3 Women (1977)

Genre

Drama

Director

Robert Altman

Country

USA

Cast

Shelley Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Janice Rule, Robert Fortier, Ruth Nelson, John Cromwell, Sierra Pecheur, Craig Richard Nelson, Maysie Hoy, Belita Moreno, Leslie Ann Hudson, Patricia Ann Hudson, Beverly Ross

Storyline

It follow the lives of three women, Pinky (Sissy Spacek), an awkward adolescent who becomes overly attached to Millie (Shelley Duvall), a lonely outcast who desperately tries to win attention, and Willie (Janice Rule), a strange pregnant artist.

Opinion

I've been wanting to watch "3 Women" for a very long time and last night I finally got around it. I'm sure many will disagree with me, but I believe this is a slightly overrated film. I'm not saying I didn't like it, I just didn't love it.

Based on a dream Robert Altman had, the story isn't very easy to explain, yet it's very simple and its strongest element is that Altman doesn't rush it, but let the story slowly evolve. Which suits the film very well.

But the plot isn't the main focus of Altman. The psychological aspects of the relationships between the three women is. Unfortunately, while the first part is a very interesting and clever character study, the second part is a bit of a mess, as we see one of the women changing personality and having problems remembering who she really is. That's when "3 Women" basically turns into an identity theft film.

I did, however, find very interesting what Altman says through the film. With each woman, he portrays a different stage of womanhood - Pikny is the child, Millie is the 20-something, Willie is the soon-to-be mother - and each woman is reluctant to move forward and accept changes. Also, it is very clear that the stories/lives of these three women have all been affected by abusive men.

Still there are other things that don't work for me. First, the haunting music feels too intrusive and reminded me of "The Shining"'s. Second, all the paintings symbolism is a bit too obvious and prevent some twists from working.

On the other hand, we have the acting. Shelley Duvall gives an outstanding performance as Millie, easily the most pathetic character. Sissy Spacek is the perfect cast for Pinky, a grown up child who changes into the people that surround her. Janice Rule also does a great job as the mysterious Willie.

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)

Genre

Comedy | Drama

Director

Jon Avnet

Country

USA

Cast

Kathy Bates, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker, Jessica Tandy, Cicely Tyson, Chris O'Donnell, Stan Shaw, Gailard Sartain, Timothy Scott, Gary Basaraba, Lois Smith, Danny Nelson, Jo Harvey Allen, Macon McCalman, Richard Riehle, Raynor Scheine, Grace Zabriskie, Reid Binion, Nick Searcy, Constance Shulman

Storyline

While visiting relatives in a nursing home, unhappy housewife Evelyn Couch (Kathy Bates) meets Ninny Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy), an old lady who soon enthralls her with the tales of people she used to know.

Opinion

I must admit that the title didn't sound that appealing to me, but I've heard good things about it, so I thought it was worth a watch. And I'm so glad I did because "Fried Green Tomatoes" is a heartwarming, poignant and intense dramedy about the plight of women.

About the friendship between two young women in early 20th century American south, the story is strong and subtle, and will engage you from beginning to end. And the storytelling, through the eyes of an optimistic old lady, is just magical. Other than friendship, this part of the film is also about love, and both deals with being a woman in a man-dominated world and addresses racial issues.

This very compelling, and intelligent story from the past is supported by the modern-day story of a housewife unsatisfied with her life and that feels trapped in her marriage. And just like above, this part also takes a look at women's roles in society.

In addition to that, there are some strong, interesting, intense and well developed characters that make the whole thing feel real.

Thanks to the brilliant job of director Jon Avnet, the film finds the perfect balance between past and present, comedy/funny scenes and drama/sad and emotional scenes. And it also features great editing, beautiful cinematography and spot-on score.

At last but not least, the performances from a mostly female cast. Kathy Bates gives such a sensitive and brilliant performances as present-day housewife that is breathtaking. Jessica Tandy is superb as the old lady telling the story, and rightly received an Oscar nomination. Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary-Louise Parker both do an outstanding job as Idgie and Ruth, the two friends the film is about. And the rest of the cast does a good job as well - Cicely Tyson deserves to be mentioned because she is simply amazing.

You can call it a "chick flick" if you want, but I call it "one of those movies that are so good they make me want to read the novel".

Mona Lisa Smile (2003)

Genre

Drama

Director

Mike Newell 

Country

USA

Cast

Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Annika Marks, Ginnifer Goodwin, Dominic West, Juliet Stevenson, Marcia Gay Harden, John Slattery, Marian Seldes, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Topher Grace, Jordan Bridges, Laura Allen, Emily Bauer, Tori Amos, Lisa Roberts Gillan, Krysten Ritter, Lily Rabe, Terence Rigby

Storyline

Katherine Ann Watson (Julia Roberts), a very modern and free-thinking art professor, teaches conservative 1950s Wellesley girls to question their traditional social roles.

Opinion

Have you ever wondered what a female version of "Dead Poets Society" would look like? If you have, this film might be for you. Of course this doesn't necessarily means that you are going to like it. I actually firmly believe the contrary as "Mona Lisa Smile" is a boring, useless, pointless waste of talent.

