The Movie Guide for Women - Book Blog

The Movie Guide for Women

Documentary film review: Affirmation Generation

2/28/2023

Last week my review of the new documentary, Affirmation Generation: The Lies of Transgender Medicine, appeared in Feminist Current (read it here).

Affirmation Generation (2023) features interviews with six detransitioners, as well as desisters, doctors, therapists and journalists. It is a timely and significant film.

Copyright © 2023 Alline Cormier

Documentary film review: Dead Name (2022)

2/18/2023

Earlier this week Canadian journalist and founder and editor of Feminist Current published my review of the new documentary: Dead Name (read it here).

Dead Name (2022) features interviews with parents of children claiming a cross-sex identity. The film is a timely exploration of their experiences. Moreover, director Taylor Reece foregrounds several women in her documentary—a filmmaking choice I never get enough of, whether it's in feature films or documentaries. Women rarely get sufficiently platformed.

Copyright © 2023 Alline Cormier

Valentine’s Day picks for women

2/14/2023

This Valentine’s Day treat yourself to a romance or romantic comedy that has much to offer female viewers. Instead of settling for regressive narratives packaged as great love stories, indulge in a truly enjoyable movie, preferably with a huge bowl of popcorn and a box of chocolates.

The romance/romantic comedy and drama genres have better offerings. The following movie picks include a few (and sometimes all) of the following: a female gaze, several significant female characters, affection and congeniality between females (not just antagonism), exchanges between women about things besides men—not to mention an absence of violence against women and girls (VAWG) and hypersexualization of the female characters. These picks do not all contain every one of these inclusions (and exclusions) but they are all enjoyable and have much to offer female viewers.

Click on the underlined text to watch enjoyable clips from these movies.

Little Women (2019): If you can handle a Christmas movie in February you will be rewarded with a feast for female viewers from director Greta Gerwig. The female protagonist is strong and assertive, it boasts several significant female characters, as well as congeniality, affection and supportiveness between women and women speak throughout. It also offers a female gaze, close relationships between sisters, a critical look at sexism, etc.
Last Christmas (2019): Another Christmas movie, true, but it has a female gaze and so much more. It includes affection, congeniality and many exchanges between women, lesbianism for women’s viewing pleasure—as opposed to men’s, an unconventional ending, etc. Emma Thompson co-wrote it (practically a guarantee of excellent screenwriting).
Austenland (2013): Over and above the affection, congeniality and exchanges between the female characters we get disapproval of women’s so-called ‘expiry date’. Rudeness and men’s blameworthy behaviour towards women are portrayed disapprovingly. Written and directed by Jerusha Hess (co-writer: Shannon Hale).
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011): Despite the lack of female involvement in the writing/directing we get narration by a woman, several elderly female protagonists (still too rare in mainstream movies), assertive women, many exchanges between women, etc.
Bewitched (2005): It includes a female gaze, a disapproving look at men silencing women in show business, etc. Men’s blameworthy behaviour towards women is portrayed disapprovingly and women spend time together. Enjoyable (and I'm not even a Will Ferrell fan). Written and directed by Nora Ephron (co-writer: her sister, Delia Ephron).
Pride & Prejudice (2005): Deborah Moggach wrote the screenplay for this adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved story. We get a female perspective, 10 significant female characters, as well as loving relationships, congeniality, solidarity and numerous exchanges between women, etc.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002): It includes many strong and assertive women, congeniality and affection between women, a good mother/daughter relationship, etc. Also, characters challenge sexist stereotypes. Written by Nia Vardalos.
10 Things I Hate About You (1999): A story about teenagers but still enjoyable. Among the high points: a female gaze; a smart, articulate, assertive lead female; a female freethinker is portrayed approvingly (so rare); and focus on a girl’s post-secondary education (rarer still). Written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith.
Sense and Sensibility (1995): High points include a female perspective; eight significant female characters; solidarity, numerous exchanges and loving, affectionate relationships between females; and congenial mother/daughter relationships and relationships between sisters. Screenplay by Emma Thompson.
Sleepless in Seattle (1993): High points include a loving friendship between two women, women spend time together, focus on what women look for in men, a popular misconception about women is challenged, etc. Nora Ephron directed and co-wrote.
Dirty Dancing (1987): High points include a female perspective, solidarity and exchanges between women and narration by a woman. Written by Eleanor Bergstein.

