Fierce, flawed, and fascinating females in film
From Manhattan to Versailles, these female-led films captivate with their style, strength, and sass. Whether figuring out friendships, fighting battles, or ruling empires, the females in these movies are worth revisiting to celebrate how women take center stage in any era.
Across genres and centuries, these films celebrate women who are fierce, flawed, and fascinating. Whether ruling courts, city streets, or battlefields, they prove why they remain unforgettable and unstoppable.
‘Sex and the City’
Unabashedly frothy at two-and-a-half hours, “Sex and the City: The Movie” (SATC) almost wore out its welcome. It’s good that the beloved SATC cast still holds enough nostalgic charm to keep audiences engaged.
SATC fans and LGBTQ+ audiences will appreciate the film’s scattered witticisms and dramatic moments. It was frustrating that several scenes were cut, despite the R-rating.
At 52, Kim Cattrall (playing the 50-year-old Samantha) is still undeniably stunning! Cynthia Nixon (Miranda) is 42 but seems older, while Kristin Davis (Charlotte) is 43 but looks the youngest. Sarah Jessica Parker (Carrie) is 43, and it shows. Her lean, muscular frame made some outfit choices seem oddly age-inappropriate. Her earnest acting and the emotional investment audiences have in her character saved her from becoming overly sentimental.
The years have been kinder on the guys. Jason Lewis (Smith Jerrod) is still incredibly gorgeous, and Chris Noth (Big) still looks like that strutting cartoon rooster Foghorn Leghorn. David Eigenberg (Steve) is still the weak but likable twit, while Evan Handler (Harry Goldenblatt) is content to be a useful prop.
Jennifer Hudson’s Louise brings much-needed diversity and warmth to the foursome’s world, offering a fresh perspective beyond the usual SATC ensemble, without leaning too heavily into stereotypes.
Directed, written, and produced by Michael Patrick King, SATC arrived with high expectations. When it came to couture, it delivered (likely spanning a year just to showcase all fashion seasons). While it won’t satisfy every fan’s emotional attachments to specific characters and storylines, the girls still serve clever lines for those who care. Rating: 7/10.
‘DOA: Dead or Alive’
While SATC celebrates friendships and fashion, “DOA” takes a different route: empowered women throwing punches and taking names in a high-energy action flick.
This film is pure fun! With a stellar cast of badass women delivering the action, it’s an entertaining adaptation of the popular video game. Director Corey Yuen (“The Transporter,” “So Close”) ensures the action sequences are the main event, highlighting the cast’s impressive fight choreography. After all, Yuen is the mastermind behind Jet Li’s and Jean-Claude Van Damme’s fight choreography.
The leading ladies nailed their fight sequences, even if the plot and some supporting characters were forgettable.
Jaime Pressly’s lifetime of gymnastics paid off; her physique is seriously impressive. Holly Valance flexed how she can be a triple threat (acts/dances/sings). Devon Aoki is an honest-to-goodness Eurasian supermodel who is believable as a kung fu princess because she is one(!). Watch out for another lovely Eurasian, Natassia Malthe (yes, part Pinay), a pseudo-villain with purple hair. Rating: 7/10.
‘Marie Antoinette’
Director Sofia Coppola turns voyeur in her version of the infamous Marie Antoinette. It reads straight out of a Wikipedia entry on the subject (the script is based on Antonia Fraser’s book) but doesn’t aim to educate; rather, it affords a glimpse of the young queen’s human side, showing how she lived, which seemed to explain how she couldn’t possibly have maliciously intended to ruin France.
Kirsten Dunst was a good choice to play the teen queen, transcending credibly from a 15-year-old to a mature woman. She played her character earnestly and endured the punishing, intimate shots of intense close-ups and disturbingly silent scenes. Jason Schwartzman was also adequate in playing the role of Marie Antoinette’s similarly young and inept king.
The visuals are stunningly rich, establishing shots straight out of Victorian paintings. The lush clothes, furniture, landscapes, and light all delightfully intertwine into what is believably accurate and painfully shallow. For this, Coppola successfully replicated the period better than other grayer, more formal period films. She patiently shot inordinately long scenes that allowed the audience to empathize with the awkward idleness of the time.
Coppola’s storytelling is deliberately subdued, relying more on atmosphere than dialogue.
The creative choice of juxtaposing moody new wave music from the 1980s (supplied by Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, etc.) surprisingly fit the illustrative sequences. Even the performances take a back seat to the film’s aesthetic, reinforcing the idea that Marie Antoinette was just a piece of the larger machinery of French society. According to Coppola’s candy-colored vision, Marie Antoinette can’t be blamed; she merely played her part, dutifully and desperately. Rating: 7/10.
