As part of my SELP project, I am immersing myself in films relating to women’s issues, created by women filmmakers or having to do with single mothers. To date, I’ve watched the Vagina Monologues, Thirteen and 9 Lives.
9 Lives is a series of 9 loosely connected vignettes about various women. Each vignette is a single, uninterrupted take. Each woman in the film was complex and multi-layered and yet they were just a facet of all women, a different face for a different day.
The men in the film seemed brutish and awkward by comparison, even the most gallant failing to share a plane of equality with any of the female characters.
I was pleased to see Holly Hunter again, nuanced and wonderful. If you need to be reminded of Robin Wright Penn’s acting caliber, this is the film to check out.
The final story, a simple tale of mother and daughter, enacted by Glen Close and Dakota Fanning, cut me to the core. I thought I was observing a simple slice of life, but the reveal, accomplished with the simple rotation of the camera showed me the truth.
1. 9 Lives
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
I hope you don’t mind that I stumbled across your blog. (It’s been verrrrrrrrry slow at work and I’ve had too much time for goofing off.) I’m curious about your take on ‘women’s issues.’ I find that men are either indignant that such a thing could exist or ghettoize any complaint by a woman as a ‘women’s issue.’
I don’t mind at all, Smarty. My blog is there to be read.
I guess by “women’s issues,” I mean the complex network of needs, desires and circumstances they face in relationships as well as the many roles they are called on to play in life. My definition also includes the physicality of being a woman and what sometimes goes along with that (pregnancy, breast cancer, birth control, etc.). I also include their perception and treatment by men.
Oh, good. Now I can read all the latest Drey gossip without feeling guilty. 😀
Well, I’ve read your blog in the past, so I guess it is only fair.
It’s interesting to me also that the film was directed and written by a man.
Hope the program is moving forward, and many ideas are flowing your way!!!
Did you learn any pertinent facts about Bollywood or my slow social life?
I don’t know about “pertinent facts,” but the take home message was that you know a ton more about Bollywood films than I could ever hope to!
I’m intrigued that you read manga (or at least you’ve read one manga).
Oh, I’ve read a lot of manga – all different types. I tend to stick to the shojo stuff, though, because I’m a sucker for romance. That one reason I love Bollywood so much, too!
Do you need recommendations?
While I do enjoy manga, I don’t actively seek it out. That being said, I’m currently reading Samurai Crusader written by Hiroi Oji and illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami (Crying Freeman, Sanctuary). It is a wonderful romp around the world and features Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, a cat burglar, robots, ninjas and the titular samurai.
Sounds interesting… I just started a great series about a group of misfit Buddhist students who decide to start a business seeking revenge for corpses they find: “Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service.”
Have you read Osuma Tezuka’s “Buddha” or “Phoenix” series? They are some of my other favorite non-shojo stuff.
Phoenix has been recommended to me, but I haven’t read it. I’m not as familiar with his manga as I am his anime, and even then I haven’t seen a lot of it.