It’s a beautiful story of a woman’s friendships, her wants and dreams, and her love for the Cuban dance danzón. (AEL: 4/5)
Category: Uncategorized
‘A Girl From Mogadishu’ Documentary Now Available for Streaming, Featuring Panels about Gender-Based Violence
A Girl from Mogadishu is a dramaticized documentary directed by Mary McGuckian about Somali-Irish activist Ifrah Ahmed. It follows Ahmed’s tumultuous life to her righteous activism today. Ahmed, portrayed by How To Get Away With Murder’s Aja Naomi King, flees a war-torn Somalia as a teenager and is trafficked to Ireland. When thrust into a… Continue reading ‘A Girl From Mogadishu’ Documentary Now Available for Streaming, Featuring Panels about Gender-Based Violence
‘Gas Food Lodging’: The ‘Ladybird’ of the 1990s
Adapted from the novel ‘Don’t Look and It Won’t Hurt’ by Richard Peck and directed by Allison Anders, Gas Food Lodging is about a single mother and her two daughters, searching for meaning in life and their place in the world in the barren desert of New Mexico (JRL: 4 / 5). Review by FF2… Continue reading ‘Gas Food Lodging’: The ‘Ladybird’ of the 1990s
‘Madeinusa’ is a Coming-of-Age Story Made Not in the USA, but in Peru
TCM will feature films from 12 decades—and representing 44 countries—totaling 100 classic and current titles all created by women. Read more about this here! Written and directed by Claudia Llosa in the year 2005, Madeinusa is a beautiful but emotionally brutal film about a young girl, Madeinusa, discovering herself when a handsome young stranger comes into… Continue reading ‘Madeinusa’ is a Coming-of-Age Story Made Not in the USA, but in Peru
Poet Forough Farrokhzad Tells a Haunting Story of Illness and Beauty in ‘The House Is Black’
A haunting visit into the lives of patients in a facility for people with leprosy in 1960s Iran.
Joan Darling’s ‘First Love’ is a Not-So-Sweet Dive into Campus Romance
Joan Darling directed First Love—one of the first big studio films that was offered to a woman. William Katt and Susan Dey star in this campus love story where a hopeful young man falls in love with a beautiful woman, whose heart is with an older man. (KIZJ: 3/5)
‘Le Bonheur’ is a Powerful Message in a Pretty Package
Written and directed by Agnés Varda, Le Bonheur is a french film about a man who lives a full and lovely life with his wife and two children but is faced with a dilemma when he falls in love with someone new. Varda’s film is an intriguing commentary on the nature of love, family, and,… Continue reading ‘Le Bonheur’ is a Powerful Message in a Pretty Package
‘The Virgin Suicides’ is a Nostalgic Portrait of Teenage Love and Loss
TW: Suicide, Suicidal ideation Based on the novel by Jeffrey Eugenides and written and directed by Sophia Coppola, The Virgin Suicides is told from the perspective of a group of men looking back on their youth. They reflect on a tragedy they have never quite recovered from: the suicides of all five Lisbon sisters, formerly the… Continue reading ‘The Virgin Suicides’ is a Nostalgic Portrait of Teenage Love and Loss
Barbara Loden is a Triple Threat for Acting, Writing and Directing in ‘Wanda’
Written and directed by and starring Barbara Loden, Wanda is a thoughtful, empathetic, and harshly realistic character study. It follows Wanda, a mid-thirties divorcee trying to find her way without a home or a job and alone in the middle of Pennsylvania. (JRL: 4.5/5)
‘Sleepwalking Land’ is a Timely Story of Human Connection Despite Devastation and Loss
Based on the novel by Mia Couto and written and directed by Teresa Prata, Sleepwalking Land is about a young boy, lost amidst a war-torn Mozambique, looking for his family and his home. It is a timeless story of strength, perseverance, and the power of family love—both genetic and chosen. (JRL: 3.5/5)
‘A Beautiful Day in Our Neighborhood’ Continues the Positive Legacy of Mr. Rogers
It seems like the world could always learn a lesson in kindness and emotional growth, and in this time of social distancing, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is more relevant than ever. Giorgi and Carly first saw this movie in theaters last year, and revisit it now over a Facetime hangout to discuss… Continue reading ‘A Beautiful Day in Our Neighborhood’ Continues the Positive Legacy of Mr. Rogers
‘The Roads Not Taken’ is a Marriage of Intellect and Emotion
In The Roads Not Taken, a daughter tries to find her father amid his dementia, while her father tries to find his own reality amid the many possible paths his life could have taken. The film is an Odyssey narrative playing out over multiple timelines, and from the perspective of the women in this Odysseus’s… Continue reading ‘The Roads Not Taken’ is a Marriage of Intellect and Emotion
19September20: The FF2 Week in Review by Jan Lisa Huttner
Six films either written or directed by women filmmakers opened in Manhattan theaters this week: Always In Season Britt-Marie Was Here The Game Changers Midnight Traveler Of these five, so far I’ve seen [#]. [#] — [insert films] — are docs. [#] — [insert films] –is a narrative feature. My Top Pick for September 20th… Continue reading 19September20: The FF2 Week in Review by Jan Lisa Huttner
OPHELIA
Synopsis: Director Claire McCarthy has breathed new life into the story of Hamlet with her latest film following Hamlet’s lover, the character of Ophelia. This adaptation of Lisa Klein’s novel, which retold the original William Shakespeare classic Hamlet in young adult form, features stars Daisy Ridley and Naomi Watts playing outstanding and commanding women as… Continue reading OPHELIA
GHOST FLEET (2018): Review by FF2 Media
Synopsis: Ghost Fleet, directed by Shannon Service and Jeffrey Waldron, follows a rescue operation across Southeast Asia performed by Patima Tungpuchayakul, co-founder of LPN (Labour Rights Promotion Network Foundation), and her crew. Their mission is to find and bring home those that have escaped the modern-day slavery that often goes undetected on Thai fishing vessels,… Continue reading GHOST FLEET (2018): Review by FF2 Media
