Tonight I saw Maiden, starring Tracy Edwards and Jo Gooding.
In 1989, Tracy Edwards led an all-female team in the Whitbread Round the World Race, though she'd never been a skipper before. This documentary recalls the years leading up to the race featuring interviews conducted with original crew members and the journalists who covered them, in addition to archival footage.
Throughout her young life, Edwards had trouble committing to things. After an idyllic childhood cut short by her father's premature death, the young woman found herself always escaping. After being expelled from school and backpacking around Europe, she ended up on charter boats doing various jobs including cooking and acting as a deckhand.
After a chance meeting with King Hussein of Jordan during a trip to the U.S., she was helped by him to acquire a boat and organize a team to compete in the Whitbread Round the World Race. The team was all-female and struggled to find sponsorships because of those who underestimated their potential.
Finally, by 1989, the team and funding was in place and the women were able to compete alongside their male counterparts, gaining momentum with each milestone reached.
The film does a fantastic job of re-living their journey as it happened and relishing in every last victory these amazing women enjoyed.
A perfect movie for 2019.
~~~
Showing posts with label female empowerment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label female empowerment. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Captain Marvel
Tonight I saw Captain Marvel, starring Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson.
Carol (Larson) wrecks in an unknown place while in-flight with her fellow pilot/mentor/hero, Dr. Lawson (Annette Bening). Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) takes her under his wing to train her to defend her new people. After a harrowing mission, she crash lands into earth and discovers she's been there before.
As Carol navigates her once-known territory, she gets help revealing her long-forgotten life from human Nick Fury (Jackson), who acts as a right-hand-man and takes a liking to Goose, the cat that's along for the ride.
For me, who isn't much of an action fan, there was perhaps too much action upfront to allow me to embrace the characters. I felt like I was supposed to like Carol, and rooted for her, but the flashbacks of her origin story weren't really enough for me to attach myself to with any solid emotion.
Couple that with a literal darkness that enveloped the space and fight scenes, and I found it hard to stay with in certain sections.
What went well? The chemistry between Larson and Jackson; the brilliant 1990s soundtrack that had me singing along with it throughout and the sarcasm/clever one-liners that Marvel is so good at. There are definitely moments to savor. Of course, the ass-kicking woman is the greatest element.
That said, this is no Wonder Woman.
When I left that film after the first viewing, I wanted to go don a metal outfit and start taking over. When I left this film, I had a pleasant feeling, but it didn't stay with me far beyond the parking lot.
I'm hoping the next installment really shows what Brie can do in Carol's skin.
~~~
Carol (Larson) wrecks in an unknown place while in-flight with her fellow pilot/mentor/hero, Dr. Lawson (Annette Bening). Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) takes her under his wing to train her to defend her new people. After a harrowing mission, she crash lands into earth and discovers she's been there before.
As Carol navigates her once-known territory, she gets help revealing her long-forgotten life from human Nick Fury (Jackson), who acts as a right-hand-man and takes a liking to Goose, the cat that's along for the ride.
For me, who isn't much of an action fan, there was perhaps too much action upfront to allow me to embrace the characters. I felt like I was supposed to like Carol, and rooted for her, but the flashbacks of her origin story weren't really enough for me to attach myself to with any solid emotion.
Couple that with a literal darkness that enveloped the space and fight scenes, and I found it hard to stay with in certain sections.
What went well? The chemistry between Larson and Jackson; the brilliant 1990s soundtrack that had me singing along with it throughout and the sarcasm/clever one-liners that Marvel is so good at. There are definitely moments to savor. Of course, the ass-kicking woman is the greatest element.
That said, this is no Wonder Woman.
When I left that film after the first viewing, I wanted to go don a metal outfit and start taking over. When I left this film, I had a pleasant feeling, but it didn't stay with me far beyond the parking lot.
I'm hoping the next installment really shows what Brie can do in Carol's skin.
~~~
Friday, April 20, 2018
I Feel Pretty
Last night I saw I Feel Pretty, starring Amy Schumer and Michelle Williams.
Renee Bennett (Schumer) is an average-weight woman who is obsessed with beauty and works in the online division of a high-end cosmetics company. All she wants is to be pretty, and an accident at her nearby SoulCycle soon has her believing she's as glamorous as she desires.
This new-found confidence, though her outward appearance hasn't changed, works positively to advance her love life, career and general well-being. By believing in her beauty, and projecting that aura, others pick up on her vibes and want to be a part of it.
It's such a simple concept, but something so many people struggle with that perhaps more movies like this are needed to serve as blatant reminders.
I won't be shy about saying I loved the film ... for all its good humor, for the message it sends and for the endearing actors. Though Williams plays a cartoonish character with a silly voice who could easily be cold in a Devil Wears Prada sort of way, the writers refrained from making her evil, which I appreciated. Not everyone who is conventionally beautiful (or rich, or powerful) is automatically a bad person, and I'm glad they emphasized that point through her (and her on-screen family, who all seemed like decent folks).
Really, it's a great exploration of throwing all sorts of stereotypes out the window; not just the frumpy single girl who lays on her couch drinking wine watching old movies.
Go see it. And take your daughters.
~~~
Renee Bennett (Schumer) is an average-weight woman who is obsessed with beauty and works in the online division of a high-end cosmetics company. All she wants is to be pretty, and an accident at her nearby SoulCycle soon has her believing she's as glamorous as she desires.
This new-found confidence, though her outward appearance hasn't changed, works positively to advance her love life, career and general well-being. By believing in her beauty, and projecting that aura, others pick up on her vibes and want to be a part of it.
It's such a simple concept, but something so many people struggle with that perhaps more movies like this are needed to serve as blatant reminders.
I won't be shy about saying I loved the film ... for all its good humor, for the message it sends and for the endearing actors. Though Williams plays a cartoonish character with a silly voice who could easily be cold in a Devil Wears Prada sort of way, the writers refrained from making her evil, which I appreciated. Not everyone who is conventionally beautiful (or rich, or powerful) is automatically a bad person, and I'm glad they emphasized that point through her (and her on-screen family, who all seemed like decent folks).
Really, it's a great exploration of throwing all sorts of stereotypes out the window; not just the frumpy single girl who lays on her couch drinking wine watching old movies.
Go see it. And take your daughters.
~~~
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