February 5, 2023 Jennifer Merin 2022 Academy Awards, Aseel Farhat, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, Cinema Sabaya, Dana Ivgy, israeli film, jennifer merin, Joanna Said, leslie combemale, Liora Levi, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., nell minow, Orit Fouks Rotem, sande angulo chen

Don’t be surprised if you find yourself having to confirm whether Israeli writer/director Orit Fouks Rotem’s Cinema Sabaya is a drama or a documentary. She takes such an authentic, cinema verite approach to her subjects — a disparate group of eight Jewish and Arab women who get to know each other while taking an introductory filmmaking class — that it’s easy to believe you’re watching real life unfold on screen.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK February 3, 2023: BODY PARTS

January 29, 2023February 2, 2023 Jennifer Merin Alexandra Billings, betsy bozdech, Body Parts, Jamie Broadnax, jane fonda, jennifer merin, Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, leslie combemale, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., nell minow, Pam Grady, rosanna arquette, rose mcgowan, sandie angulo chen

“Penises are pornography; tits are art.” This pithy summary of the double standard when it comes to nudity in movies comes courtesy of delightfully frank trans actress Alexandra Billings about halfway through director Kristy Guevara-Flanagan’s engaging documentary Body Parts. Billings is one of a host of smart, thoughtful actors and filmmakers interviewed about the history of sexualizing female bodies on the screen — and the impact that’s had on the industry and the culture both on screen and off.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK January 27, 2023: ONE FINE MORNING

January 21, 2023January 25, 2023 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, Jamie Broadnax, jennifer merin, lea seydoux, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., mia hansen love, nell minow, One Fine Morning, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen

A Parisian woman juggles the demands of motherhood and daughterhood while trying to claim a chance at love in writer-director Mia Hansen-Løve’s intimate drama One Fine Morning. Anchored by star Léa Seydoux’s authentic, naturalistic performance as single mom Sandra, the film is a quietly moving meditation on what it means to be a caregiver to others when what you may need more than anything is to be cared for yourself.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK January 20, 2023: AFTER LOVE

January 14, 2023January 19, 2023 Jennifer Merin After Love, Aleem Kahn, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, jennifer merin, Joanna Scanlan, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., motw, Movie of the Week, Nasser Memarzia, Nathalie Richard, nell minow, Pam Grady, Talid Ariss

Grieving widow Mary (Joanna Scanlan) is dismayed to discover that her late husband, Ahmed (Nasser Memarzia), had a secret second life — and family — in writer/director Aleem Khan’s moving feature debut After Love. Anchored by the nuanced, authentic performances of Scanlan and co-star Nathalie Richard, the film explores the impact of grief and deception as it follows what h appens when the two women in Ahmed’s life cross paths.

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Alliance of Women Film Journalists @awfj ·

#CocaineBear is currently streaming on Prime Video and Apple TV+, but is it worth watching? @susangranger gives us her verdict: https://awfj.org/blog/2023/03/28/cocaine-bear-review-by-susan-granger/

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Jennifer Merin @aboutdocsguide ·

I am so honored to be joining @madelinedinonno, @NopalitaMami, Angie Tures & mod @MarinaMonsis to discuss Representation in the Media. 3/29 at 6 EST. Register free @ https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6716796126803/WN_r_gbGol9QiG4Ijvp4B5jXg#/registration to join us.

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Marina Monsisvais @marinamonsis ·

Pls join me and this fabulous group of women for a courageous conversation tonight at 6P MST https://twitter.com/aboutdocsguide/status/1641087612365545472

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Jennifer Merin @aboutdocsguide ·

@AWFJ @JenniferMerin @madelinedinonno @NopalitaMami @MarinaMonsis @abhorak I am so honored to be joining @madelinedinonno, @NopalitaMami, Angie Tures & mod @MarinaMonsis to discuss Representation in the Media. Register @ https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6716796126803/WN_r_gbGol9QiG4Ijvp4B5jXg#/registration to join us.

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Alliance of Women Film Journalists @awfj ·

Join #AWFJ Editor-in-Chief @JenniferMerin tomorrow at 6PM at the virtual YWCA Courageous Conversation: Representation in Media panel. Joining her are @madelinedinonno, @NopalitaMami, Angie Tures & mod @MarinaMonsis. Register now (and thanks to @abhorak!) https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6716796126803/WN_r_gbGol9QiG4Ijvp4B5jXg#/registration

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