The whole plot had been stolen from "Dead Poets Society". Still, in spite of that, director Mike Newell managed to make a completely uninteresting film that has no idea what to focus on. With a title like that, I thought that the film was going to be centered more on Julia Roberts's character rather than the girls she has to inspire, but it doesn't. One moment it's focused on her, the next it's focused on the girls. And to be honest, the best moments of the film are focused on Roberts dealing with her own inequities rather than dealing with the system.

Sure, I'm a woman and I identify myself with the characters, because, even though it's 2016, we women are still seen like we have a role we were born for, like being a wife, being a mother, and too many people still think a woman has to do that in order to be a woman. Still I believe Peter Weir's film already represented everyone, regardless of gender.

Because of the poor script, poor direction, and lack of any original idea, the potential of the mostly feminine cast is completely wasted. The acting isn't awful, but an actress like Maggie Gyllenhaal, for example, deserves something better to work with.

Not even Julia Roberts's smiles can save this disaster.

All About My Mother (1999)

Original Title

Todo sobre mi madre

Genre

Drama

Director

Pedro Almodóvar

Country

Spain

Cast

Cecilia Roth, Marisa Paredes, Antonia San Juan, Penélope Cruz, Candela Peña, Rosa Maria Sardà, Fernando Fernán Gómez, Eloy Azorín, Toni Cantó, Sapic

Storyline

After her son Esteban (Eloy Azorín) is stuck and killed by a motorist, Manuela (Cecilia Roth) decides to return to Barcelona to tell the boy's transgender father Lola (Toni Cantó) about the death of the son he never knew he had. He is nowhere to be found but Manuela does find an old friend, Agrado (Antonia San Juan) and meets up with a pregnant nun, Rosa (Penélope Cruz). Together they form a life and become fast friends - until tragedy strikes again.

Opinion

"To all actresses who have played actresses. To all women who act. To men who act and become women. To all the people who want to be mothers. To my mother." These are the last words in Pedro Almodóvar's film and they are enough to make the film worth watching.

Anyway, I'm here to review the film not the dedication, so there you go. "All About My Mother" is an absorbing, beautiful, and emotional study of women and a stunning hymn to life.

It can be said that this film represents the turning point in Almodóvar's cinema as it goes from the violent tones of his earlier films to the subtle, deep and intimate tones of human nature and relationships.

As seen in "Volver", the female universe is seen with adoration by the Spanish director who tells a story of women, harsh and full of hope at the same time. To do this, he makes use of the story of Manuela, a woman torn apart by the death of her only son and who seems destined to an empty, purposeless life, but eventually rises from the ashes thanks to a series of chance encounters that lead her to rediscover the beauty of life, motherly love and real friendship.

With this masterpiece, Almodóvar makes us cry, laugh, teaches us to live and to accept ourselves for who we are and accept the others for who they are, even when they are different, thus getting rid of all prejudices. Don't get me wrong, this is not a film about transgenders.

All this film has to say could have only been delivered by extraordinary actresses. Cecilia Roth is dazzling, heartbreaking and sensation as Manuela, the mourning mother, and the supporting cast isn't any worse. Penélope Cruz, Marisa Paredes and Antonia San Juan are great.

By all means, watch it!

"Well, as I was saying, it costs a lot to be authentic, ma'am. And one can't be stingy with these things because you are more authentic the more you resemble what you've dreamed of being." - Agrado

Volver (2006)

Genre

Drama

Director

Pedro Almodóvar

Country

Spain

Cast

Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Yohana Cobo, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo, Chus Lampreave, Antonio de la Torre, María Isabel Díaz, Carlos Blanco, Neus Sanz

Storyline

Raimunda (Penélope Cruz) lives in Madrid with her husband Paco (Antonio de la Torre) and her teen daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo). When Paco attempts to rape her daughter, and gets stabbed to death, Raimunda tries to cover up the murder. As if that wasn't enough, her aunt Paula (Chus Lampreave) passes away, and Irene (Carmen Maura), Raimunda's dead mother, returns from the afterlife asking for her forgiveness.

Opinion

The first time I tried to watch this film I was younger and foolish, and the opening scene taking place in a cemetery completely took away from me the desire to watch it. Today, four or five years later, I'm glad I turned it off, because I don't think I was mature enough to deal with such a strong film back then. 

Volver is a compassionate and tender film that hits many issues like death, loneliness, and sexual abuse, and although it lacks of Almodóvar's suspense, still keeps you thrilled.

Death. Presumed, inflicted, or escaped, is still death. The theme is very explicit from the very beginning, with the cemetery sequence where women cleaning gravestones are disturbed by the wind. These women, their secrets, and their generational contrasts are the stars of the story, beautiful told, and even if its tragedy, and melodrama recalls soap-operas, the characters somehow manage to avoid self-pity.

Pedro Almodóvar beautifully balanced the drama and the magic realism, and the result is a very believable film. Also, the several twists are greatly tied together, even though they are a bit too predictable - at least they were for me.

The music is great. The scene in which Penélope Cruz sings Carlos Gardel's Volver is quite an emotional uplift - it's actually not Cruz's voice but Estrella Morente's. The photography by José Luis Alcaine is excellent.

The nearly all-female cast is great. Penélope Cruz is simply spectacular. She gives an intense and passionate performance as Raimunda, and her emotions are contagious. Carmen Maura as the mother, and Lola Dueñas as the sister are also wonderful. Despite the short scene time, Chus Lampreave as tía Paula is magnificent. Blanca Portillo also deserves a mention.