Here goes as a first shot (happy to add plenty more!). Both choices I now realise feature dominate women casts and story lines which may reflect changes going on in types of films being released now.1. Favourite film - Mustang" - I missed this 2015 Oscar nominated foreign language Turkish film on release but saw later on video during an international plane flight and since bought DVD since I found it so unique. Story of a family of five Turkish teenage girls in a village being pressured and in some cases rebelling against the strict Muslim rural community and its social norms they are being reared up in. A winner because of its great sense of humour and the many unknown names female ensemble performances. It was certainly lucky to be released before the onset of the Erdogan regime in that country, as one cannot see it ever getting made there now!2. Boxed set "Big Little Lies" - I am not a great watcher of TV so rely on box sets to catch up on recommended series after they have aired. This recent series given the story feels like a one off (though there are rumours of a second, so a bit like "The Handmaid's Tale" due to reception received). It boasts four great lead female performances (Nicola Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley) and given the way the story is told the male characters end up being largely peripheral but catalysts to the action. I have not read the book it is based on but the series is directed and filmed by the French Canadian team that did "Dallas Buyers Club" and the script is written by David Kelley whose main claim to fame is he wrote Ally McBeal (which I have never seen!). I was certainly hooked from the first ten minutes with the dark comedy and acidic dialogue that portrays the underbelly of the beautiful people of Monterey California as being anything but.Also at seven episodes not too long to see though in a couple of sittings!
Joe Conneely ● 3148d