Radium Girls is based on a true story about young women who worked painting radium based paint on watches and clocks in the 1920s. Directed by Lydia Dean Pilcher and Ginny Mohler, the film details a fight to get safe working conditions and help for the women who were sickened by the radium. The film is on Netflix.
Continue reading “Radium Girls tells a story of radical courage”Sir, a story of tragic and archaic class systems
Sir is an Indian film about a house maid and the rich man she works for. Set in modern day Mumbai, it shows how ancient prejudices and caste barriers still control lives and love. Netflix has the film.
Continue reading “Sir, a story of tragic and archaic class systems”For All Mankind, season 1, presents an alt version of the space race
For All Mankind brings science fiction to an alternate version of history and the space race. In this series on Apple TV+, the Soviets won the race to the moon. The fallout from that caused much of the action in the space agency, NASA, in the years following.
Continue reading “For All Mankind, season 1, presents an alt version of the space race”Short Bits about Dickinson, WandaVision and Batwoman
New and returning TV series that are released once a week are scarce these days. These three merit some comments: Dickinson, WandaVision, and Batwoman.
Continue reading “Short Bits about Dickinson, WandaVision and Batwoman”Love Life Digs into Love and Life
Love Life starts off so slowly I almost stopped watching. But by about episode 3 or 4 things started to have meaning. My first impression was it was one of those annoying angsty stories about getting dumped. By the end of season 1, Love Life delivered. A second season is already approved at HBO Max.
Continue reading “Love Life Digs into Love and Life”The Sunlit Night comes in only yellow
The Sunlit Night tells the story of Frances (Jenny Slate). Her painting career is going badly. Her parents are divorcing. Her boyfriend dumped her. The logical choice is to go to Norway to help a famous artist paint a barn using only the color yellow. This 2019 film is streaming on Hulu.
Continue reading “The Sunlit Night comes in only yellow”Pieces of a Woman feels unbearably real
Pieces of a Woman tells the story of a parent’s worst nightmare. Vanessa Kirby plays a woman whose child dies just minutes after being born. Everyone in the film deals with the grief in their own way, but Kirby’s Martha is so real in her agony that it’s painful to sit with her for the 2 hours of the film.
Continue reading “Pieces of a Woman feels unbearably real”Herself tells an Irish story of strength and courage
Herself is the story of an abused wife and mother who searches for a way to take care of her two children on her own. This Irish drama was directed by Phyllida Lloyd. It’s streaming on Prime Video.
Continue reading “Herself tells an Irish story of strength and courage”L.A.’s Finest is a clever, action packed, women cops series
L.A.’s Finest, season 1, stars Jessica Alba and Gabrielle Union as two cops in a terrifically enjoyable show that tries to be a bit of everything. It has crimes to solve, family drama, a personal vendetta, funny ties to other material, and the totally kickass leading women. You can see season 1 now on Netflix, or rent it on other streamers such as Prime Video. The second season has not been released to Netflix yet.
Continue reading “L.A.’s Finest is a clever, action packed, women cops series”The Crimson Petal and the White shows the horrors of 1870s London
The Crimson Petal and the White is a four part mini series from 2011, now streaming on Acorn TV. It’s set in 1870s London at a time when women, whether prostitutes or well-married ladies, had few options and fewer freedoms.
Continue reading “The Crimson Petal and the White shows the horrors of 1870s London”