Here we are, in December. We made it to the last month of this tumultuous year. I had to take a little break after my last series of posts. A break from writing criticism and from the internet in general. I just wasn’t in the mood for political analysis after the dismal election results. All I wanted was music and fiction—and, surprisingly, I was inspired to work on some new fiction of my own. This election has left me with the sense that art is the only place left where something true can be revealed. I also feel, more than ever, that my attention—and yours—is a precious resource. So, thank you for being here. I’d like to widen my lens a bit in the coming year to write about books and culture in general. I might write about life in Maine, too. For now, here are some thoughts on the movies I’ve been catching up with recently.
To all my new subscribers: I typically recommend 4-5 films per month, all of them written or directed by women. My husband Mike also contributes reviews from time to time and you’ll see one from him today—his take on The Substance. He may become our regular horror correspondent, since I don’t usually have the stomach for gore. For all my fellow scaredy cats, I included a Hallmark movie.
The Last of the Sea Women (2024)
Directed by Sue Kim
1 hour 27 minutes; Streaming on Apple+
I watched this documentary about haenyeo, Korean fisherwomen, with my two children, ages 12 and 7. We all marveled at the endurance of these women, who free dive (diving deep without oxygen tanks) to harvest urchin, abalone, and other seafood. Even more impressive—these women are in their 60s, 70s, and 80s! It’s clear, from their bickering comraderie, that these women are the oldest of friends. As the title suggest, their numbers are unfortunately dwindling, in part because younger generations are not interested in the work, but mainly because sea life is dying so rapidly in the warming oceans. Wastewater from Japan’s Fukushima power plant also threatens the ocean’s health and much of the documentary is focused on the efforts of activists who try—and fail—to prevent Japan from disposing of radioactive waste in this manner. There are some very distressing environmental issues raised in this film, and some critics have suggested that director Sue Kim did not delve deeply enough into them. I can see the merit of that critique, but since I was watching with my children, I appreciated Kim’s focus on the sea women’s resilience, humor, and friendship in the face of destruction. These are the tools we need to get through the next few decades. IMDB * REVIEW * TRAILER
My Old Ass (2024)
Written and directed by Megan Park
89 minutes; Streaming on Amazon Prime
This movie really got to me. It’s about a young woman, Elliot, (Maisy Stella) who goes on a mushroom trip and meets an older version of herself. Old Elliott tries to warn Young Elliott about what’s coming, and Young Elliott tries to heed her warning but it’s very difficult, for reasons I am not going to describe for fear of spoiling this light but surprisingly deep movie that is about fate, time, love, and youth. Aubrey Plaza plays Old Elliott and she’s so, so affecting without seeming to do much of anything. There’s just a weight to her performance that brings the themes home. Mike suggested that this movie would make an excellent musical, and I completely agree because it has that mix of goofiness and heightened emotion that musicals often have. It would not be strange for these characters to burst into song. (And in one hilarious scene, they do.) IMDB * REVIEW * TRAILER
The Substance (2024)
Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat
2 hours 21 minutes; Streaming on Mubi/VOD $5.99
Director Coralie Fargeat’s latest film plays like the darker, scarier, and more gruesome versions of Grimm’s fairy tales. Demi Moore is an aging Hollywood star and host of an 80’s-style TV exercise show who seeks out a mysterious elixir that claims to offer a younger version of herself. Fargeat uses this set-up to tell a fantastically imaginative, creepy, and funny allegory (emphasis on gory) about Hollywood misogyny and its impact on women. Margaret Qualley plays Moore’s younger self, and both actors deliver performances that make you say, “Whoa, she really went for it!” —in a good way. (Fun fact: supposedly Qualley’s nude ass has more screen time in this film than Anthony Hopkins had in Silence of the Lambs when he won his Oscar for Best Actor.) While the films of David Cronenberg that deal with body horror and transformation are an apt comparison for The Substance, it also reminded me of Raw (2016) by Julia Ducournau and even with the zany horror of Peter Jackson’s Braindead (aka Dead Alive, 1992). IMDB * REVIEW * TRAILER
—Mike Arauz
Lee (2024)
Directed by Ellen Kuras
Written by Liz Hannah, Marion Hume, and John Collee
1 hour 57 minutes; VOD $5.99
This is a very traditional biopic, framed by a present-day interview with its subject, Lee Miller (Kate Winslet), and then told in flashback as Miller recalls key life episodes. While I don’t love the convention of the late-in-life interview—they always strike me as contrived—I was generally unbothered by this one, perhaps because the interlocutor was the always excellent Josh O’Connor. Most of the story is in flashback, revealing how Lee, a former fashion model, became a war correspondent, working closely with Life photojournalist David Scherman to document World War II and the horrors of the Holocaust. Much of the film focuses on the friendship between Scherman (Andy Sandberg) and Miller, as well as the working relationship between Miller and her editor at British Vogue (Andrea Riseborough). While there’s nothing groundbreaking about the structure or screenplay of this film, it’s very unusual to find a story about World War II that is told from the point of view of a professional woman and for that reason, I felt I was getting a new view of this period of history. IMDB * REVIEW * TRAILER
A Biltmore Christmas (2023)
Directed by John Putch
Written by Marcy Holland
1 hour 23 minutes; Streaming on Netflix
I realized the above movies are all kind of heavy. You might need a Hallmark movie right about now. This one involves time travel! Lucy, a screenwriter, is tasked with updating a classic 1940s holiday movie that takes place at the Biltmore Hotel. Lucy’s boss doesn’t like the ending she came up with—too sad—so he sends her to the Biltmore to get inspired. Of course, he sends her over Christmas, as all bosses in Hallmark movies are wont to do. At the hotel, Lucy finds a magic hourglass that transports her back to the 1940s when the original movie was being filmed! She gets to meet the actors she’s only ever seen in black and white and is privy to the behind-the-scenes script changes. Obviously, she falls in love. There’s also a scene where she dons a beautiful dress and attends a holiday ball. And yes, of course, the ending is a happy one. IMDB * REVIEW * TRAILER
❤️ Link Love ❤️
The inimitable Lindy West reviews one of my favorite holiday movies, Bridget Jones’s Diary.
Fun holiday gifts for Wes Anderson fans
The Kindle version of my novel is on sale this month for just $2.99
Can't wait to watch these! Thanks, Hannah. Gail