A Fantastic Woman is not the perfect film that people have made it out to be, but considering that it is the first Oscar-winning foreign/international film featuring a transgender character — whose star, Daniela Vega, became the first transgender presenter in Oscars history — its impact is impressive.
foreign film
Review: Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
Sometimes it’s difficult to write a review for a movie that you believe to be absolutely perfect and the definition of pure cinema. It becomes less a review and more of a rave, although reviews in general run the gamut from rant to rave. Celine Sciamma’s masterpiece — a word I use very rarely — is one such film that deserves all the praise it has been given, and more.
Review: The Cave (2019)
The Cave, like fellow Oscar-nominated documentary, For Sama, is centered on Syrians trying to survive in a war zone. While this one is not autobiographical, it is still impactful, emotional, and harrowing.
Review: Pain and Glory (2019)
Pain and Glory, Pedro Almodovar’s latest, is a sort of autobiographical work — with Antonio Banderas as his cinematic replacement/equivalent. Banderas plays Salvador, a retired, esteemed Spanish director who suffers from numerous aches and pains, both physically and emotionally.
Review: Honeyland (2019)
I was reluctant to watch this documentary about a beekeeper in Macedonia, as I am vegan and I am unable to watch movies (fiction or documentary) that portray individuals using animals in any way. Yet, the woman featured in this movie — an indigenous woman who lives alone in the country with her ailing mother — treats the bees well; in fact, she calls them “my bees” because that’s how much she cares about them.
Review: Parasite (2019)
It is hard to describe the film Parasite to those who have not seen it, and I am glad that people have kept the twists secretive. The less you know about it, the better.
Review: I Lost My Body (2019)
I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I watched the French-made, Netlix-released animated film (that is meant for a more mature audience) I Lost My Body (i.e. J’ai Perdu Mon Corps). I’d heard such positive reviews that I decided to make it my first watch of 2020, and I was absolutely enthralled and entranced.
Review: Roma (2018)
Roma is a perfectly made film, in my eyes. And it’s difficult to explain how it affects the viewer, as the experience is different for everyone. But it’s clear that Alfonso Cuaron out his heart and soul into this movie that is based on the nanny from his childhood. Newcomer Yalitza Aparicio is a revelation, and a natural.