June 2020

My children asking for snacks….again.

Hello summer! In between keeping my kids busy, fetching them popsicles and avoiding a certain plague I’ve found a little time to watch some new movies:

• The Vast of Night (2019 Andrew Patterson)
• Dirty Dancing (1987 Emile Ardolino)
• The Lovebirds (2020 Michael Showalter)
• Ad Astra (2019 James Gray)
• *13th (2016 Ava DuVernay)
• Aquaman (2018 James Wan)
• Little Shop of Horrors (1986 Frank Oz)
• Tangerine (2015 Sean Baker)
• Do the Right Thing (1989 Spike Lee)
• The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958 Nathan Juran)
• Adam’s Rib (1949 George Cukor)

I’m a little behind on my quest to watch 52 films directed by women this year, but plan to catch up in August. Suggestions on films to find are always welcome and appreciated.

Stay safe and healthy!

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu)

In Portrait of a Lady on Fire, there’s a moment where the characters discuss the fate of Orpheus and Eurydice. Sophie, the third wheel, argues, why would Orpheus turn around when he was told not to or he would lose his love? I like Marianne’s explanation, “He chooses the memory of her. That’s why he turns. He doesn’t make the lover’s choice, but the poet’s.” Like Orpheus, Marianne knows Héloïse is not hers to keep. She must get married or choose her sister’s fate. And Héloïse acknowledges this, releasing Orpheus’s blame, “Perhaps she was the one who said, Turn around.” Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a powerful, hypnotic film full of where passion slowly blooms, beauty cannot be restrained and a forbidden love lives on in only memory.

Céline Sciamma’s story centers around a young portrait painter, Marianne (Noémie Merlant), sent to a remote island to paint a young woman, Héloïse (Adèle Haenel) before she is married. Marianne is the second painter summoned, Héloïse’s mother tells her that Héloïse refused to pose for the first one, as she opposes the marriage. Héloïse is also the second bride, her older sister so strongly opposed the marriage she jumped off one of the island’s high cliffs. Now Héloïse is told that Marianne will be her walking companion. Marianne must study Héloïse on their walks and paint her by memory in secret.

The deception is only the first act of the film. When Marianne finishes the portrait from memory, she shows it to Héloïse and confesses her deception. The portrait is too perfect, it could be any woman with Héloïse’s features. It lacks life, Héloïse’s fierce flash of anger, the tired red eyes bagged with grief. Marianne destroys the painting and to her surprise, Héloïse agrees to pose for her. Her mother will be away and they have until she returns to finish the portrait.

What unfolds is a mixture of an affair between artist and muse, Héloïse’s first taste of womanhood and her last taste of freedom before marriage. The slow burn, hypnotic tension between Marianne and Héloïse rises to romance and brings forth a sexier love story than most films can muster between heteosexal leads. Yet, there are no sex scenes, unless you count the couple lying in bed, breasts exposed with Marianne drawing secret portraits in a book, using a perfectly placed mirror.

Their portrait scene where Marianne tells Héloïse all the little nuances she has noticed about her and Héloïse shooting back saying, “When you’re observing me, who do you think I’m observing?” put the traditional artist/muse relationship on it’s head. Usually those relationships are very one sided, the man being powerful, the woman the silent idol. But here, Héloïse’s spunk and the fact that they’re both women make it equal.

During the mother’s absence, the maid, Sophie (Luàna Bajrami) reveals that she is pregnant. Marianne and Héloïse help her to rectify the situation, first by herbs and exercise, later by visiting an older woman who preforms a 18th century abortion. As Sophie lays back during the procedure, a baby no older than 2 holds her hand and plays with her. Later, Marianne paints a recreation of the scene, with Héloïse posing as the practitioner. The symbolism in these acts, these people around Sophie in her moment of need is astounding.