Copyright © 2023 Alline Cormier

Galentine’s Day movie picks

2/13/2023

Happy Galentine’s Day! Looking for movies that celebrate female friendships this Galentine’s Day? These movie picks include a few (and sometimes all) of the following: a female gaze, several significant female characters, affection and congeniality between females, exchanges between women about things besides men and little to no violence against women and girls (VAWG) or hypersexualization of the female characters. They may not all contain every one of these inclusions (and exclusions) but they are all enjoyable mainstream feature films, have much to offer female viewers and celebrate female friendships.

Click on the underlined text to watch enjoyable clips from these movies (leave me a comment after the video—this is my YouTube channel). In no particular order:

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991): Jessica Tandy tells her new friend, Kathy Bates, the story of the friendship between Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterson) and Ruth (Marie-Louise Parker). The screenplay by Carol Sobieski is based on a novel by Fannie Flagg.
Thelma & Louise (1991): A feminist classic about two best friends (Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis) on a road trip. Screenplay by Callie Khouri.
9 to 5 (1980): Three office workers (Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton) vastly improve their working conditions while they have their boss (Dabney Coleman) confined in his home. Patricia Resnick co-wrote the screenplay with a man.
The Help (2011): An aspiring white writer (Emma Stone) who teams up with two black maids (Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer) in 1963 to write a book about the lives of black maids in Jackson, Mississippi. Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett.
The First Wives Club (1996): Three New Yorkers (Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler and Diane Keaton) band together to make their ex-husbands pay for treating them poorly. Based on the novel by Olivia Goldsmith.
Hidden Figures (2016): The story of the three mathematicians who worked for NASA and played an important role in the American space program in the 1960s (Taraji P. Henson as Katherine G. Johnson, Octavia Spencer as Dorothy Vaughan and Janelle Monae as Mary Jackson). The screenplay by Allison Schroeder (and one male writer) is based on a novel by Margot Lee Shetterly.
Beaches (1998): The lifelong friendship between two women (Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey) that began when they were eleven. The screenplay by Mary Agnes Donoghue is based on a novel by Iris Rainer.
Ocean’s Eight (2018): Eight women plan a jewellery heist at a museum’s gala in New York City. Olivia Milch co-wrote the screenplay with a man.
Ghostbusters (2016): Four women team up to catch ghosts in New York City (Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones). Katie Dippold co-wrote the screenplay with two men.

Copyright © 2023 Alline Cormier

Documentary film review: Dead Name

2/3/2023

On Tuesday American journalist and founder and editor of The 11th Hour published my review of the new documentary: Dead Name (read it here). Jennifer had asked me to review it in January, and luckily I got the chance before Vimeo censored it.

Dead Name (2022) features interviews with parents of children claiming a cross-sex identity. The film is a timely exploration of their experiences. Moreover, director Taylor Reece foregrounds several women in her documentary—a filmmaking choice I never get enough of, whether it's in feature films or documentaries. Women rarely get sufficiently platformed.

Speaking of women being given the opportunity to be heard, I caught Women Talking—Canadian writer-director Sarah Polley's new feature film—the other night at the theatre. Its actresses get at least 90% (if not 95%) of the lines. For that reason and many others I highly recommend it.

Copyright © 2023 Alline Cormier

Black Adam (2022)

1/26/2023

My review of Black Adam (2022) was published by Women Making Films earlier this week (read it here). This review is the fifth of a series of feminist analyses I have written for WMF about superhero films.

Previously, I analysed Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Venom (2018), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and The Batman (2022).

Copyright © 2023 Alline Cormier

Call Jane (2022)

1/9/2023

Happy New Year! I am happily back in my tree house on the island and ready to get back to work shining a spotlight on women in film. My first article of 2023 is a film review of Call Jane, starring Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver, in Feminist Current (read it here). If you haven't seen Call Jane yet, I recommend it.

Here's to hoping 2023's movies will include far less sexualization of women and normalization of violence against women!

Copyright © 2023 Alline Cormier

Surrogates (2009) discourages synthetic humans

12/3/2022

Jennifer Bilek asked me to review Surrogates (2009), starring Bruce Willis, for The 11th Hour. You can read my review here.

Copyright © 2022 Alline Cormier

She Said (2022) unsilences women

11/29/2022

Yesterday 4W published my review of She Said (2022), starring Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver (read it here). This is without a doubt one of the most significant movies of the year.

Copyright © 2022 Alline Cormier

Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022)

11/3/2022

Yesterday 4W published my review of Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022), starring the talented Emma Thompson (read it here). This is my 22nd published article this year.

It's looking like the next review will be of a sci-fi.

Copyright © 2022 Alline Cormier