phyllisknox

To see women actors of such talent and achievement in such a truly awful film was such a heartbreaker. That these women agreed to do some misogynistic amateurish no-brain sitcom was appalling. I hope the were all paid well. As far as seeing it, here is what showed up for me, a silly, trite, sexist, elitist, shallow and downright stupid film. Oh gawd, The Women puts back women to a time that has never even existed! eeeeyikes!

This film rewards you....it is worth every moment of your watching time. The beauty of its title, the sweetness and affirming image of a yellow handkerchief...like a yellow ribbon is about waiting,welcome and coming home. The Yellow Handkerchief is a road trip movie. It is a quiet, quirky ride around the roads of Louisiana. It plays like real people who make real reconciliations and whose lives keep us captured and moving and flowing forward. William Hurt gives a performance of a supreme subtlety and beauty. Kristen Stewart, Eddie Redmayne and Maria Bello breath life into their characters. It is so rare to find such a sensitive cast that really click...a great ensemble piece ...all with a quiet nobility. Watch it.

If you love magical realism, folk and fairy tales and absolutely beautiful cinematography, this one is for you. "Hanna" has the beauty and luminosity of Babette's Feast crossed with the grit of a very tight action film. Beautifully written, with a wonderful tension between the believable and fantastic, it reminded me a little of the novels of South American magic realism. It is smart, sweet, acrid and transcendent in turns and all though out. It is set in the Arctic, Morocco and the US and Germany, giving us a taste of the wild and exotic played against the bustle, flash and sophistication of diverse cities. The scenes that set us up to care for Hanna and her father at the beginning of the film, cast a mystical glamour over the whole viewing experience, and acts as a foil for the rest movie. The acting of main players Soierse Ronan, Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett carry the film to the very end, Cate is frightening and blood-chilling in this one. There is seamless character acting by all supporting cast. The conundrum of just who and what Hanna is and who she will become keeps things taut and true to the very end.