I’ve never seen a film so full of raw, powerful feminism and I love it. Along with the obvious subjects, the film is completely driven by women and their relationships together, whether as lovers, friends, artist/subject, mother/daughter. The actors bear natural beauty, even displaying body hair that rarely graces Hollywood films without a grimace. There are only a few men in the film, none of them have important speaking roles. Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a beautiful, bold and empowering and enthralling film that I hope inspires more female filmmakers to bring their stories to the world.

“It’s a life that has advantages. There’s a library. You can sing or hear music. And equality is a pleasant feeling.”

April and May 2020

What day is it? Time is lost on me. While March lingered forever, I didn’t even notice April waltz by and May came and went in a chaotic frenzy. Somehow along the way I found a little time to relax and watch a few new movies:

New Films in April:

• Onward (2020 Dan Scanlon
• *Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019 Céline Sciamma)
• Good Boys (2019 Gene Stupnitsky)
• *Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001 Sharon Maguire)
• *Mary Queen of Scots (2018 Josie Rourke)
• Stuber (2019 Michael Dowse)

New Films in May:

• *The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018 Susanna Fogel)
• Raising Arizona (1987 Joel Coen and Ethan Coen)
• *The Lodge (2020 Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz)
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012 Stephen Chbosky)
• *Obvious Child (2014 Gillian Robespierre)
• *Late Night (2019 Nisha Ganatra)
• *Becoming (2020 Nadia Hallgren)

*indicates a film directed or co-directed by a woman

#52FilmsByWomen

My 6 year old and I also like to tune in on Saturday nights for classic horror movies with Svengoolie. In April we saw Dracula’s Daughter and Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. Well, I did. He always falls asleep about half way through. We also enjoyed The Deadly Mantis in May.

My husband and I have been catching up on a lot of TV lately. We basically binged Tiger King over a week. Never Have I Ever was great and I hope there is more. If you’re a fan of The Favourite, The Great is pretty great. And we are loving the new episodes of What We Do In The Shadows. 

And April ended with the greatest thing to happen all pandemic: a new Parks and Rec special! I’m a huge Parks and Rec fan and loved every minute. Not only was it a great reunion (socially distanced of course), but a wonderful, wholesome reminder to take care of yourself and others in this tough time. Hearing Bye-Bye Lil’ Sebastian again made me feel a lot better.

Stay safe and healthy!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

There’s something about Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower that transcends the teen romantic drama genre into something adults can appreciate. Maybe it’s the story of artsy outsiders befriending a vulnerable freshman. Maybe it’s that the stories of young love aren’t so airy and idealistic, but raw and complicated. Maybe it’s the snarky, comical tone often taken. But this lovely film, with its perfect cast, surprised me and warmed my spirit.

The story follows Charlie (Logan Lerman), a shy and lonely high school freshman. He meets Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson), two senior half-siblings who welcome him to their eclectic group of friends. Charlie’s friends expose him to a whole world on the cusp of adulthood including productions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, drugs and his first taste of romance. Over the school year their friendships grow, misadventures turn into a lifetime of memories and these things help him cope with past trauma.

The era the story takes place is never given a year, but feels like a magical time to be a teenager. Perhaps the early 1990s. It’s before cellphones and texting, so loneliness feels more authentic. Teen parties have an intimate feel, rather than a rowdy kegger. It’s when a typewriter is an exciting gift for a budding writer. The tunnel song is lost until it comes on the radio again and mixtapes are symbols of young love.

What makes this film so captivating is how Charlie is embraced by opening up about his underlying issues and yet many scenes are kept light and comical. The first comes fairly early when he casually blurts out while high at his first party that his best friend killed himself. The look of shock and sadness that crosses Sam’s face is heartbreaking as she’s making her high new friend a milkshake. It’s in that moment that Sam and her friends really embrace Charlie, help raise him up and welcome him to “the island of misfit toys.” It’s wonderful to watch them help him step out of the shadows of his depression and grow into a more confident young man.

