#MSPIFF42 Review: FLAMIN’ HOT – Eva Longoria’s directorial debut is a zesty feel-good movie with an empowering message

There have been an increasing amount of stranger-than-fiction origin stories lately… with AIR, Tetris, Blackberry, and even the popular Frito-Lay spicy snacks, Flamin’ Hot. I have to admit I can’t handle spicy stuff (yes I know, my fellow Indonesian friends make fun of me ALL the time), so I have never even tasted Flamin’ Hot …

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Happy International Women’s Day! Musings on female representation in Hollywood + celebrating female filmmakers

Happy International Women's Day everyone! As a female movie fan and film critic, as well as someone who's dabbled in filmmaking, I'd like to take the opportunity to talk about where we are in terms of female representation. I have lamented in my Oscars nomination musings that Hollywood once again ignored female filmmakers with the …

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Rental Pick: Birds of Paradise (2021) – a stylish coming-of-age ballet drama

Two girls at an elite Parisian ballet academy have their bond and bodies tested as they compete for a contract to join the company of the Opéra national de Paris. Ballet has always been a juicy subject matter for movies given its mystique and elegance, as well as the relentless competition to be the best. …

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Five Romantic Dramas directed by women with POC leads worth staying in for on Valentine’s Week

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! 💕 Confession: rom-com or romance dramas (unless they're Jane Austen, natch) are not exactly my go-to genres, I usually opt for sci-fi, spy thrillers, non-romantic dramas, or comedies. But this past weekend my hubby and I were in the mood for something romantic so we browsed all our streaming channels to …

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She Is Love (2023) Review – Haley Bennett + Sam Riley’s great improvisation skills can’t save this aimless romance

When I first saw the first trailer of She Is Love, I was immediately intrigued by the premise of an unexpected reunion. Patricia (Haley Bennett) is an American TV producer who books a boutique hotel in Cornwall for a little getaway. Her peace and quiet time is suddenly interrupted by loud music playing in the …

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FlixChatter Review: Causeway (2022)

Billed as a Jennifer Lawrence comeback vehicle (her last leading role was Red Sparrow in 2018), this is a quiet, reflective role about a former soldier dealing with PTSD. There is a lot of that going on as her character Lynsey has a lot to ponder about her family and what she wants to do …

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FlixChatter Review: Lady Chatterley’s Lover (2022)

Despite numerous versions out there, this is the first adaptation of the erotic romance by D. H. Lawrence that I've seen. The book was banned for obscenities in five countries, including the US. Per Brittanica.com, it remains one of the few novels in English literary history that addresses female sexual desire. Not having read the …

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