Category: Movie Reviews
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Doc ‘Liyana’ is Talk of 2017 Citizen Jane Film Festival
During the 10th annual Citizen Jane Film Festival in Columbia, Missouri, which ended on Oct. 29, 2017, I asked a number of people to tell me their favorite of the films they’d seen. Nine times out of ten, the answer was “Liyana,” a documentary set in Swaziland, a small country in southern Africa. It was…
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Citizen Jane Film Festival: ‘The Light of the Moon’ is Realistic Portrayal of Rape Victim
“The Light of the Moon,” which won the Narrative Feature Audience Award at SXSW 2017, was a perfect film to be included in the Citizen Jane Film Festival in Columbia, Missouri this past weekend – a festival devoted to women filmmakers. Written and directed by Jessica M. Thompson, the film focuses on a woman who…
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10th Annual Citizen Jane Film Festival Closes with ‘In the Radiant City’
The 10th annual Citizen Jane Film Festival in Columbia, Missouri closed out on Oct. 29, 2017 with the feature drama “In the Radiant City.” Directed by Rachel Lambert, who co-wrote the script with Nathan Gregorski, the film stars Michael Abbott, Jr., Marin Ireland, Madisen Beaty, and Celia Weston.
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Citizen Jane Film Fest: 4 Films from the Bizarre to the Poignant
I saw eight feature-length films in this year’s Citizen Jane Film Festival, and I liked all but one of them. The work was consistently daring and/or innovative.
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10th Annual Citizen Jane Film Festival Opens with ‘Landline’
The Citizen Jane Film Festival in Columbia, Missouri, which celebrates women filmmakers, opened its tenth year on Oct. 27, 2017 with the feature comedy-drama “Landline.”
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NYFF: Rebecca Miller On Her New Doc, ‘Arthur Miller: Writer’; also Her Acting Detour in ‘Meyerowitz Stories’
Rebecca Miller, the director of “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” (2009), “Personal Velocity” (2002) and “The Ballad of Jack and Rose” (2005), has directed a wonderful documentary for HBO about her father simply called “Arthur Miller: Writer.” The film will premiere next week at the New York Festival. Do not miss it! The film’s…
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In Defense of ‘Wonder Woman’
Kimberly Strand takes on the folks who aren’t all that happy with Wonder Woman, the female superhero movie starring Gal Gadot.
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Movie Review: ‘Birthright: A War Story’ Documentary
From the title and the very beginning of “Birthright: A War Story,” you know it will be an in-your-face, no-holds-barred account of the abortion issue. Before the opening credits begin, we see the faces of women who have been collateral damage as a result of the laws regulating women’s health. What follows, however, is at…
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Trans Teen is Subject of PBS Doc ‘Real Boy’
Independent Lens will air the documentary “Real Boy” on PBS June 19, 2017 at 10pm ET (check your local listings). An intimate story of a family in transition, the film follows trans teen Bennett as he deals with the physical and emotional ramifications of changing gender identity from female to male.
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Movie Review: ‘The Journey’ Starring Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney
Nick Hamm’s “The Journey” makes clear at the beginning that the film is an “imagining” of a real event that took place in 2006. We aren’t to believe that what we’re about to see is true.
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‘No Dresscode Required’ Doc Chronicles Gay Marriage Struggle in Mexico
In the “No Dresscode Required” documentary, Victor and Fernando run a beauty salon in Baja California, Mexico. When they decide to marry, however, they find themselves in a fight for their rights. Even though the higher court in Mexico had legalized same sex marriage, their Mexicali city council defies the ruling.
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‘Restless Creature’ Doc Celebrates Prima Ballerina Wendy Whelan
Wendy Whelan is the subject of a documentary called “Restless Creature,” in which we follow her as she contends with the reality of aging as a ballet dancer. The film is an intimate glimpse at her life.