Knight at HOME at the Movies
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Ladies with an Attitude
Four movies with kick ass female roles for your viewing pleasure are in this edition of DVD Recommendations.
Four movies with kick ass female roles for your viewing pleasure are in this edition of DVD Recommendations.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age – From Universal Studios. Cate Blanchett returns to the
role that first brought her international attention in this continuation of the life story of
England's Queen Elizabeth. Not surprisingly, Blanchett is mesmerizing as the Virgin
Queen who rules her court with an iron fist and does her best to keep her "womanly"
emotions in check. In this second part of the story, her resolve to remain single is tested
when she's confronted with the explorer Sir Walter Raleigh. And when this historical
character is played by Clive Owen that's not hard to believe. Geoffrey Rush returns as
Elizabeth's closest adviser and Samantha Morton is terrific as Elizabeth's scheming cousin
Mary of Scotland. The impending war between England and Spain culminates in some
visually impressive (and very loud) battle sequences and offers Blanchett the opportunity
to strut around, ala Joan of Arc, in battle drag. This epic tale, not quite as compelling as
the first film, is nonetheless a must see if only for Blanchett's complex performance and
the attendant pomp and circumstance which is a feast for the eyes as well. Most of the
special features on the disc, a host of featurettes, focus on creating the historical look of
the film which is indeed impressive.
The Brave One – From Warner Brothers Home Video. Speaking of complex, thrilling
performances - try Jodie Foster in this female, thinking man's variation on Death Wish and
Taxi Driver. Foster plays a public radio essayist whose life is torn asunder when her
intended (Naveen Andrews from "Lost") is beaten to death during an ill-fated walk through
Central Park late at night. Not finding much help from the police, Foster takes matters
(via a very large gun) into her own hands and is soon an avenging angel gunning down
miscreants all over Manhattan. Just one step behind her is the police detective (Terrance
Howard) assigned to track down the vigilante. The film, a nicely paced drama, is more
than a touch melodramatic but Foster's steely performance elevates it and makes it a
more than a worthwhile outing (it's certainly a performance that deserved an Oscar nod).
And I truly do love when female action heroes take control (does that make me a
masochist?). The disc includes a 20 minute making of doc and one other brief featurette.
Becoming Jane – From Miramax. Anne Hathaway is a female hero of a different sort in
this fanciful retelling of the early life of author Jane Austen. The film, which is very much
in the Merchant-Ivory mold, has one of the year's most delightful and literary scripts (it
should have gotten an Oscar nod, too) and Hathaway who has come into her own as a
leading lady, more than holds her own with the magnificent cast of some of Britain's finest
actors (Maggie Smith among them). James McAvoy, the current IT boy plays Hathaway's
love interest and the sparks between them really fly along with the verbal brickbats. The
central dilemma of the film - whether Jane should hold out for love, marry a rich but
improbable suitor or stay single and true to her inner voice which says, "keep writing," is
certainly something modern day audiences can appreciate. The screenwriters have
concocted an early life for their heroine that's not unlike one of Austen's great novels and
the film has many of the pleasures to be found in reading her books. A good movie for
bookworms! The disc has an assortment of featurettes to round it out.
Margot at the Wedding – From Paramount. Writer-director Noah Baumbach's follow
up to the acerbic The Squid & the Whale is just as raw and flinty. Nicole Kidman plays the
title character, a cranky writer who descends (there is no other word) on her uneasy sister
(Jennifer Jason-Leigh) in order to prevent her from marrying a ne'er do well (played by
Jack Black). Dragging her teenage son along, Kidman plays a woman who takes pleasure
in poisoning ever social situation she finds herself - all in the name of "truth." This tale
of family dysfunction, a bitter black comedy, is not for all tastes but for those looking for
strong female characters and something A LOT different than the three recommendations
above, this is your movie. The squabbling sisters and their love interests are certainly
compelling and the film has hysterically funny moments (one of the highlights is when
Kidman climbs a tree on a dare) and Baumbach's audacious characters are not ones you'll
soon forget. The disc features a conversation between director Baumbach and Jason-
Leigh, his wife.