The tunnel scene is the most memorable and is becoming iconic as this film ages. After his first party, Charlie gets a ride home with Patrick and Sam. As David Bowie’s Heroes plays on the radio, Sam exclaims that it’s a perfect song for the tunnel. Patrick drives through the tunnel, radio blasting Bowie and Sam slowly, but daringly slips out the back window of the pickup’s cab. She stands, spreading her arms like she’s flying, the tunnel lights glittering the tile around and the wind billowing her skirt triumphantly. It’s here that Charlie, looking up at her in awe, and probably still a little high, has his most quotable epiphany, “I feel infinite.”  It’s an exhilarating ride to usher Charlie into this new chapter of his life.

Perhaps what makes this film feel so authentic and resonating is the fact that the director, Stephen Chbosky is also the screenwriter and author of the novel. The film feels crafted carefully out of love, something I find very rare in this genre. If you’re looking for a teen film that can move and captivate adults, The Perks of Being a Wallflower should be on you list. 

“I know I’m quiet… and, and I know I should speak more. But if you knew the things that were in my head most of the time, you’d know what it really meant. How, how much we’re alike, and how we’ve been through the same things… and you’re not small. You’re beautiful.”

Onward

While Pixar’s newest film had a sadly short run in theaters, its appearance on Disney+ is nothing short of legendary. After it was released on April 3rd, I let my older son stay up late to watch it with me and my husband. Family movie nights and a bit of magic are just what the world needs right now, and Pixar knows how to deliver.

On Ian’s 16th birthday, his mother gives him and his brother, Barley a special gift from their father, who died before Ian was born. It’s a wizard staff, equipped with a phoenix gem and a spell that can bring their father back for one day. But the spell goes wrong, leaving the brothers with only the lower half of their father. Off in Barley’s hunk of junk van, the brothers must go on an epic quest to find another phoenix gem and finish the spell before the next sunset if they want to meet their father. 

Onward takes place in a modern fantasy world where magic has faded with the convenience of technology. Pixies form a motorcycle gang rather than use their wings. The legendary Manticore’s Tavern operates more like a TGIFridays. And fantastic pieces of ancient history are being torn down, with only Barley fighting for their significance. But as Ian and Barley go on their quest, more and more of this old magic is rekindled. I love how The Manticore decides to suddenly remodel, and all the Dungeons and Dragons references! But the best magic is the kind Ian and Barley discover in themselves.

Some of the funniest moments in the movie come from the father’s lower half and fake upper half getting the boys into trouble. Ian gives his father a fake upper half made of old clothes and sunglasses that flops around like the running gag in Weekend at Bernie’s. The moment with the dad and the cops cracked me up. And somehow, with only the lower half, the team at Pixar gives the father life, character and connection to his sons. Their rest stop dance party is a wonderful, sweet bit of family magic. 

Tom Holland and Chris Pratt’s characters play homage to some of their previous performances. Holland’s Ian is a socially awkward teen who needs to get over his meekness and harness some magic. Pratt’s Barley is a vest wearing, loud, fearless, kinda goofy and weirdly driven guy obsessed with his Dungeons and Dragons/Magic: the Gathering style game, Quests of Lore. While Ian is a bit embarrassed by his older brother and his lack of focus on the real world, I love how the film doesn’t try to fix Barley. In fact, the quest would have never gotten rolling without him.

Ian’s whole life he has been yearning for the father he never got to meet. It’s another one of Pixar’s signature heart tugging motifs that helps us sympathize with Ian and his family. But it’s one thing to long for something you never had, it’s another thing to lose it. His realization and sacrifice for Barley is so sweet and not something I expected to happen. It left me teary-eyed next to my son on the couch.

After the movie was over, I talked by my son about how he’s doing such a great job as a big brother. Siblings often don’t realize the impact they have on each other throughout their lives, but movies like Onward show the importance of that sibling bond and your journeys together. The song in the credits, Carried Me With You, puts it in better words than I can. 

