Category Archives: Female Filmmaker Friday
Female Filmmaker Friday: Elle s’en va, 2014 (dir. Emmanuelle Bercot)
I wanted to see this film when it was in theaters earlier this year (I’m calling it a 2014 releases because that’s its U.S. release date; sue me), but somehow I missed it and was really bummed. Then the other day I was looking for something to watch on Netflix and it was in the suggested list! Sometimes Netflix gets it so right! This is Emmanuelle Bercot’s third film (she started out as an actress). I haven’t seen her other films, though I want to because this film had a very distinctive tone and I’m curious to see if her other films feel the same. She wrote this script specifically for Catherine Deneuve and it’s wonderful to see the actress really tear into the material.
Female Filmmaker Friday: The Bigamist, 1953 (dir. Ida Lupino)
I read about this film in a book that traced the history of Los Angeles’s Bunker Hill in the movies (mostly focusing on film noir) and this film was mentioned because Lupino filmed several scenes in that neighborhood. After I saw the synopsis and the cast (Edmond O’Brien, Joan Fontaine and Ida herself), I just had to watch it. It’s a great drama (with film noir elements; I think you could definitely make the case that it is noir) about a man who finds himself married to two women.
Female Filmmaker Friday: Under The Tuscan Sun, 2003 (dir. Audrey Wells)
Somehow I didn’t see this movie when it was first in theaters. I have no idea why not, since I was a senior in high school when it came out and went to the movie theater in my hometown practically every weekend. I do, however, remember when I first saw it. It was about a year after it originally came out, when I came home to visit during winter break after my first semester at UC Berkeley. It was exactly the kind of escapist rom-com that I loved when I was a kid and it was exactly what I needed after a tough first semester. NB: writer-director-producer Audrey Wells is also a Cal alum. Go Bears! I subsequently bought the DVD about a year later from the Walgreens on Shattuck on a rainy day and proceeded to watch it once every few weeks for the rest of college and then some. I’m really not sure how many times I’ve seen it (including the few times I watched it on TV!) I love it so much. This is a Best Friend kind of movie. Comforting and warm and dependable, but every time I watch it I notice something new to love.
Female Filmmaker Friday: Love & Basketball, 2000 (dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood)
Somehow I missed this film when it was first in theaters and just saw it for the first time a few weeks back at a screening at the Cinefamily with writer/director Gina Prince-Bythewood in attendance. This look at the film will be partially my thoughts on the film and a some of the insights she shared with the audience during the Q&A after the film. There will be some plot spoilers.
Female Filmmaker Friday: The Hitch-Hiker, 1953 (dir. Ida Lupino)
In honor of Noirvember, this week instead of writing about a film directed by a woman, I’m going to point you to a public domain film noir by Ida Lupino from 1953 called The Hitch-Hiker. It’s one of the best films from the era/genre and you can watch it right now:
Female Filmmaker Friday: Ravenous, 1999 (dir. Antonia Bird)
I actually haven’t seen this film in several years, but I wanted to feature a horror film directed by a woman since it’s Halloween and this one a) is on Netflix and b) I remember relatively well. That said, this will mostly be a discussion of blood and hot men.
Female Filmmaker Friday: Small, Beautifully Moving Parts, 2011 (dir. Annie Howell, Lisa Robinson)
This is a small, beautiful film I watched on Netflix a few months ago that really surprised in how simple, yet effective it was in its storytelling. It’s the only feature film from writer/directors Annie Howell and Lisa Robinson, which is a shame. It stars Anna Margaret Hollyman, who is known for starring in micro-budget films (The Color Wheel, White Reindeer). This is actually the first of her films I have seen, but I really enjoy her screen presence.
Female Filmmaker Friday: Obvious Child, 2014 (dir. Gillian Robespierre)
This is the movie all rom-com lovers needed. This is the movie we all deserve. This is a rom-com about women, for women, by women. This movie is everything. It’s also has some important things to say about very serious, timely political issues. It’s basically a perfect film and I can’t wait to see more from writer-director Gillian Robespierre.
Female Filmmaker Friday: Carrie, 2013 (dir. Kimberly Peirce)
If you’ve been following my video reviews, you’ll know I did a nice long video the other night about Kimberly Peirce’s 2013 version of Stephen King’s Carrie. You can watch that video here. I’m going to repeat a few things in my analysis, but I also want to repeat that 1) I haven’t read the book 2) I don’t believe that you should compare two movies that are both adapted from other source material 3) It’s been about 10+ years since I’ve seen De Palma’s Carrie, so I couldn’t do that even if I were inclined to do so.
Female Filmmaker Friday: Valley Girl, 1983 (dir. Martha Coolidge)
The first time I saw Valley Girl, I rented it from Netflix and I watched it three times in a 24-hour period before I returned it. I then immediately bought the DVD. I have seen it countless times (including twice on the big screen!). I just love it so much. It is endlessly watchable.
the diary of a film history fanatic 