This Women’s History Month, check out a couple of movies that highlight the excellent work of women behind the camera.
Coming of Age: Slums of Beverly Hills
Directed by: Tamara Jenkins (1998)
The movie that made Natasha Lyonne (“Russian Doll”, “Orange is the New Black”), “Slums of Beverly Hills” focuses on a teenage girl who moves from apartment to apartment in Beverly Hills as her father (Alan Arkin as the loving deadbeat) tries to keep the kids in the city schools paying as little as possible. Director Tamara Jenkins delivers an amazing insight into the thoughts of a teenager rarely captured in film, and captures a family dynamic at times bizarre and at times all too familiar to any viewer.
“Slums of Beverly Hills” is available to rent or purchase on most major platforms.
True Stories: Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Directed by: Marielle Heller (2019)
The incredible true story of little-read writer Lee Irsrael (Melissa McCarthy in a more dramatic turn) who discovers she can find money and acclaim that her own work never received by forging personal letters of prominent writers. McCarthy and her costar Richard E. Grant are both fantastic lending humanity to two lonely New Yorkers who could easily be written off as old grumps. And director Marielle Heller’s attention to recreating a lost 1980s New York washes over the whole film.
“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” is available to rent or purchase on most major platforms.
Tearjerker: The Farewell
Directed by: Lulu Wang (2019)
The story of a young woman (Awkwafina in a star-defining role) travelling with her family to China to say goodbye to her grandmother (Zhao Shuzhen) who is, unbeknownst to her, dying of cancer is one that instantly connects. Wang based the film off her own life story and that personal heartbreak comes through but do the joys of a family. Real human emotion radiates from every scene in this film, and it’s something to behold.
“The Farewell” is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and on Kanopy which is free for UAB students.
Animation: The Breadwinner
Directed by: Nora Twomey (2017)
Based off Deborah Ellis’ popular children’s book, “The Breadwinner” is the story of a young Afghani girl who disguises herself as a boy to support her family under Taliban rule. Utilizing a fairytale format, the movie seems to be both at once a classic tale and a refreshingly innovative take on recent events. Even as a story for children, it is not afraid to tackle large issues with the complexity they deserve
“The Breadwinner” is available to rent or purchase on most major platforms.
Documentaries: The Decline of Western Civilization
Directed by Penelope Spheeris (1981)
Penelope Spheeris’ documentary places you right in the middle of a long-gone subculture: the 1980s Los Angeles punk scene. In interviews with several notable bands of from the era, she captures the excitement and toxicity that permeated the scene. It becomes more than just a documentary, with its fast-paced concert sequences and revealing interviews. It becomes the authoritative work on punk.
“The Decline of Western Civilization” is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, Tubi TV, Pluto TV and Kanopy which is free for UAB students.
Science-Fiction: Strange Days
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow (1995)
Given the premise of a man must solve a murder mystery on the New Year’s Day in 1999 involving a black-market ring of VR devices, you might think that “Strange Days” would be dated. It is anything but. Kathryn Bigelow’s 1995 sci-fi thriller is an exciting and dangerous film with two iconic actors, Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett, each delivering performances among the best in their careers. The carefully crafted actions sequences by Bigelow should be enough to put to bed any notions of woman directors not favoring action sequences as much as their male counterparts.
