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| Scene from Meek's Cutoff |
Today marks International Women's Day in which we pay tribute to the great women throughout history that have contributed to our culture in way or another. While the field is vast and infinite, there's plenty of women working in film behind the scenes worthy of your attention. So, to celebrate this occasion, I am deciding to highlight 15 films from female directors worthy of your time. To make things a little more palatable, I will only focus on cinema after 2010 just to prove that there's plenty of great women making important entertainment today. So strap in and enjoy the list that will hopefully only continue to expand as the years wear on and women get more opportunities in cinema.
The Bling Ring
Even if she isn't the most prolific, Sofia Coppola has become one of the most renowned female directors of the past decade. Starting with her sophomore film Lost in Translation, she has quickly become a defining voice in films that explore the melancholic gaze of the wealthy. Her work may be seen as vapid and dull, but films like The Bling Ring reflect her ability to explore these themes with an unnerving silence mixed into stylized obsession of celebrity culture and the "famous for being famous" myth. With one of Emma Watson's best post-Harry Potter performances, the film is a short burst of damning commentary on contemporary youth and how fame isn't going to make anyone's life better.
Citizenfour
While women have done very well in the realm of fiction, there are those like Lauren Poitras who has done their part to make documentaries a compelling resource for truth. In the case of her Edward Snowden documentary, she uncovers sensitive information as she chronicles Snowden's last days of freedom. Even if the film isn't the flashiest, it does raise a lot of compelling questions in regards to America's safety and what is lost when the NSA is wiretapping phones. If nothing else, Snowden is a lively and informed subject that is intriguing to watch as he ages and grows weary once he becomes a social pariah. It's a document of an important moment in history, and you probably should check it out before the Oliver Stone film Snowden comes out this Fall.
Cloud Atlas
Among the transgender community, there are few directors as well known or successful (in terms of recognizable work) as Lana Wachowski. With her brother Andy, they have been making films together for several decades. Still, their most ambitious and compelling yet flawed film Cloud Atlas (Tom Tykwer also co-directed) is an epic that attempts to turn sci-fi into a place for thought provocation throughout centuries by having actors play multiple roles (even different genders and races). It's a film unlike any other and - if it were to have no other legacy - remains the most expensive independent film in history. Still, this is as close as The Wachowski Siblings have come to a genuinely ambitious and exciting film since the original The Matrix.
Diary of a Teenage Girl
Among the more noteworthy upcoming directors of last year was Marielle Heller for her eyebrow-raising tale of a teenager (Bel Powley) having a taboo relationship while trying to understand her own psychological needs. It's a unique coming of age film in that it speaks about sex with a frankness and honesty that is often missing from the John Green variety. It helps that Powley gives a great performance and the strange animation transfusion makes for a surreal yet exciting film that is likely to become a cult favorite in the years to come among its target audience.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Among the best that world cinema has to offer for today, Ana Lily Amirpour's western/vampire/romance film is among the most inventive, beautiful, and creative films to appear in the last few years. Shot in black and white, the film manages to create one of the most original takes on blood sucking vampires that features skateboarding and wonderful retro music. It's eerie and authentic in ways that cinema should offer more often. One can only hope that her next film (The Bad Batch) manages to continue her winning streak of reinventing horror as something more than jump scares and gore.
The Kids Are All Right
While LGBT cinema has become more present in mainstream film, director Lisa Cholodenko's lesbian comedy became a big hit thanks to great performances by exploring the mundane aspects of their lifestyles. For many, the awkward moments of their children discovering their real father and moving away from home comes across as an inventive normalizing of a once taboo relationship. Thankfully, the film on its own is heartfelt and funny thanks to great performances by Annette Benning and Julianne Moore that strike all of the marks of what a true relationship has and suffers through on an everyday basis. It's a delightful film and one that helped to make LGBT cinema more accepted by the general public.
Meek's Cutoff
Over the course of her career, Kelly Reichardt has become one of the most exciting directors out there thanks to her ability to mix beautiful imagery with intricate stories that play out slowly but surely. In what is probably her most revered film Meek's Cutoff, she explores women on the frontier by making a western not of the action variety, but of the slow-as-molasses and uninteresting landscape. Thankfully, it doesn't distract from a powerful, quiet story that manages to bring a new take to the old west that captivates and shows the potential of the medium at its purest.