“You’re the soul who understands, the scars that made me who I am. Through the drifting sands of time, I got your back and you got mine”

March 2020

Bumblebee looks like all of us stuck at home right now.

Wow, what a month it has been. Life went from blissfully normal to pandemic isolation real fast here in the US. Thankfully, my family is taking all the changes well and we’re all healthy. Before this all went down, I made one last trip to the movie theater to see The Invisible Man. I was pretty bummed that I didn’t get to see Onward in time, but am so happy that the good people at Disney+ are releasing it there on April 3rd. Between helping my kindergartner with his school work, keeping the toddler entertained (thanks again Disney+!) and not going insane with worry, I didn’t watch very many new movies. One thing that helps me cope in this new normal is doing puzzles. Of course, I prefer them movie themed. They make great wall decor!

My finished pandemic puzzles, so far.

My March new-to-me movies:

• The Invisible Man
• *Mansfield Park
• *Troop Zero
• Brittany Runs a Marathon
• Fighting With My Family
• Book Club
• *Honey Boy
• *It’s Kind of a Funny Story

*directed or co-directed by a woman #52FilmsByWomen

Yesterday my oldest celebrated his 6th birthday! While his party had to be canceled, we made the best of this strange situation with video chats with friends and family. And I let him watch a “big kid movie,” Bumblebee! He is obsessed with all things Transformers, and I previously told him it was too violent for him to watch, so this was a huge treat. 

Stay safe and healthy, readers!

February 2020

Welcome to March! Film in February has been a fun mix of Oscar picks, trips to my local theater and streaming movies from my couch. My husband picked a few of these. And there’s some he didn’t care to watch with me. His loss. Anyway, here’s the new and new-to-me movies I watched in February:

• Pain and Glory (2019 Pedro Almodóvar)
• I Lost My Body (2019 Jérémy Clapin)
• *Honeyland (2019 Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov)
• *Kitbull -Oscar nominated animated short- (2019  Rosana Sullivan)
• Hairlove -Oscar nominated animated short- winner!- (Matthew A. Cherry)
• Purple Rain (1984 Albert Magnoli)
• *Birds of Prey (2020 Cathy Yan)
• *Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018 Marielle Heller)
• I Love You Phillip Morris (2009 Glenn Ficarra, John Requa)
• Sonic the Hedgehog (2020 Jeff Fowler)
• Bombshells and Dollies (2019 Daniel Halperin)
• Ma (2019 Tate Taylor)
• *Appropriate Behavior (2014 Desiree Akhavan)
• *The Photograph (2020 Stella Meghie)
• Zombieland: Doubletap (2019 Ruben Fleischer)
• The Call of the Wild (2020 Chris Sanders) 

I’ve decided to include the year and director now, to avoid any confusion. 

New to our 4K collection is Frozen II. My kids love it, though the toddler was skeptical at first. It takes him a while to warm up to new movies. And now that everyone in my family has seen it, I can make all the “Samantha?” jokes I want!

*indicates a film directed or co-directed by a woman

#52FilmsByWomen 2020

Bombshells and Dollies

The new documentary, Bombshells and Dollies, dives into the fun and exciting world of The Miss Viva Las Vegas Pinup Contest. While a casual passerby may dismiss the contest as simply another pageant, this film shows the viewer that there is so much more to it. The ladies involved in this pinup world and rockabilly lifestyle are more than just beauty queens, but have big hearts, aspirations and goals. Best of all, they help to share and promote a body positive lifestyle, showing that all women can be authentically gorgeous. 

The film does a great job of explaining exactly what the contemporary pinup girl lifestyle is. Inspired from the 1940s and 50s, the pinup girls here are inspired to seek out or create their own vintage look and style. Many call back to classic Hollywood beauties like Laura Bacall, Hedy Lamarr or Betty Grable. Others look to empowering icons like Rosie the Riveter and the images of ladies painted on the sides of army planes. Some of the contestants look to elements from their unique cultures in their look. But overall, a pinup is never outwardly sexual or simply objectified. There’s always personality, happiness and someone you’d like to engage with behind the beauty. 

