Feminist Tendencies
Feminism as a concept has gone in and out of vogue since the first suffragette demanded the right to vote, but throughout history there have always been remarkable women, prepared to claim their power in the name of a cause ('Ride to Freedom: The Rosa Parks Story', 'Veronica Guerin'), or just to rediscover their own self-worth ('Shirley Valentine', 'My Brilliant Career'). This collection does not only contain films about the political struggle of women to achieve equality ('Iron Jawed Angels'), if it did it would be a very short list because despite the fact that the rise of women in the workforce and in politics was one of the defining movements of the 20th century, very few films have been made on the subject - filmmaking being still a largely male-dominated pusuit. Now, as women are making films in greater numbers than ever, our own Niki Caro is a good example of someone ready and willing to tell a story about the oppression, and ultimate triumph of women in the 'post-feminist' 1980s ('North Country'). Perhaps women as an audience are now ready and willing to hear their own stories.
Bend it Like Beckham (2002)
6.7/10
Director: Gurinder Chadha
Starring: Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Juliet Stevenson
A sheer delight of a film about a young soccer player who overcomes personal obstacles to score a winning goal in the final seconds of a crucial match... Read more
Whip It (2009)
6.9/10
Director: Drew Barrymore
Starring: Daniel Stern, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis, Marcia Gay Harden, Jimmy Fallon, E...
Drew Barrymore's feature directing debut (she also produced and co-stars) is this hilarious comedy starring Ellen Page ("Juno") as Bliss Cavendar, a s... Read more
Tenko: Series 1 - Episodes 1 - 5 (1981)
8.8/10
Director: Various
Starring: Stephanie Beacham, Ann Bell, Stephanie Cole, Louise Jameson, Eiji Kusuhara, Burt...
In 1941 the terrors of war-torn Europe seem far away for the small community of ex-pat Brits living in Singapore. But their privileged lives are soon... Read more
Mrs Dalloway (1997)
6.9/10
Director: Marleen Gorris
Starring: Rupert Graves, Natascha McElhone, Vanessa Redgrave
From the novel by Virginia Woolf, and recalling a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway (Vanessa Redgrave), an MP's wife preparing for a party that she... Read more
Gilmore Girls: Season 6 (2005)
8.1/10
Director: Jamie Babbit, Linda Mendoza, Lee Shallat Chemel, Robert Berlinger, Jackson Douglas, Amy Sherman-Palladino, David Palladino
Starring: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Melissa McCarthy, Scott Patterson, Keiko Agena, Ya...
More fun, more flames, more flameouts: more Gilmore. The much-loved mother-daughter duo return for another 22 episodes full of supersonic banter with... Read more
Eat Pray Love (2010)
5.7/10
Director: Ryan Murphy
Starring: Billy Crudup, Javier Bardem, Julia Roberts, Richard Jenkins, James Franco, Viola...
Believing there's more to life than a husband, house and career, Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) finds herself with a new appetite for life in this inspir... Read more
Love And Other Catastrophes (1996)
6.3/10
Director: Emma-Kate Croghan
Starring: Frances O'Connor, Alice Garner, Radha Mitchell
Students Alice and Mia move into a new flat and plan a party while looking for another flatmate, as well as trying to sort out their loves and lives a... Read more
Private Benjamin (1980)
6.1/10
Director: Howard Zieff
Starring: Goldie Hawn, Eileen Brennan, Armand Assante
Goldie Hawn is delightful as a spoiled Jewish/American princess who decides to get away from her life by joining the "new liberal" Army. Her army camp... Read more
Gilmore Girls: Season 1 (2000)
8.1/10
Director: Danny Leiner, Gail Mancuso, Matthew Diamond, Bruce Seth Green, Sarah Pia Anderson, Michael Katleman, Alan Myerson, Nick Marck, Robert Berlinger, Amy Sherman, Dennis Erdman, Rodman Flender, Joe Ann Fogle, Chris Long, Kevin Dowling, Lesli Linka Glatter, Nicole Holofcener, Steve Gomer, Jamie Babbit
Starring: Keiko Agena, Alexis Bledel, Lauren Graham, Edward Herrmann, Melissa McCarthy, Ja...
Welcome to the picture perfect town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Home to wilful single mom, Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham), and her equally determin... Read more
Stripped (2001)
4.9/10
Director: Jill Morley
Receiving enthusiastic receptions at Film Festival screenings, this documentary focuses on the gritty realities of a stripper's life. Writer/director... Read more