March: St. Patty's Day, Women’s History Month, Spring Equinox, and ,“in like a lion out like a lamb!” We already had a preview of spring the second week and the daffodils started to sprout. For this round of movie reviews, I have chosen films with women in the lead, in front of and behind the camera. All films are available from the IMC DVD collection.
Frida
For a truly heartrending tale about the making of Frida and what a monster Harvey Weinstein was, read Salma Hayek’s New York Times editorial. I will never be able to see Frida the same way after reading her account. Salma Hayek not only starred in Frida, but she was also the producer and managed to get the rights to all the artwork. She worked years and battled Weinstein’s abuse to see it completed. Frida, directed by Julie Taymor, is a biopic focused on the artist Frida Kahlo. It follows the artist’s life starting with her school days and centers on her relationship with her artist husband, Diego Riviera. The cinematography is gorgeous, intercut with animation and surreal moments. I especially love the shots that recreate her paintings. The acting is very good and Salma Hayek’s love and admiration of her subject really shines through.
Frida (2002). Screenplay by Clancy Sigal. Starring Salma Hayek, Alfred Molina,
Geoffrey Rush. Directed by Julie Taymor.
Before Moana came Pai. Paikea Apirana is the granddaughter of the village chief. Her mother died giving birth to Pai and her twin brother. Her grieving father leaves their New Zealand village for Germany, abdicating his status as next chief and leaving Pai to be raised by her grandparents. With the help of her grandmother and uncle, she trains in secret for the role of chief, traditionally only for first-born sons. I love this movie; it is beautiful, gives a glimpse of modern Maori life, parallels a Maori folktale, and features a strong heroine. Many others love this movie too; Whale Rider and director Niki Coro were nominated for over 50 different awards internationally.
Whale Rider (2002). Screenplay by Niki Caro. Starring Keisha Castle-Hughes,
Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton. Directed by Niki Caro.
Adapted from Elizabeth von Arnim's 1922 novel, Enchanted April is a charming period piece that lifts my spirits when I’ve had enough winter. Set in the early 1920’s, sweet but flighty Lottie is tired of rainy London and her penny-pinching husband. When she sees an ad for an Italian villa, available for the month of April, she's determined to rent it. She talks Rose, another middle-class housewife with an unsatisfying husband, into escaping the dreary weather and their unhappy marriages. In order to afford the trip, they bring in two other women, the sour, older Mrs. Fisher and the beautiful, aristocratic Caroline Dester. Lottie and Rose arrive at the villa at night and the reveal when they explore it in the morning is just as much a balm for the viewer as the characters. Enchanted April is a light romantic comedy, slow moving at times but a fine character study. The actors are top notch, and the pacing gives the viewer time to appreciate the scenery.
Enchanted April (1991). Screenplay by Peter Barnes. Starring Alfred Molina,
Joan Plowright, Miranda Richardson. Directed by Mike Newell.
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