Movies To Watch 9/27/2010

As a Frugally Fabuloso woman, I have, of course, a Netflix account. And I get my money's worth from it. Something I have taken to doing this month is trying to understand other women of other cultures. Which is not as simple as it may seem. But I have movies. Indie films to be exact. And yes, I am aware that movies, no matter how much truth they are based in are fantasy. But they are a good jumping off point.

So far this month I have watched in this category and highly recommend are:
The Stoning of Soraya M - Iran, 1986
White Rainbow - India
The Day I Became a Woman - Iran
Bangkok Girl : A Documentary about Thailand's Night Life - Thailand

Movies I intend to watch in the next few days:
Bamako - Mali, Africa
Not One Less - China
Lemon Tree - Palestine

I will give you all my quick view of each of the four movies I watched.
The Stoning of Soraya M - This story is based on a true story from 1986 Iran. To a woman raised in a home where female children were desired and a blessing for at least 700 years, I was...stunned. A reality check. A harsh reminder that my family is much different than other families. Through the entire film I had to remind myself that it was a modern Iran and not 1000 years ago. Be aware that the actual stoning is very realistic. The filmmaker did not shy away from showing the ugliness of what happened to this beautiful woman. This film...I can not say enough good about it without ruining it for you. But I will say this, if you see one film this year, make it this one.




White Rainbow - A beautiful story of the plight of Widows in modern day India. This story is based upon true events-the trials and tribulations of the Mali are very real. From being forced into prostitution by the "caring" men (both priests and Panda) that run the Ashrams and temples for the Mali to the squalid conditions many Mali are forced to live in. Something left over from previous eras when to be a Widow was to be a disgrace. While Bollywoodish did touch the film in parts it was done in such a clever way I cheered it on. My favorite scene is when the lead character, Priya, smacks the crap out of the vile Pramod Panda saying, and I loosely quote, "What about a woman that hits you back?!?"




The Day I Became a Woman - A disjointed film that is broken into three parts showing the ancient aspects of Maiden, Mother and Crone. That is the first thing that amazed me in this Iranian film. The film was difficult to follow as a Westerner. But I kept telling myself "Much is lost in translation". I will admit the ending left me puzzled and a touch sad. I will not reveal why but once you have seen it, you will probably feel the same way. Despite the film being three distinct stories, the filmmaker did tie all three stories together. An interesting insight into women in Iran.




Bangkok Girl : A Documentary about Thailand's Night Life - This documentary filmed in Thailand focuses on 19 year old Pla and her current life. I loved how the director Jordan Clark, gave the Thai women the face blur as well as the men in one scene. He essentially explains that while law says he has to blur the face of the men, no such luxury is afforded to the exploited women so he gives it to them. This is a bitter-sweet movie and one that has won many many awards.




Here are the other movies, in case you want to check them out for yourself.





Disclaimer: No one paid me for reviewing these movies. No one sent me the movies. This review is completely spontaneous and has no official sponsorship other than by me, Janna Hall.