Palo Alto
Following in the path of Sofia, Gia Coppola made her debut with this adaptation of the James Franco novel "Palo Alto." The film is a free formed look into the lives of teenagers in Palo Alto, CA as they experience life. The film mostly focuses on the downtime of several characters, including some taboo relationships and children who can't help but be bad. The film plays like a dreamlike kaleidoscope and presents one of the most honest and raw depictions of youth that have been captured on film in the past few years. It may not have much of a point, but it would be hard not to be charmed by the endearment of the spry cast that feel plucked from real life. One can only hope that Gia manages to have as fruitful and successful a career as her relatives.
The Runaways
Band biopics are a dime a dozen and have been for decades now. However, Floria Sigismondi's look into the famous all girl rock band The Runaways is one of the most captivating and exciting of the lot thanks to great performances by Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. With plenty of energy, the film explores the power of femininity and exploitation in ways that create one of the most intriguing films about the expectations of women in society. It's also a tale of a nuclear family, brought together by unlikely circumstances. Unfortunately, Sigismondi hasn't had much of a film career since. Hopefully she comes back soon, as there hasn't been any filmmaker who holds a candle to her raw energy and poetic, artistic vision.
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
Among the more exciting female writers out there is Lorene Scafaria. Having previously done the screenplay for the charming Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, her end of the world romantic comedy marks her directorial debut and manages to make the most of the plot. Mixing the dark subject matter with lighthearted humor, she makes a unique vision about how important it is to feel loved. If there's one thing that's even more endearing, its her ability to write great ensemble scenes - which there are many of here. With her next film The Meddler scheduled for release this year, one can only hope that her follow-up continues to explore her intriguing tics and make her one of the best voices currently working in film.
Selma
Among the most attention-grabbing films of 2014 was Selma; a film that got attention for coming out in the center of some unfortunate real life tragedies that mirrored the events. Along with director Ava Duvernay allegedly being snubbed by The Oscars, the film came out feeling important and has only helped to keep its filmmaker in constant conversation about race and diversity in Hollywood. Thankfully, the film that boasts this legacy is itself a compelling and enjoyable look into the life of Martin Luther King Jr.. Of course, as the title suggests, this is actually about everyone involved in the march to Selma. As that stands, it's a film with a lot of purpose and is likely to become one of the most important female directed films from this decade as a result.
Stories We Tell
Following Take This Waltz, director Sarah Polley gave us the one-two punch with this documentary that looks at her own family history while exploring the art of story telling. While the story takes a look at her mother, it's also about how the narrators (various members of the Polley family) saw her and felt about her. Mixing real footage with staged sets, the film is a one of a kind look into family and how important perception can be. Even if you're not on board with Mother Polley's story (which is actually fascinating), the structure and execution should likely get you interested. It's one of the most inventive films of recent years and hopefully Polley will continue to captivate for years to come.
Tiny Furniture
Nowadays, it's easy to hear the name Lena Dunham and give a loud groan. Thanks to Girls, she is a distinct presence who mixes her comedy with frank conversations about sex and mid-20's loathing in ways that have made her a singular, divisive force. However, it's hard to remember that not even six years ago she was an unknown releasing independent films like Tiny Furniture. It's easy to see where most of her personality comes from as the film is a raw prototype for her later HBO show (even a few cast members have crossed over). Depending on your views of her later work, you'll either love or hate the film. But for those that like Girls, Tiny Furniture is an inspired predecessor that proved Dunham's gifts were only beginning to sprout.
We Need to Talk About Kevin
There are few films this decade with the unnerving power of Lynne Ramsay's look into a mother raising a problem child. Thankfully the nonlinear direction and Tilda Swinton's great performance makes for one of the scariest non-horror films in years and shows how sometimes being a mother is the scariest thing of all. It's a film of excellent precision that shows how to pull off a gimmick without losing any of the sting that comes in the phenomenal third act. It may have a predictable ending, but you'll still be too enraptured in the phenomenal direction by Ramsay to really care. It's only a miracle that Ezra Miller managed to have a career after this film since he's just so iconic in his creepiness.
Zero Dark Thirty
It would be too easy to complain that Kathryn Bigelow's tale about hunting down Osama bin Laden has too many inaccuracies. It is true that if you look at the film this way, it's got some problems. However, the film is best enjoyed as a tense exploration of obsession and how it psychologically overwhelms you. Thanks to a riveting performance by Jessica Chastain, the film's manhunt only feels secondary to the hope and drive that can be found in Chastain as she yells and pleads for the government to see her way. It may be a divisive film politically, but it's a rich and powerful film thematically, and Bigelow's interests feel like they lay more in this area.
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