This is a movie that starts tense, stays tense, and ends… still pretty tense. It’s also a masterclass in film structure, and I would put it up there with Hell or High Water as one of the best constructed movies of the modern age. It also had one of the most effective teaser trailers I’ve ever seen. Dunkirk tells the story of the Miracle at Dunkirk, a week at the end of May and beginning of … Continue reading Movie Review: Dunkirk
Sarah: For all the fond memories I have of this movie, they’re collectively rather vague. I clearly remember two scenes: the one with the scarf and the sword, and the one where she’s got a tin foil hat on. So this will be an interesting rewatch to see if my fond romantic memories of what probably amounts of 2 minutes of screen time match the full feature-length film however many years later. Carrie: I have … Continue reading Smart Bitches Movie Matinee: The Bodyguard
Spider-Man: Homecoming is simply adorable due to a storyline and cast that stays firmly rooted in the crisis of adolescence. I didn’t find Spiderman to be as emotionally compelling as some other Marvel movies but I enjoyed it, and the young teens I took with me LOVED it. It’s the first Spiderman movie I’ve seen that really feels like a Spiderman movie. Spider-Man: Homecoming takes place right after the events of Captain America: Civil War. … Continue reading Movie Review: Spider-Man: Homecoming
Our Smart Bitches Movie Matinee for July is the very famous The Bodyguard, starring Whitney Houston and that skyrocketed the song “I Will Always Love You” into pop culture history. Here’s the plot synopsis: Best-selling pop diva Rachel Marron (Whitney Houston) has a stalker whose obsession has risen to the level of disturbing threats. At the urging of her manager (Gary Kemp), Rachel hires former secret service agent Frank Farmer (Kevin Costner) as her bodyguard. Initially resented … Continue reading July Movie Selection: The Bodyguard (1992)
NB: This is a wonderful guest post from Rose, who recently saw the film Wonder Woman. To see the site’s grade, check out Redheadedgirl’s review of the film. We also did a Wonder Woman-only Links post and some book recommendations for before or after screening the film! … Wonder Woman is, start to finish, an absolute dream. I took one breath before the movie started and one breath after the credits, and have no memory of any taken … Continue reading Guest Post: The Power of Wonder Woman
NB: After gushing about RT17’s Bollywood Romance panel, we invited author Sonali Dev and guest poster Asha Ganesan to provide some recommendations for those who missed the panel. Award winning author, Sonali Dev, writes Bollywood-style love stories that let her explore issues faced by women around the world while still indulging her faith in a happily ever after. Sonali’s novels have been on Library Journal, NPR, Washington Post and Kirkus Best Books lists. She won … Continue reading Bollywood Film Recommendations from Sonali Dev and Asha Ganesan
Sarah: Am I the only one who gets a little zing! of excitement with the production company logo and music at the start of a movie? I think it’s a leftover reaction from going to a movie as a kid – which was a Big Deal of excitement. Carrie S: Clothes! Elyse: My fashion goals are to have a cape like Dorothy’s. Carrie S: Three minutes in and I’m already in love with Jane Russell. … Continue reading Smart Bitches Movie Matinee: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Our Smart Bitches Movie Matinee pick this month is Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the classic featuring Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe, and some seriously iconic song and dance numbers. There’s a lot to examine in this film, too, especially if you’ve been listening to the You Must Remember This podcast series on “Dead Blondes.” The Marilyn Monroe section takes up three episodes, and they touch on this film briefly. I’ve seen this movie once, a long time ago, and … Continue reading May Movie Selection: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
Your Name is an anime film that has been a huge hit in Japan, China, and South Korea. You could watch it with a keen understanding of Japanese culture and Shintoism, both of which I lack. Or, you could watch it with two middle-school girls at the end of a very long day, with a solid case of PMS. The verdict from the girls: “The movie is pretty, but it’s very confusing.” The first part of Your … Continue reading Movie Review: Your Name
Although it’s no longer a new release, I feel compelled to write a review of Kong: Skull Island if for no other reason than to inform our readers that Tom Hiddleston’s clothes stay on all the way through the movie. This is a fun popcorn movie that offers two hours of carnage, a smidgen of comedy, and a feminist heroine. It is not deep and it does not make any sense whatsoever. It delivers what … Continue reading Movie Review: Kong: Skull Island
I promised you all that we would give you our thoughts on the new live-action Beauty and the Beast, and here are the spoilery thoughts of me and Elyse. Elyse and I? Both of us. The top part here is pretty spoiler-free, and then we get into the details, but we’ll mark when that starts. Elyse: So I loved it. LOVED IT. Would watch again a thousand times. I know intellectually it was not perfect and … Continue reading Movie Review: Beauty and the Beast