role that first brought her international attention in this continuation of the life story of
England's Queen Elizabeth. Not surprisingly, Blanchett is mesmerizing as the Virgin
Queen who rules her court with an iron fist and does her best to keep her "womanly"
emotions in check. In this second part of the story, her resolve to remain single is tested
when she's confronted with the explorer Sir Walter Raleigh. And when this historical
character is played by Clive Owen that's not hard to believe. Geoffrey Rush returns as
Elizabeth's closest adviser and Samantha Morton is terrific as Elizabeth's scheming cousin
Mary of Scotland. The impending war between England and Spain culminates in some
visually impressive (and very loud) battle sequences and offers Blanchett the opportunity
to strut around, ala Joan of Arc, in battle drag. This epic tale, not quite as compelling as
the first film, is nonetheless a must see if only for Blanchett's complex performance and
the attendant pomp and circumstance which is a feast for the eyes as well. Most of the
special features on the disc, a host of featurettes, focus on creating the historical look of
the film which is indeed impressive.
The Brave One – From Warner Brothers Home Video. Speaking of complex, thrilling
performances - try Jodie Foster in this female, thinking man's variation on Death Wish and
Taxi Driver. Foster plays a public radio essayist whose life is torn asunder when her
intended (Naveen Andrews from "Lost") is beaten to death during an ill-fated walk through
Central Park late at night. Not finding much help from the police, Foster takes matters
(via a very large gun) into her own hands and is soon an avenging angel gunning down
miscreants all over Manhattan. Just one step behind her is the police detective (Terrance
Howard) assigned to track down the vigilante. The film, a nicely paced drama, is more
than a touch melodramatic but Foster's steely performance elevates it and makes it a
more than a worthwhile outing (it's certainly a performance that deserved an Oscar nod).
And I truly do love when female action heroes take control (does that make me a
masochist?). The disc includes a 20 minute making of doc and one other brief featurette.
Becoming Jane – From Miramax. Anne Hathaway is a female hero of a different sort in
this fanciful retelling of the early life of author Jane Austen. The film, which is very much
in the Merchant-Ivory mold, has one of the year's most delightful and literary scripts (it
should have gotten an Oscar nod, too) and Hathaway who has come into her own as a
leading lady, more than holds her own with the magnificent cast of some of Britain's finest
actors (Maggie Smith among them). James McAvoy, the current IT boy plays Hathaway's
love interest and the sparks between them really fly along with the verbal brickbats. The
central dilemma of the film - whether Jane should hold out for love, marry a rich but
improbable suitor or stay single and true to her inner voice which says, "keep writing," is
certainly something modern day audiences can appreciate. The screenwriters have
concocted an early life for their heroine that's not unlike one of Austen's great novels and
the film has many of the pleasures to be found in reading her books. A good movie for
bookworms! The disc has an assortment of featurettes to round it out.
Margot at the Wedding – From Paramount. Writer-director Noah Baumbach's follow
up to the acerbic The Squid & the Whale is just as raw and flinty. Nicole Kidman plays the
title character, a cranky writer who descends (there is no other word) on her uneasy sister
(Jennifer Jason-Leigh) in order to prevent her from marrying a ne'er do well (played by
Jack Black). Dragging her teenage son along, Kidman plays a woman who takes pleasure
in poisoning ever social situation she finds herself - all in the name of "truth." This tale
of family dysfunction, a bitter black comedy, is not for all tastes but for those looking for
strong female characters and something A LOT different than the three recommendations
above, this is your movie. The squabbling sisters and their love interests are certainly
compelling and the film has hysterically funny moments (one of the highlights is when
Kidman climbs a tree on a dare) and Baumbach's audacious characters are not ones you'll
soon forget. The disc features a conversation between director Baumbach and Jason-
Leigh, his wife.