In the The Miss Viva Las Vegas Pinup Contest, contestants come from all over the world to compete in the contest. Some hail from Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada and South Africa as well as the United States. The contestants are not selected simply on looks. Judges consider what sort of work and charities the contestants are involved with as well. Many of them promote body positivity and pride in their cultures. 

All the contestants in the film were delightful and beautiful ladies rocking their vintage wear in pinup style, but I had my favorites. One was Hell Cath, whose body was covered in beautiful tattoos. Some may think that a tattooed pinup girl sounds strange, like an oxymoron, the two don’t usually go together. But her style and personality has been helping normalize and promote tattoos in the modern pinup world. Another favorite was Ivy Fox who is an advocate for the LGBTQ and brave enough to announce on stage that she gay. Best of all, she was met with nothing but support. I loved how Angie Honeyburst has a style inspired by ladies of the Mexican revolution. And how Blue Haired Betty’s story was how she went from a shy goth teen to her bright, colorful self now. Each of these ladies are just lovely, inside and out.

Perhaps the best part of this film is when winners are announced. There are no fights or drama, just love and support for the fellow contestants. The viewer really feels that these ladies are each other’s biggest fans. It’s truly wonderful to see women supporting women.

Before seeing Bombshells and Dollies, I knew nothing about pinup culture and didn’t think I would be interested. However, the documentary was engaging enough that I left with a new appreciation for the culture and fashion. In fact, I was inspired to search for some vintage dresses for myself. These ladies have shown me that everyone is beautiful, worthy and can feel amazing, no matter their size or style.

Bombshells and Dollies is the latest film from Tricoast Studios. The film is available to stream on InDemand, Amazon, DirecTV, AT&T, FlixFling, Vimeo on Demand, Vudu and FANDANGO. 

Oscar Predictions 2019

Wow, hard to believe another great year has passed. 2020 is especially exciting here at The Best Picture Project because it marks 10 years since I started this blog. It’s hard to believe I’ve been writing about film here for an entire decade! I love that I’m still able to keep this labor of love alive no matter how busy life becomes. Thank you to all my readers!

Now, let’s play a little game I like to call, Pretend It’s Still the 2000s. That’s not just where I reminisce about my high school and college years, but also a magical time when there were only 5 Best Picture nominees. This year I believe those 5 films would be:

Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood, Jojo Rabbit, Little Women, 1917 and Parasite

Now for my official Oscar predictions:

Best Actor- Playing The Joker seems to be a curse or a blessing, here’s hoping it’s not a curse for Joaquin Phoenix

Best Actress- I’ve only seen 2 of these: my uninformed heart would like to see Saoirse Ronan win for her role in Little Women. 

Supporting Actor- This category feels too tight. It’d be fun to see Brad Pitt win.

Supporting Actress- What is with me and not seeing all the actresses? Only saw 3 of these, but Scarlett Johansson’s performance in Jojo Rabbit makes the story, so I’ll choose her.

Director- Anyone but Todd Phillips. Maybe Tarantino. Probably Bong Joon Ho.

Original screenplay- Parasite

Adapted screenplay- Little Women

Cinematography- The Lighthouse. I love the daring, unique the look of this movie too much.

Editing- Ford v Ferrari

Production design- 1917. They made a mile of trenches for this movie!

Costume- Little Women

Makeup- Joker

Score- It’s a tossup. All these scores are so deserving. But it’s been a while since John Williams won and this is supposed to be the last Star Wars, so I’ll pick John Williams.

Original song- I’m Gonna Love Me Again. I wanna see Elton John win an Oscar. 

Sound mix- Ford V Ferrari

Sound edit- Ford v Ferrari for all the sound!

VFX- I have a feeling about 1917.

