Flix not to Miss Archives - New York Women in Film & TelevisionNew York Women in Film & Television

Flix Not to Miss: ‘Making Mr. Right’ (1987) by Susan Seidelman

I always enjoy a good romantic comedy, and Susan Seidelman provides a quirky, offbeat example of the genre with a touch of sci-fi in Making Mr. Right. Comedian Ann Magnuson is terrific as a high-powered image consultant who’s tasked with creating a more human android, played by a young John Malkovich. Unfortunately, she succeeds a little too...

#TBT Flix Not to Miss: ‘The Gleaners & I’ (2000) by Agnes Varda

The Gleaners, an oil painting by Jean-François Millet. In her documentary The Gleaners & I (2000), Agnes Varda’s point-of-departure is a 1857 painting by Jean-Francois Millet portraying three women gleaning the fields. The painting, hanging in the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, is captured in the film through crowds of onlookers. While in his painting Millet sought to give a voice to...

#TBT Flix Not to Miss: ‘Vagabond’

When I first saw Vagabond (1985) by French New Wave filmmaker Agnès Varda, it was a revelation. Varda’s story begins with finding a woman’s frozen body lying in a ditch, and the movie pieces together the last weeks of the young woman’s life through interviews with people who met her on her travels. Sandrine Bonnaire gives...

#TBT Flix Not to Miss: ‘Gas Food Lodging’

Gas Food Lodging (1992) by Allison Anders is one of those films that has stayed with me over the years. It resonated at the time I saw it as well as years later when I decided to revisit it. Anders has directed a few gems, but this is my favorite. It’s gritty without being mean, hopeful...

Flix Not to Miss: ‘Mansfield Park’

Particia Rozema is a wonderfully subtle director who’s made some terrific films. I recently re-watched one of my favorites, Mansfield Park. It’s a wonderful adaptation of the Jane Austen novel, with a slightly modern treatment of some of the more shocking events. Frances O’Connor is a delightfully sly Fanny Brice, and Jonny Lee Miller is smoldering...

Flix Not to Miss: ‘Top of the Lake’

Oscar winner Jane Campion is one of the most talented contemporary, female directors who sadly hasn’t come out with a new film in awhile. That she decided to make a detective miniseries is fascinating. But don’t expect the typical crime procedural. Top of the Lake is an interesting, moody character study of life in the outback, anchored...

Flix Not to Miss: ‘Belle’

Belle is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the mixed-race daughter of an aristocratic navy officer. She was also the great-niece of Lord Chief Justice Mansfield, who paved the way for the abolishment of slavery in Britain and the British Empire when he ruled on two cases. Even though Belle is told against the backdrop...

Flix Not to Miss: ‘Obvious Child’

Obvious Child, directed by Gillian Robespierre, is getting noticed for the star-making performances of Jenny Slate, Gaby Hoffman and Jake Lacy. But the under-the-radar star is Robespierre and the story she scripted, which has steered the film world into new and unexpected romantic-comedy territory. The film focuses on Donna (Slate), a twenty-something comedian reeling from a...

Flix Not to Miss: ‘Enough Said’

Nicole Holofcener is one of those rare directors who consistently delivers solid films and Enough Said is one of her best. This is the first time she worked with iconic actors James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and she brings them both to wonderful new places. The film is funny, awkward, uncomfortable and ultimately life-affirming, reminding us that...

Flix Not to Miss: ‘It Felt Like Love’

It Felt Like Love, by first-time feature director Eliza Hittman, follows 14-year-old Lila (a perfectly cast Gina Piersanti) as she pursues an older teenage boy. There are a few passing similarities between It Felt Like Love and Andrea Arnold’s similar themed Fish Tank. Hittman distinguishes herself with intimate closeups and following subjects with tracking shots through parties and wooded areas of outer Brooklyn. This...

Flix Not to Miss: ‘Nowhere Boy’

Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, Nowhere Boy follows The Beatles’ John Lennon (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson) as a teenager finding his way, learning to play guitar, and meeting future bandmates Paul McCartney and George Harrison. Nowhere Boy explores the little-known family dynamic that played out in Lennon’s life before he toured with The Beatles. After being raised by his Aunt...

Flix Not to Miss: ‘Short Term 12’

Short Term 12 is a heartbreaking look into the foster care system told through the eyes of Grace, played by the fantastic Brie Larson, who earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for the role. Grace is a former foster child, who is now a dedicated young worker supervising at-risk teens in a group foster home....

Flix Not To Miss: ‘Gloria’

Featuring one of the best female roles in film, Gloria, written and directed by Sebastian Lelio and starring the mesmerizing Paulina Garcia, is about a middle-aged divorcee looking for love in Santiago, Chile. The film opens with Gloria dancing in a club and our first impression of her is as a vivacious older woman looking to...

TV Not To Miss: ‘Orphan Black’

BBC America’s science-fiction series Orphan Black is coming back on April 19. If you haven’t had a chance to catch the first season, check it out on demand or on iTunes or Amazon. And if you’re already a fan, BBC America has just released season two’s teaser trailer. Orphan Black stars Tatiana Maslany as Sarah, Cosima, and Alison,...

Flix Not To Miss: ‘The Square’

The Square, shortlisted for an Oscar in the documentary competition this year and winner of the 2013 Sundance audience award, is a courageous feat of filmmaking by Jehane Noujaim. Noujaim’s documentary begins in 2011 and follows a group of young people nonviolently protesting in Tahrir Square, advocating for political change to the Mubarek regime. We...

Flix Not To Miss: Oscar-Worthy Performances by an Actress

Now that the crisp winter air has arrived and films are trotted out for Oscar consideration, I highly recommend these spectacular performances by female actors in film. BEST ACTRESS Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine. Blanchett’s turn as Jasmine, a fictional Ruth Madoff-like character, is virtuosic. She doesn’t shy away from showing us the ugly, manipulative...

Flix Not to Miss: ‘The Punk Singer’

Start your New Year off in a fierce way by watching the inspiring documentary The Punk Singer about Bikini Kill and Le Tigre feminist lead singer Kathleen Hanna. Directed by Sini Anderson, this great music documentary shows the rise of Bikini Kill among a Pacific Northwest grunge/punk scene mostly populated by all-male bands and mosh pits....

Webisodes Not to Miss: ‘Christine’ on YouTube’s WIGS

With web series’ titles like Blue, Susanna, and Paloma, YouTube’s WIGS Channel has carved out a space for interesting stories about women while giving female stars underexposed in TV and film a chance to shine. Blue, the most acclaimed title from the channel, stars Julia Stiles, while other series feature such talent as Maggie Grace, Grace Gummer,...

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