Search Results for “movie of the week” – Page 2 – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MOVIE OF THE WEEK July 28, 2023: SUSIE SEARCHES

July 24, 2023July 27, 2023 Jennifer Merin Alex Wolff, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, Jamie Broadnax, jennifer merin, Kiersey Clemons, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, motw, Movie of the Week, nikki fowler, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, Sophie Kargman, Susie Searches

Part Only Murders in the Building, part Nancy Drew, and part Wednesday, Susie Searches is a charming, appealingly quirky little mystery with some genuinely surprising twists. Stylish and well-acted, this story about an earnest, ambitious armchair detective (played by Kiersey Clemons) marks the feature directorial debut of Sophie Kargman, who co-wrote the screenplay with William Day Frank based on their 2020 short, also titled Susie Searches, in which Kargman originated the title role.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK July 21, 2023: WAR PONY

July 15, 2023July 17, 2023 Jennifer Merin Ashley Shelton, betsy bozdech, Bill Reddy, Cate Marquis, Franklin Sioux Bob, Gina Gammell, jennifer merin, Jojo Bapteise Whiting, LaDainian Crazy Thunder, Lakota, lakota nation vs united states, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, momentum pictures, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, nikki fowler, oglala, pine ridge, Riley Keough, Sprague Hollander, War Pony

Coming-of-age dramas don’t get much more authentic than Gina Gammell and Riley Keough’s War Pony. Born out of the two women’s deeply personal, long-standing relationship with the Oglala Lakota people of the Pine Ridge Reservation, the film follows two young Lakota men as they deal with the ups and downs of their daily lives. In the process, it offers a frank but tender look at the realities of contemporary life at Pine Ridge.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK July 14, 2023: LAKOTA NATION Vs. UNITED STATES

July 8, 2023August 21, 2023 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, black hills treaty, Cate Marquis, documentaries, ifc films, jennifer merin, jesse short bull, lakota nation vs united states, landback movement, laura tomaselli, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, nikki fowler, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen

Does any part of you still doubt that the United States’ relationship with the Indigenous people who called North America home long before anyone ever thought of naming it “America” in the first place is based in duplicity, theft, and genocide? If so, then watching Laura Tomaselli and Jesse Short Bull’s compelling Lakota Nation Vs. United States will make it crystal clear that, as one interviewee eloquently puts it, “Fundamentally, the intent of the United States is to gain access to native land.” Lakota Nation Vs. United States is an ardent call for justice.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK July 7, 2023: BIOSPHERE

July 1, 2023July 3, 2023 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, biosphere, Cate Marquis, ifc films, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, mark duplass, mel eslyn, motw, Movie of the Week, nikki fowler, sandie angulo chen, scifi, sherin nicole, Sterling k brown

“Life finds a way.” This classic line from Jurassic Park is referenced more than once in director Mel Eslyn’s Biosphere, and there couldn’t be a more apt way to summarize the story of this quirky, unexpected dramedy about two lifelong best friends (Mark Duplass, who co-wrote the film with Eslyn, and Sterling K. Brown) who may be the last people left alive on Earth after an unspecified planet-ending disaster.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK June 30, 2023: EVERY BODY

June 24, 2023 Jennifer Merin Alicia Roth Wiegel, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, Every Body, jennifer merin, Julie Cohen, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, motw, Movie of the Week, Pam Grady, River Gallo, sandie angulo chen, Sean Saifa Wall

The human body comes in so many shapes, sizes, colors, and configurations that the idea of anyone believing that there are “right” and “wrong” ways to be a person is — or should be, anyway — ridiculous. Julie Cohen’s powerful documentary Every Body makes that point loudly and clearly by sharing the moving stories of three incredible intersex people who’ve fought against ignorance and discrimination for most of their lives.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK June 23, 2023: REVOIR PARIS

June 18, 2023June 20, 2023 Jennifer Merin Alice Winocour, Benoît Magimel, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, french films, Grégoire Colin, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, motw, Movie of the Week, Pam Grady, Revoir Paris, sandie angulo chen

Starring Virginie Efira as Mia, a Parisian woman who survives a deadly terrorist attack in a crowded bistro, Alice Winocour’s haunting drama Revoir Paris explores the lingering impact of devastating trauma. As Mia struggles to remember the details of what happened to her and the other victims that fateful night, she must come to terms with the fact that her life now has distinct “before” and “after” portions — and decide what that means for her future.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK June 16, 2023: PRETTY RED DRESS

June 11, 2023June 11, 2023 Jennifer Merin Alexandra Burke, betsy bozdech, british films, Cate Marquis, Dionne Edwards, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, loren king, motw, Movie of the Week, Natey Jones, nikki fowler, Pam Grady, pretty red dress, sandie angulo chen, Temilola Olatunbosun

Yes, a beautiful, sexy red sequined dress is at the heart of writer-director Dionne Edwards’ South London-set feature debut. But Pretty Red Dress is about much more than an item of clothing, no matter how fabulous it is. It’s the story of a man learning to embrace himself for who he truly is, a woman learning what “unconditional love” really means, and a family learning how to support each other in positive ways.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK June 9, 2023: ALONERS

June 3, 2023June 4, 2023 Jennifer Merin Aloners, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, Gong Seung-yeon, Hong Seong-eun, jennifer merin, Jeong Da-eun, Korean films, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, motw, Movie of the Week, nikki fowler, Pam Grady, Park Jeong-hak, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole

Hiding behind a carefully constructed wall of aloofness and solitude, Jina (Gong Seung-Yeon) successfully avoids feeling grief, anger, and…pretty much everything else in South Korean writer/director Hong Seong-eun’s delicate feature debut Aloners. As it explores the potentially devastating impact of denying yourself the time and space to experience pain and loss, the film ultimately makes a clear argument for the importance of establishing genuine connections with other people.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK June 2, 2023: USERS

May 27, 2023May 28, 2023 Jennifer Merin betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, documentary, Icarus Films, jennifer merin, kronos quartet, leslie combemale, motw, Movie of the Week, Natalia Almada, nikki fowler, users

Through a mix of mesmerizing images and contemplative narration, director Natalia Almada explores humanity’s relationship with technology in the thought-provoking documentary Users. It’s more of a tone poem than an analytical investigation, raising complex questions that don’t have straightforward answers and reminding viewers that we all have choices when it comes to how we interact with the digital tools and devices that are so prevalent in our modern world.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK May 26, 2023: YOU HURT MY FEELINGS

May 21, 2023May 21, 2023 Jennifer Merin a24, Arian Moayed, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, jennifer merin, julia louis dreyfus, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, Micaela Watkins, motw, Movie of the Week, nicole holofcener, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, Tobias Menzies, You Hurt My Feelings

Writer/director Nicole Holofcener does what she does best in You Hurt My Feelings: Get inside the heads of insecure characters who are at a crossroads in their lives, figuring out how to navigate the thornier aspects of life and love. There’s a lot of big interpersonal drama, but there’s plenty of humor mixed in, too. (How could there not be, with gifted comediennes like Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Micaela Watkins playing smart, sophisticated sisters?). Kudos to Holofcener for portraying a marriage that has its bumpy bits but is fundamentally built on genuine affection and frank communication. We may not all talk as expressively as Holofcener’s characters, but we can all take a page from their book and grow through honesty.