Kathryn Bigelow (the first woman to ever win an Oscar in the Best Director category) gives her all to capturing a critical incident from the urban race riots of the late 60s. But despite using most of her Oscar-winning team from The Hurt Locker, this time she provides more heat than light. Set in the city…
Author: Jan Lisa Huttner
BIRTHRIGHT - A WAR STORY (2017): Review by Jan Lisa Huttner
Birthright: A War Story is a call-to-arms for anyone who is still complacent about the erosion of OB/Gyn healthcare services for women in the USA since the ascension of the Tea Party in 2010. It turns out that even someone like me -- a Second Wave Warrior for almost 50 years now -- has no…
THE BEGUILED (2017): Review by Jan Lisa Huttner
NOTE: This review of Sofia Coppola's film The Beguiled is written from the POV of someone coming to the material for the second time. Jan saw the 1971 version starring Clint Eastwood, Elizabeth Hartman & Geraldine Page sometime in the way back when, and she watched this Don Siegel version again this week after last…
LOST IN PARIS (2016): Review by Rachel Kastner
A beautifully colorful and artistically whimsical film, Lost In Paris enchants the eyes, ears and hearts of its viewers –never allowing a second of screen time to be mundane. From directors Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon, this film comes to share a novel love story: the one where two socially awkward people find love. Too…
MEGAN LEAVEY (2017): Review by Jan Lisa Huttner
Kate Mara gives a beautifully modulated performance as a young woman who finds her life's purpose as a member of the US Marine Corp's K-9 unit. Partnered with Rex -- a ferocious German Shepherd who is as much a canine misfit as Megan is a human misfit -- Megan goes to Iraq, saves lives, wins medals, and finds her…
LETTERS FROM BAGHDAD (2016): Sneak Peek by Jan Lisa Huttner
Look closely at this photo. What do you see? This photo was taken in Egypt during the Cairo Conference of 1921. The two men on camels are Sir Winston Churchill (left) and T.E. Lawrence aka "Lawrence of Arabia" (right). And the woman, seated in between two of the best-known Brits of the 20th Century? The woman…
WONDER WOMAN (2017): Our New York Team POV
Our NYC Team -- FF2 Editor-in-Chief Jan Lisa Huttner plus FF2 Associate Lindsy Bissonnette, FF2 Senior Contributor Lisa Inanucci, FF2 Contributor Giorgi Plys-Garzotto & FF2 Associates Katusha Jin & Rachel Kastner -- weigh in on this weekend's box office hit Wonder Woman 🙂 Lindsy's Rating: 5/5 Wonder Woman directed by the brilliant Patty Jenkins is an absolute must see. Incredibly…
THE WOMEN’S BALCONY (2016): Sneak Peek by Jan Lisa Huttner
Set in a close-knit community in Jerusalem, The Women's Balcony is a parable about what happens when bad things happen to good people. But rather than weep and wail, screenwriter Shlomit Nehama, and director Emil Ben-Shimon create a joyous dramedy about faith and fellowship. Highly recommended! One of the best films of the year in any language. (JLH:…
WAKEFIELD (2016): Review by Jan Lisa Huttner
Brilliant new film by Robin Swicord brutally exposes two conjoined-twin nightmares: male privilege & the male gaze. What timing! Thank You, Movie Gods! (JLH: 4/5) Review by FF2 Media Editor-in-Chief Jan Lisa Huttner The Movie Gods are as capricious and mercurial as their counterparts on Mount Olympus in Greece. Usually they feed us junk, but everyone…
THE WEDDING PLAN (2016): Rant by Jan Lisa Huttner
"Michal" (Noa Koler) is a 32-year-old Israeli woman terrified of becoming a spinster. She is willing to do anything -- go to a faith healer, endure countless fix-ups by numerous matchmakers, fly to Ukraine for a one day visit to the grave of a famous Rabbi -- she is willing to do anything to avoid a…