Review Tales

I am the kind of person who watches movies at random. And some of these random movies make me feel like they have something different, something unique, something new and they all have one thing in common- they are all made by women. So here’s the list of ten such films made by women that I just happened to chance upon and loved.

Disclaimer: These are my personal choices and there’s no objectivity here whatsoever.

1) The Eight Mountains (2022), directed by Charlotte Vandermeersch and Felix van Groeningen

Adapted from Paolo Cognetti’s book of the same name, this film is a story of two boys and their decades-long friendship. Both of them are shown with such sensitivity and innocence that you can’t help rooting for them. They are not your typical alpha boys who behave a certain way to be masculine. They cry, they grieve, they are multifaceted. Credit to the source material definitely but the female gaze can’t be denied. The kind of warmth and personal journeys shown here are rarely ever seen in buddy movies.

2) In Reality (2018), directed by Ann Lupo

The way this film explores the various stages of being in love is very realistic, honest, genuine, and heartfelt. What Phoebe Waller-Bridge did with Fleabag, Ann Lupo did with this film. Her acting, writing, and directing are what make this so impactful and spot-on.

Her most personal thoughts and her imagination are shown on screen in dream-like sequences that bring humor and make this dramedy so different from our usual rom-com.

3) Moral (1982), directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya

Way back in 1982 in the Philippines, this director dared to make a film about flawed women who weren’t one-tone, who had ambitions, and who were in touch with their sexuality. Some of the things and conversations shown in the film are progressive even by today’s standards. Other than the four central women, the film also has many supporting characters, two gay men among those, who add more density and meaning to the already rich narrative. Moral is one of the few true blue classics that will always stay relevant.

4) Laggies (2014), directed by Lynn Shelton

It’s never easy to make the audience root for a character that’s failing in all aspects of life, be it professionally, romantically, or family relations but Lynn Shelton does just that by treating Keira Knightley’s character with the sensitivity and nuance that all women in their late twenties who feel they are underachievers deserve. Not only that, but she also brings out such infectious chemistry with her co-star Sam Rockwell that you’d smile every time these oddly paired characters with a wide age gap share the screen.

5) My Love Affair With Marriage (2022), directed by Signe Baumane

A film so beautifully made, so wonderfully animated, so thoroughly researched and so mirthfully narrated with songs that are funny yet meaningful. Signe Baumane has clearly drawn a lot from personal experiences and made this film very realistic and believable.

We see our central character’s journey from childhood to teens to adulthood and with great detail about what happens chemically and biologically in our bodies as we grow up, fall in love, have a heartbreak etc. The songs and their picturisation is so cute and funny and things like these are proof that someone young at heart made it but it also deals with some very mature themes with sensitivity and nuance.

6) Papicha (2019), directed by Mounia Meddour

Based on the time of the Algerian Civil War when conservatism was on the rise, Papicha is a story of defiance and fighting for what’s right with non-violence. The girls just want to organize a fashion show but it becomes a fight for even basic rights like speaking out and going out alone. A beautiful story about female solidarity and breaking free from the shackles of patriarchy and also a sad reminder that no revolution comes without its costs and sacrifices.

7) A Colony (2018), directed by Geneviève Dulude-De Celles

On paper, A Colony seems like any other coming-of-age movie but what sets it apart is its sensitive and unbiased treatment of the protagonist. She’s messy, she talks to animals, she keeps to herself but her younger sister is her polar opposite and she makes her meet an indigenous boy from a nearby reservation and then they become the kind of friends that help each other grow. 

The best thing here is that the film doesn’t wear its themes of harmony and kindness on the nose but just effortlessly weaves them into the bigger narrative of our characters’ coming of age. Also, you don’t often get to see a younger sister trying to help her older sister come out of her shell and grow which was a very pleasant surprise.

8) Wendy and Lucy (2008), directed by Kelly Reichardt

Reichardt has directed Michelle Williams’ Wendy with such finesse that you feel like you know her. You smile with her, you cry with her. Every struggle, every battle of hers made me empathise with her and every small win of hers felt like my own. The brooding pace helps in building a connection with the character and that’s why the climax and ending made me cry in public on a bus. Will never forget that experience.

9) Kaasav (2016), directed by Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukthankar

This director duo has a filmography that speaks for itself and has films that cover themes and societal issues like corruption, Alzheimer’s, and patriarchy without ever being preachy and I believe that they hit a masterstroke with Kaasav. A story about the conservation of olive ridley sea turtles is so effortlessly amalgamated with the story of a suicidal boy and how he learns to live and be happy. I believe Kaasav is one of the best films about mental health to have ever been made and that it can change lives.

10) Playground (2021), directed by Laura Wandel

In just 72 minutes, Laura Wandel has managed to pack a much more emotional punch than many three-hour-long dramas. The bond of the two siblings- brother and sister- is so strong and it was very heartening to see a younger sister stand up for her older brother and try to instill courage in him. I often find myself thinking of this film and its portrayal of bullying and its message of kindness and empathy.

In case you were wondering why there’s no Greta Gerwig or Jane Campion or Sofia Coppola or Celine Sciamma etc. title in here, I have seen their movies and also loved many of them but this was my attempt to highlight some really touching and important movies made by women which I was most affected by and which I feel deserve much more recognition.