nikki baughan – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MOVIE OF THE WEEK April 16, 2021: HOPE

April 11, 2021April 18, 2021 Jennifer Merin Andrea Bræin Hovig, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, hope, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, Maria Sødahl, Marilyn Ferdinand., marina antunes, motw, Movie of the Week, nikki baughan, norwegian films, oscars, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, Stellan Skarsgård

Maria Sodhal follows up 2010’s Limbo with another quiet yet powerful exploration of relationships under pressure; in this case, a shocking cancer diagnosis. Andrea Braein Hovig and Stellan Skarsgaard put in sterling performances as the long-term couple whose stale relationship is shaken up by the terminal illness. Writer/director at Sodhal – who drew on her own experiences – eschews overwrought melodrama and obvious emotional cues in favour of deeply felt observation, and delivers a film of raw realism and genuine humanity.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK April 9, 2021: SLALOM

April 4, 2021April 18, 2021 awfj-admin betsy bozdech, Charlène Favier, jennifer merin, jeremie renier, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., nikki baughan, Noée Abita, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, slalom

As challenging — and stark — as the mountains its main character hurtles down in the pursuit of athletic glory and personal validation, French filmmaker Charlène Favier’s debut feature Slalom is an unflinching look at the impact of what happens to a vulnerable teenage girl when an authority figure abuses his authority and position of power.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK March 19, 2021: ROSE PLAYS JULIE

March 14, 2021April 16, 2021 Jennifer Merin aiden gillen, ann skelly, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, christine malloy, irish films, jennifer merin, Joe Lawlor, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, Marilyn Ferdinand., marina antunes, motw, movie pf the week, nikki baughan, orla brady, Pam Grady, rose plays julia, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, susan wloszczyna

In Rose Plays Julie the anxiety of a daughter’s discontent and her birth mother’s minefield of memories begin to run parallel. The film-makers layer in visuals of euthanasia, excavation, dissection, and horror to amplify a suspense that otherwise might’ve been melodrama. The result is an engrossing thriller made edgier by the performances of Ann Skelly and Orla Brady. From beginning to end, Rose Plays Julie is an effective examination of “what if” and sexual assault, one that leaves no doubt about the harm the latter causes, which is visceral and frightening and long lasting.

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 January 29, 2021: TRUE MOTHERS

January 24, 2021February 12, 2021 Jennifer Merin Aju Makita, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, Hiromi Nagasaku, japanese films, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, marina antunes, maryann johanson, naomi kawase, nell minow, nikki baughan, Pam Grady, Sandy Angelo chen, susan wloszczyna, True Mothers

Motherhood — in all its complexity — is at the heart of Naomi Kawase’s drama True Mothers, which tells the intertwined stories of Hikari Katakura (Aju Makita) and Satoko Kurihara (Hiromi Nagasaku). Their circumstances are very different, but they both fiercely love the same little boy, and that love ultimately helps each better understand the other.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK December 25, 2020: ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI

December 20, 2020December 24, 2020 Jennifer Merin Aldis Hodge, amazon studios, betsy bozdech, cassius clay, Cate Marquis, Eli Goree, jennifer merin, jim brown, kemp powers, Kingsley Ben-Adir, leslie combemale, Leslie Odom Jr., liz whittemore, loren king'susan sloszczyna, malcolm x, marina antunes, maryann johanson, nell minow, nikki baughan, one night in miami, Pam Grady, regina king, sam cooke, sandie angulo chen

Anyone who thinks female directors should stick to telling women’s stories is a) sexist and b) in for a surprise when they watch Regina King’s powerful directorial feature film debut One Night in Miami. Based on Kemp Powers’ same-named 2013 play, it imagines the fascinating conversation that might have happened between activist Malcolm X, boxer Cassius Clay, singer Sam Cooke, and NFL star Jim Brown had they all found themselves in the same place on the night of February 25, 1964.

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MOVIE OF THE WEEK December 4, 2020: LUXOR

November 30, 2020December 3, 2020 Jennifer Merin Andrea Riseborough, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, luxor, marina antunes, maryann johanson, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, nikki baughan, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, susan wloszczyna, zeina durra

Centering on a powerful performance by Andrea Riseborough, Zeina Durra’s dreamy, introspective romantic drama Luxor explores what-ifs and second chances as its characters explore ancient Egyptian ruins, finding their way to a place of connection and understanding. Riseborough plays Hana, a British doctor who’s come to the city of Luxor to rest and recuperate from the stresses of her efforts as an international aid worker.

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MOVIE OF THE WEEK November 27, 2020: AMMONITE

November 21, 2020February 10, 2021 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments ammonite, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, jennifer merin, kate winslett, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, mary anning, maryann johanson, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, nikki baughan, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, saoirse ronan, susan wlosczcyna

Human connection brings warmth and joy to a bleak time and place in Francis Lee’s Ammonite, which centers on renowned British paleontologist Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) and her relationship with a woman named Charlotte Murchison (Saoirse Ronan). While its details may be more speculation than fact, there’s no denying its message about the transformative power of kinship and attraction.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK November 20, 2020: ANTIGONE

November 15, 2020November 19, 2020 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments antigone, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, eda award, jennifer merin, kathia woods, loren king, maryann johanson, motw, Movie of the Week, Nahéma Ricci, nell minow, nikki baughan, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, Sophie Deraspe, sophie desraspe, susan wloszczyna, Whistler Film Festival

Quebecois writer/director Sophie Deraspe brings fresh life to ancient source material with Antigone, her powerful update of Sophocles’ classic play. Trading a Greek chorus for smartphone-wielding teens and city-state rivalries for clashes related to gang loyalty, it centers on the smart, resourceful titular teen, played rivetingly by Nahema Ricci.

Movie of the Week Reviews

MOVIE OF THE WEEK November 13, 2020: CODED BIAS

November 8, 2020November 12, 2020 Jennifer Merin 0 Comments AI, algorithmic justice, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, Coded Bias, documentaries, jennifer merin, Joy Buolamwini, kathia woods, marina antunes, maryann johanson, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, nikki baughan, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, Shalini Kantayya, susan wloszczyna

Designed largely by white men, it turns out that a lot of facial-recognition programs are best at recognizing…white men. So when those technologies are used to scan the faces of women and people of color, they’re far more likely to make incorrect associations and conclusions. Inconvenient if you want to use your face to open a biometric lock; potentially devastating if a database suggests you’re a terrorist.

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