Chantilly Bridge

I just saw Chantilly Bridge at the Village East in NYC - and it is an incredible gem of a movie, and one of the first in the long time where I felt I was on a journey with the audience - we laughed, gasped, cried - basically went through the rollercoaster of the movie (and life's emotions) together. It's about female friendship and the ties that bind us together -- and what we might just think could pulls apart is what's those relationships deeper and more resonant. The ensemble cast was just brilliant, familiar women who you just want to root for. I really am still finding the words to describe it. (Did not see Chantilly's Lace prior, so now I have to hunt that down).

The film is a poignant follow-up to 1993's Chantilly Lace. Chantilly Bridge is a story about growing older and stronger and softer with one another-summed up in a single line from the film: 'what gets stitched together when you keep reaching out.' I appreciated the impromptu intimacy of the dialogue, kind of a refreshing change in this era of big-budget blockbusters. I also loved the setting and the way it encapsulated a certain poetry when it comes to the beauty and complexity of female friendships. Gorgeously shot in the stark light of winter, Chantilly Bridge is one for all seasons of life.

Good cast, great acting, a moving story of female friendship enduring through time. It feels "real" as if you were eavesdropping on a group of old friends who really care for each other. They have not met together in 25 years - that was the time of the first movie, Chantilly Lace, when they were in their forties and fiery. Fiery they still are. Jill Eikenberry, Talia Shire, Lindsay Crouse, Helen Slater pick up their roles as if they had never ceased to inhabit them. They are joined by Patricia Richardson and Naaji Kenn. It's rare to see actors so clearly at ease in their roles that they don't seem to be acting. Is it based on a real story? Asked the woman seated beside me today. They are getting older and their questions reflect that as they tangle with the fear of losing a job, the reality of being fired, the possible staleness of a long marriage. They share intimate secrets and sexual fantasies. What does it mean to get older and to fear becoming invisible. They truly like each other and will keep fighting for the right to a fulfilling life.

Chantilly Bridge is a must see for anyone who cares for a group of women wonderfully alive and moving - great actors doing their best under the caring eye of director Linda Yellen.

Linda Yellen's CHANTILLY BRIDGE is a love note to the indomitability of female friendship and the beauty and complexities of found family as we age, love and grow. Though a sequel to Yellen's CHANTILLY LACE, seeing the prior film is not a prerequisite. I hadn't and yet was immediately swept up in each woman's quietly fraught world, cheering for her triumphs and mourning the inevitable losses and compromises that are part and parcel of the landscape of every life. Unvarnished dialogue, an authentic rapport and warmth among the characters, stellar storytelling and gorgeous filmography (the backdrop is the spartan beauty of a rural Upstate New York winter) make CHANTILLY BRIDGE an absolute must see.

This film holds you in its heart from beginning to end. It was authentic & relatable on every level. Acting, writing, directing, music, cinematography - all riveting, all right on the mark. The best friends in the story become your best friends, their struggles, your struggles, their joy, your joy. Yes, it's a film about women and friendship, but men should see it as well. So much insight. It will enlighten and enrich you. I've also never seen a movie that is so lyrical, not just in the dialogue, but in the way the dialogue, music and action are all put together. Kudos to these wonderful actors, and the writer, director, cinematographer and everyone else who worked on this film and put it together in such a beautiful way. Thank you. I will cherish this film and watch it, again and again.