Well, another Oscars Ceremony has come and gone, and as usual it was all about the men. What’s it matter that Jane Campion won, most deservedly, for best director, Sian Heder for Best Adapted Screenplay, and Jessica Fontaine for her impressive rendering of Tammy Faye? Ditto that Jada Pinket bravely and beautifully walked the red carpet sporting her lovely bald head finding agency with her alopecia. Nobody’s paying attention to them—and why not? Because a MAN belittled a woman with an autoimmune disease, and her husband (another MAN), without her desire or consent, retaliated with an act of violence. Or, in other words, just another patriarchal night behind the scenes in Hollywood. Truth may or may not be stranger than fiction, but it’s often more predictable and far less palatable. To that end, following are some palate cleansers—some cinematic sorbet if you will—we’ve been enjoying this past month…

DEVI’S PICKS:

MASTER (2022, Prime) This psychological horror Sundance darling lives up to its hype and then some. There are few things scarier in this country than structural violence, especially when it comes to matters of race. Centered around the first Black “master” of a prestigious, Northeast, very White college and a Black student who’s quickly made to realize she “doesn’t belong,” MASTER takes us on a terrifying journey that, via moments big, small, and everything in between, offers a horrifying window of race realities in our country.

THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD (2021, in theaters, Vudu, Prime) The third installment of a trilogy by the dazzingly impressive Norwegian director, Joachim Trier, this is one of those films I would have guessed was written and directed by a woman for its thoughtful, candid, dimensional female protagonist and beautiful rendering of romance and relationships with two very different men. So human, so moving, so engaging, so real.

ALL IN THE FAMILY (series, Prime) It’s startling how bold and on point this classic sitcom is not only for its time, but for present day as well. Just starting the second season, I find myself gasping out loud at least once every episode by something Archie Bunker says or does – not because I’m shocked by him, but by how very little has changed and how brave the creators were to so brazenly call it out. There’s a daunting amount of truth in this fiction, and it’s more relevant than ever.

AMY’S PICKS:

THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT (HBO Max): Oh, to be a blond, beautiful, hard-living young woman, traveling the world as a flight attendant all while caught up in an intriguing murder-mystery involving the guy you hooked up with the night before. This comedy/mystery/thriller HBO series works on every level as it follows the disastrous existence of the female protagonist. Cassie’s life is a series of bad decisions, but she’s so likable that you will root for her and her poor judgment anyway. You’ll never look at a flight attendant in the same way.

KING RICHARD (2021, HBO Max): The father of tennis greats Serena and Venus is the focus of this film, but it’s worth seeing for its depiction of the origin story of these two remarkable athletes. Born into a working-class background in Compton didn’t stop them from moving up the ranks and eventually dominating this very elitist, privileged white sport. Unfortunately, this film will probably best be associated for that notorious incident involving Will Smith at the Oscars, but it deserves to be remembered for celebrating the family and sisterhood that produced two legendary tennis players.

Back soon. Stay healthy!

cheers,

Devi & Amy