Animated Feature- Missing Link! Laika is well overdue for an Oscar.

International film- Parasite

Best Picture- Ok, I think it’s between 1917 and Parasite. But last year everyone was rooting for Roma or BlackKklansman or even Black Panther and Green Book came outta nowhere. So after a decade of studying it, I have very little faith in the Best Picture category. It’s so unpredictable and often the results are volatile. We’ll see what happens. Final prediction: 1917

Happy Oscar night!

Marriage Story

Marriage Story opens with a montage narrating the things Nicole and Charlie love about each other. These look like ordinary, everyday moments that only someone who loves you would notice. Bumping your head on the kitchen cabinet your partner left open. Cups of tea left around the house. The way you talk to strangers on the street. Taking care of your kid at night. It’s these little moments that really make up a life, a marriage and a love story. This love story takes place within a divorce.

Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) live in New York. Charlie directs a theater company and Nicloe is his lead actress. She used to live in Los Angeles and even had a memorable part in a movie. Now after years of life, marriage and a kid, Henry (Azhy Robertson), of about seven years old, Nicole wants to divorce. She moves out to live in LA with their son to shoot a TV pilot, but she doesn’t tell Charlie that she intends to stay.

This lack of communication is bewildering to Charlie, who assumes they are and always will be a New York based family. Soon, Nicole is doing more things her own way, getting a divorce lawyer (Laura Dern) when they agreed before to not use lawyers. While Nicole is busy being the primary parent for their son and expanding her career, Charlie is stretched thin trying to keep his play and theater company going in New York while also frequenting to LA to deal with this divorce and try to be present for his son.

One of my favorite scenes in the film is when the power goes out at Nicole’s place. Henry is with his father for the night and video chatting with his mom when she can’t open her gate. Without hesitation Charlie and Henry go to help her. Charlie gets things working again and while he’s there Nicole gives him a quick haircut. Henry falls asleep and Nicole wants to just bring him inside, but Charlie reminds her it’s his night. The whole scene is peaceful and sweet in a dutiful way. When the gate closes between them we see a look of sadness and longing. We get a sense that this is how they’re lives together will be now, civil and helping each other but no longer lovers.

There is so, so much to unpack in this movie, but one of the themes that hit me hardest is how parents are perceived and judged, especially under the microscope of divorce. The lawyers bring everything out and turn normal little moments into weapons of shame. We see Charlie nervously stage his new apartment before a social worker visits to observe him and Henry together. It’s probably the most pressure he’s ever been under to be a good father. Meanwhile, Nora preps Nicole for questioning about her personal life and drinking habits, warning her that her honest answers won’t be good enough. I love how she bluntly points out the double standard against all women, “People don’t accept mothers who drink too much wine and yell at their child and call him an asshole. I get it. I do it too. We can accept an imperfect dad. Let’s face it, the idea of a good father was only invented like 30 years ago. … We love them for their fallibilities, but people absolutely don’t accept those same failings in mothers.”

Marriage Story is nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, original screenplay and original score. Laura Dern is nominated for supporting actress. Adam Driver is nominated for lead actor. And Scarlett Johansson is nominated for best actress. She’s also nominated for her supporting role in Jojo Rabbit. She’s one of the few actors to earn to acting nominations in one year.

What Marriage Story does best is show a realistic couple trying to separate their lives the best they can. For Nicole, every step is both brave and scary, though she tries not to show it. Thankfully she has family to support her, though her mother is not exactly great at it, but she does add a lot of laughs to the film. Nicole’s lawyer, Nora is the first person (maybe in her whole life) to really ask Nicole what she wants and validates that what she wants is important. In a wonderful monologue, Nicole describes how she and Charlie came together and how she just fell into his life and she never really made her own. It’s sad and probably rings very true to other people’s love stories. For Nicole to pursue her own “aliveness” is an act of hope.

“Getting divorced with a kid is one of the hardest things to do. It’s like a death without a body.”