Good Luck To You, Leo Grande (2022) - Movie Review

It’s quite impressive how well this film turned out. I feel it’s important to open with that because there are quite a few things here that, if the production team weren’t as synchronised as they are, could’ve turned this into a complete shambles.

How To Please A Woman (2022) - Movie Review

I don’t have the best history with ‘chick flicks’. Not just with the ones I have reviewed on here, but with my general attitude towards them as well. In the past, I’ve lambasted quite a few features that fall into this heading for being empty wish fulfilment fantasies, which I perceived as talking down to their intended female audience with how contrived and basically gutless they came across. But then look at how many power fantasies I’ve reviewed that cater to the more masculine set, which arguably suffer from the exact same deficiencies, where I don’t tend to make such judgement calls. Or, at least, don’t make them nearly as often. If I had to guess, I think one last sliver of influence from the Nostalgia Critic is hanging on for dear life, as I initially got quite a bit of my perspective on the sub-genre from him, and… well, I’ve been doing this critical gig for many years now; what is a teacher if not someone to grow beyond?

I’m bringing this up both because this is something I’ve been wrestling with for a while, especially when looking at films like this, and because what appeals to women and the futility in making any blanket statements on the matter are some of the central themes of this film in particular. It’s an Aussie romantic comedy with a very Aussie approach to all things sex, where the frankness and lack of flinching about what gets discussed makes for quite refreshing material.

Miss Freelance (2019) - Short Film Review

Miss Freelance, the latest short from budding filmmaker Matthew Kyle Levine, is a cold and hardened look at relationships. We follow Maddy Murphy’s Carly, an escort in New York City, as she bounces between johns, letting the buzzing rumble of the city ring through in the background. It takes a page out of works like Steven Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience in how it creates a moody and unglamourised depiction of the work involved, one that ends up unearthing a lot of truths in regards to any kind of relationship, whether money changes hands or not.

Carly’s encounter with her partner Ben, played by Timothy J. Cox, is where the major truths come out in the open. While Ben feels neglected in their relationship, Carly feels that what they have together isn’t “real”. With her johns, they often save up money just to afford time with her, showing that they care about the time they spend together. It shows quite a bit about how validation plays into relationship dynamics, with happiness being the result of both parties giving as much as they take, and it’s something that Carly feels more strongly with her work than her off-hours time.

It packs in a lot of quiet contemplation in just under 20 minutes, letting Levine and Alex Scarlatos’ visuals and editing do most of the talking, and it makes for a pretty sombre viewing experience. It’s the kind of short that unravels in the mind after first viewing, as I admit that I find myself questioning the relationships in my own life in response to the tango of money and intimacy that is given here.

Miss Freelance from Matthew Kyle Levine on Vimeo.