Movie of the week – A Fantastic Woman
If you dare to venture out to the movies this weekend, the highlight of the new releases is A Fantastic Woman. This Chilean drama follows a trans woman whose older romantic partner dies of a stroke, leaving her to negotiate the prejudices of his family and wider society. It’s a film that evokes anger at the predicament of its protagonist, excellently portrayed by singer Daniela Vega, but commendably never asks for our pity.
Red Sparrow
Jennifer Lawrence and a host of stars butcher Russian accents in Red Sparrow, a messy spy thriller that can’t figure out if it’s a trashy female James Bond actioner or a serious John LeCarre style political thriller. It’s fun when it’s the former, a slog when it’s the latter.
The Bigamist
Back when the idea of a female filmmaker was considered a novelty, actress Ida Lupino turned to direction and delivered some gripping dramas and thrillers. A season of her work begins at the Irish Film Institute this week with screenings of 1953’s Outrage, which follows the struggles of a rape victim, on Saturday; and 1953’s The Bigamist, in which Edmond O’Brien’s secret second marriage is exposed, on Wednesday.
By Eric Hillis of themoviewaffler.com