LONG SHOT (2019)
Long Shot is a political romantic comedy following journalist Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) as he is appointed to the role of speech writer for secretary of state Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) as she begins her presidential campaign. (AEG: 3/5) Review by FF2 Intern Anika Guttormson Long Shot, directed by Jonathan Levine and written by Dan… Continue reading LONG SHOT (2019)
LET’S BE EVIL
Elizabeth Morris and her co-writers create a futuristic nightmare in Let’s Be Evil, a desperate attempt at an allegorical warning to today’s technology obsessed-society. (GEP: 2.5/5) Review by Social Media Manager Georgiana E. Presecky Kids have smartphones now. Said smartphones are slowly depreciating their already-limited social skills. We know this. The news reminds us almost… Continue reading LET’S BE EVIL
100 YEARS: OWFFJ
Full Title = 100 Years: One Woman’s Fight for Justice 100 Years, One Woman’s Fight for Justice is an absolute must see. Writer/director Melinda Janko follows Elouise Cobell, a Native American and banker, who fights for her people when the U.S. government refuses to give 300,000 Native Americans fair pay and compensation for using and… Continue reading 100 YEARS: OWFFJ
EQUAL MEANS EQUAL
From the brilliant minds of writer/director Kamala Lopez and co-screenwriter Gini Sikes, Equal Means Equal exposes the American government for the not-so-subtle misogyny that hides within its legislation. Policy jargon is broken down into simple facts as Lopez navigates and exposes the very laws that are designed to discretely discriminate against women. Despite women making… Continue reading EQUAL MEANS EQUAL
THE SEASONS IN QUINCY
The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger is a non-linear look at the life of 90-year-old artist, writer and art critic, John Berger. Using the seasons as the backbone of the documentary, these four unique glimpses into his past and present life are equal parts captivating and heartwarming, particularly in Tilda Swinton’s opening… Continue reading THE SEASONS IN QUINCY
BLACK WOMEN IN MEDICINE
From filmmaker and activist Crystal Emery, Black Women In Medicine highlights the experiences of a number of successful black women in the medical field, and it also suggests solutions to the challenges facing young black women entering medical careers today. Emery assembles an impressive array of interviewees, with the likes of Dr. Claudia L. Thomas,… Continue reading BLACK WOMEN IN MEDICINE
FATIMA
Fatima is a perfect little film. French director Philippe Faucon and an entourage of script consultants (Yasmina Nini-Faucon, Mustapha Kharmoudi, and Aziza Boudjellal) take their time to chisel Fatima bit by bit from a debris of mundanity till she emerges, exuberant with life and full of heart. In fact, it is impossible to finish the… Continue reading FATIMA
MIA MADRE
Mia Madre, co-written by Nanni Moretti,Valia Santella, Gaia Manzini, and Chiara Valerio, follows famous film director “Margherita” (Margherita Buy) as she struggles to come to terms with her mother’s hospitalization and dwindling health. While attempting to devote equal time to both her film and her dying mother she begins to tear at the seams. This… Continue reading MIA MADRE
THE INTERVENTION
Under the leadership of child-fearing, type A, borderline alcoholic, “Annie” (Melanie Lynskey), four couples return to a sprawling childhood summer home for a weekend away. But the weekend getaway is actually an artful guise for a marital intervention the group has planned for one of the couples. As tensions run high, friendships are tested and… Continue reading THE INTERVENTION
A TALE OF LOVE AND DARKNESS
As much as one might want to love A Tale of Love and Darkness, it is difficult to do so. Natalie Portman’s directorial debut was meant to inspire others by sharing the life story of Amos Oz, a famous Israeli storyteller; but it gets dragged down in dreary sidestory ultimately fails to invigorate the audience… Continue reading A TALE OF LOVE AND DARKNESS
WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE
When Two Worlds Collide is a chilling documentary about the Amazonian indigenous tribes in Peru, and how their lives are drastically affected by encroaching corporate companies. Co-directed by Heidi Brandenburg, this documentary exposes the Peruvian government by depicting the pain and suffering of the indigenous people caused by underhanded deals with big companies. These companies… Continue reading WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE
ABORTION: STORIES WOMEN TELL
Opens Friday 8/12/16 in NYC. Review coming soon 🙂
DISORDER
Written and directed by Alice Winocour, Disorder follows a soldier back from Afghanistan as he struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder and coping with hallucinations and hearing loss. Through the help of some friends, “Vincent” (Matthais Schoenaerts) secures a job as a member of a security team to earn some extra cash. The job seems simple:… Continue reading DISORDER
THE LOST ARCADE
Kurt Vincent’s The Lost Arcade (written by Irene Chin) is a nostalgic documentary on a fading industry that some claim as home but most won’t know. The film has its ups and downs with its best almost carrying the weight of the less glamorous part of New York. It, however, is a bore. Aimless and… Continue reading THE LOST ARCADE
MY KING
Directed and co-written by Maïwenn, My King (Mon Roi) depicts the turbulent story of a woman, who has just begun rehabilitation after a terrible skiing accident, and is now completely dependent on the doctors, nurses, and staff at the center while she heals. With nothing but time on her hands, and excruciating work ahead of her,… Continue reading MY KING