A Fantastic Woman directed by Sebastián Lelio (2017)
I watched this for my screenwriting thesis class and I did not like it. This film—which follows a transwoman in the aftermath of the death of her partner—won an Oscar in 2018 and accelerated the passage of trans-inclusive legislation in Chile. For its real-life impact, the film is important. But that doesn’t mean it’s good. The film’s attitude toward its protagonist Marina’s body is particularly uncomfortable. In a completely un-prudish way, I don’t think its scene with full-frontal nudity is necessary, nor are the film’s frequent cuts to Marina punching the air like a boxer. Meanwhile, smaller details in the film feel undeveloped; take, for example, Marina’s relationship with her dog, who is sometimes her priority and sometimes completely forgotten. Still, Daniela Vega, who plays Marina, is a compelling actor, and her presence elevates the film—perhaps this is what convinced audiences in 2017 that A Fantastic Woman was Oscar-worthy.
Wild at Heart directed by David Lynch (1990)
One of my screenwriting classmates recommended this to me, and now I get to publish that I watched a movie that was recommended to me, which makes me a good person. Hooray! I have been a big Lynch fan for a while, and I’m so glad I got around to watching this. It’s maybe my favorite non-Twin Peaks work of his. It’s just as weird and dreamy as any other Lynch movie. (Characters break out into Elvis songs and the events of The Wizard of Oz are…real?). It has perhaps the most amazing cast of all time with Laura Dern and Nicholas Cage at the peak of their peng-ness. In classic Lynch style, it is earnest. I cried a lot.
My Brilliant Friend (2018-) Season 4, Episode 1
I’ve been watching this show since my junior year of high school, the same year I read Elena Ferrante’s books on which it’s based. This is mind-blowingly high quality television: everything from the score, to the costumes, to the casting is exactly as one would imagine from reading the books. That isn’t to say that you need to read the books to enjoy the show, because on its own the show still holds. If you’re a reader of Ferrante, you will not be disappointed.
