Happy March, everyone!! I’m having Spring Fever after a long Winter… It’s not quite warm yet here in MN, today’s high is only in mid 20s, but hey, at least the sun was shining! 

February seemed to have gone in a flash! It’s a special month for me as my birthday falls on February 11, and my hubby and I went on a long weekend getaway around President’s Day to Arizona. Nice to get a bit of a break from the cold weather and to be able to wear sandals and soak up the sun! ☀️

In any case, here is what I saw last month:

FEBRUARY VIEWINGS ON LETTERBOXD

(In the order of my rating)

FULL REVIEWS

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die
Crime 101
Solo Mio
Artfully United (Doc)
Islands
Lies We Tell

REVIEWS COMING SOON:

The Bluff
Andre Is An Idiot (doc)

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MINI REVIEWS

My Mother’s Wedding
(Prime Video)

I found out about this movie a while back, which was made in 2023, but it just recently became available for streaming on Prime Video. I was eager to check it out since it marks the directorial debut of one of my favorite actresses, Kristin Scott Thomas. Interestingly, it features Scarlett Johansson, who made her directorial debut in 2025 with Eleanor The Great. The cast is quite entertaining, as it reunites Thomas with her Four Weddings and A Funeral co-star James Fleet. Fleet played her brother back then, and now he’s her third husband.

The plot is reportedly inspired by Thomas’ own childhood, where she lost her Royal Navy pilot father at the age of five and her stepfather, who was also a pilot, at eleven. The story revolves around three sisters who return for their mother, Diana’s (played by Thomas) third wedding. Johansson plays Katharine, Sienna Miller takes on Victoria, and Emily Beecham portrays Georgina. The three sisters are quite different in their personalities and careers: Katharine is a Royal Navy captain, Georgina works as a palliative nurse, and Victoria is an actress. Thibault de Montalembert (Mathias in Call My Agent!) has a minor role as a wealthy Frenchman who is in love with Victoria.

Much like Goodbye June (another film directed by Kate Winslet), family reunions often spiral into arguments and chaos. To make matters worse, Victoria decides to hire a private investigator (whom she met at an AA meeting) to keep an eye on Georgina’s husband, whom she suspects of cheating. The wedding itself is pretty forgettable; the script is predictable and lacks any real punch. Thomas co-wrote the script with her husband, John Micklethwait, and it’s clear that neither of them has experience writing a film script before.

Thus, none of the characters, including Diana, is well-developed, which diminishes the overall emotional impact. The most compelling character is Katharine, who is juggling her demanding naval career while trying to support her son and her long-term girlfriend, Jack (short for Jacqueline??), played by Freida Pinto. The final scene, where Diana reprimands her three daughters at the gravesite of two husbands, feels a bit too preachy.

Overall, it’s still enjoyable thanks to the cast, but it’s not something I’ll remember even a few weeks from now.

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She Said Maybe
(Netflix)

Sometimes, the biggest draw of a movie is its setting, and that’s definitely true here since it was filmed in Istanbul, Turkey, and Hamburg, Germany, which is also where my late mother attended school. The story follows a woman named Mavi (Beritan Balci), who was raised in Germany and unexpectedly discovers her Turkish noble roots on her late father’s side while visiting Istanbul with her boyfriend, Can (Sinan Güleç).

She gets swept into a lavish lifestyle by her paternal grandmother, Yadigar (Meral Perin), which puts her relationship to the test as she tries to figure out her new identity. It reminds me of Crazy Rich Asians, but with the genders switched and a script, direction, and acting that just don’t measure up. You can predict the movie’s direction long before it actually unfolds. It’s filled with attractive people and beautiful locations, yet it lacks any real depth. It feels like a wealth porn film that could easily serve as a luxurious travel guide to Istanbul, showcasing grand palaces and breathtaking seaside hotels. The fashion, though, would probably make Miranda Priestly want to gouge her eyes out.

The already weak storyline is dragged down further by ridiculous, banal scenarios and even more absurd acting. Mavi’s grandma thinks Can isn’t fit for the new heir to the family business empire, so she picks the ideal guy for Mavi in the form of Serkan Çayoglu as Kent (seriously??) Are they trying to make us think of Ken, like Barbie’s boyfriend?? Kent is all chiseled, smoldering gaze, straight out of Harlequin romance covers, but the romance is cringeworthy and trite.

Even the title makes no sense, but the whole thing feels like it was made for the TikTok generation, maybe even penned by ChatGPT or Gemini?? The one amusing dialogue is when Mavi’s flamboyant, gay cousin tells her she’s basically the Turkish version of Prince Harry and Can is Megan Markle, ha! Directed by Buket Alakus and Ngo The Chau, this garish style-over-substance sets a new low for Netflix. This one is even more superficial than both Kissing Booth movies combined!

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52 Films By Women – 2026 Challenge

I am once again participating in this challenge. Per Women In Film (WIF) organization, the basic rules are simple: watch 52 films directed by women within one year and share what you watched on social media, using the hashtag #52FilmsByWomen to spread the word, and get more people talking about the women filmmakers that don’t always get attention.

I kept up with the strong viewing of films #directedbywomen last month with 5 new movies, plus one rewatch: Sleepless in Seattle. Oh, how I miss Nora Ephron! I rewatched it on the plane to Phoenix on Valentine’s Day, as there’s that iconic scene atop the Empire State building that’s still as adorable and moving as the first time I saw it.

Anyhoo, I ranked the movies on Letterboxd; you can follow my #52FilmsByWomen list as I will be updating it regularly. I have a good feeling I might be able to at least meet the 2025 tally of 62.

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FEBRUARY MOVIE OF THE MONTH

The President’s Cake

Hey, it’s a total coincidence that Presidents’ Day falls in February, but this is truly the best film I saw in February. It’s astounding that it’s a directorial debut and none of the actors had ever acted on screen before. It’s too bad The President’s Cake didn’t make the cut to be nominated for Best International Film, though it was shortlisted for the Academy Award. Regardless, I highly recommend this one!

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So, what’s your favorite movie(s) you saw in February?