Go see this profile of the influential thinker. Another must-see opening this week is the drama “Wedding Doll.” But don't bother with Melissa McCarthy's latest negative caricature of female ambition in “The Boss.”
No matter how many friends she has, Melina Nakos still has no one to share her struggles and frustrations of being a double amputee. This piece is the first in Teen Voices' Girl Fuse series, an initiative by and about teen girls with disabilities.
The film is a standout example of fine art as social advocacy. This is also a big week for the revered Belgian feminist filmmaker Chantal Akerman, who died by her own hand last October at age 65.
It's hard for Muslim teens who want to date but don't want to fray family bonds or challenge their faith. “I had to do everything behind my parents' back,” one teen says. “I didn't like that.”
This year's politically-generated niche buzz words for marketers have been women and people of color. The pressure is on. Let's hope it doesn't lead to films that pander to group expectations, but don't win any Oscars.
At age 53, the ever-agile and strong-willed Michelle Yeoh defies sexism and ageism as she once again stars in a martial-arts extravaganza. This time her warrior character is coming out of retirement.
There's a reason France, not Turkey, nominated this film by a French-Turkish director. But plenty in Turkey are also embracing the film and its strong statement against early marriage, incest, rape, virginity tests and the treatment of girls as family property.
Unfortunately this biopic is in limited release. But “Race,” about Jesse Owens, is in wide release and is terrific. The cast is mostly male but Carice van Houten's portrayal of Leni Reifensthahl, the Nazi filmmaker and propagandist, is stunning.
Even if this award-winning documentary about abortion clinics cannot affect the Supreme Court decision this June, it helps to clarify the issues and reveals legislators' voting records on abortion laws that threaten to close women's reproductive health care clinics.
Other great openers this week include “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” a wonderful genre twist on Jane Austen's classic. And “Southbound” offers every kind of horror fan something to scream about.
