Category Archives: drama,

6,0-6,9, drama,, female director

“The Secret Life Of Bees” by Gina Prince-Bythewood (USA, 2008)

The Secret Life Of Bees

A weaker work in this director’s oeuvre, with unconvincing cast, situations, and dialogues

Cast: Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo, Paul Bettany
Written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood
Based on the novel by Sue Monk Kidd
Music by Mark Isham
Cinematography by Rogier Stoffers
Film Editing by Terilyn A. Shropshire

drama,

“Equity” by Meera Menon (USA, 2016)

Intricate script shows how women can be as ruthless as men, and much meaner at the same time, eating each other alive while smiling! If ‘sharks’ describe guys, then what could be applied to a woman? Is “tigress”not to noble in this case?
But of course, we all know that it’s the context that transforms us into what we are: “The environment is not separate from ourselves. We are inside it and it is inside us. We make it, and it makes us.” (Yanomami, Brazil)

Cast: Anna Gunn, James Purefoy, Sarah Megan Thomas, Alysia Reiner, Carrie Preston, Michael Izquierdo, Craig Bierko, Margaret Colin
Director: Meera Menon
Writer (story by): Sarah Megan Thomas
Writer: Amy Fox
Cinematographer: Eric Lin
Editor: Andrew Hafitz
Composer: Samuel Jones, Alexis Marsh

8,0-8,9, biography, crime, drama,, female director, romance,, true story

“Alias Grace” by Mary Harron (Canada, 2017)

Alias Grace

The many facets of truth!
Gender roles in Victorian Canada / Excellent female lead

Cast: Sarah Gadon, Edward Holcroft, Rebecca Liddiard, David Cronenberg, Anna Paquin
Director: Mary Harron
Script: Margaret Atwood, Sarah Polley
Cinematography: Brendan Steacy
Music: Jeff Danna, Mychael Danna

7,0-7,9, comedy, drama,, female director

“The Divine Order” by Petra Volpe (Switzerland, 2017)

The Divine Order

Wrong music! A bit to conventional.

Cast: Marie Leuenberger, Maximilian Simonischek, Marta Zoffoli, Bettina Stucky, Rachel Braunschweig, Sibylle Brunner, Noe Krejcí, Finn Sutter
Director: Petra Biondina Volpe
Writer: Petra Biondina Volpe
Cinematographer: Judith Kaufmann
Editor: Hansjörg Weißbrich
Composer: Annette Focks

8,0-8,9, biography, drama,, female director, romance,, true story

“Maudie” by Aisling Walsh (Ireland, 2016)

Maudie

Happiness doesn’t need much and can be learned.
One negative point: Ethan Hawke doesn’t fit the personage.

Cast: Sally Hawkins, Ethan Hawke, Gabrielle Rose, Billy MacLellan, Zachary Bennett, Kari Matchett
Director: Aisling Walsh
Writer: Sherry White
Cinematographer: Guy Godfree
Editor: Stephen O’Connell
Composer: Michael Timmins

8,0-8,9, drama,, female director

“Mudbound” by Dee Rees (USA, 2017)

Mudbound

The many voice-over deepen the personages as we share their “inner voice”, but leave us somewhat outside of them.

Cast: Carey Mullig;an, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, Garrett Hedlund, Mary J. Blige, Rob Morgan, Jonathan Banks, Kerry Cahill, Dylan Arnold, Lucy Faust
Director: Dee Rees
Writer (novel): Hillary Jordan
Writer: Virgil Williams, Dee Rees
Cinematographer: Rachel Morrison
Editor: Mako Kamitsuna
Composer: Tamar-kali