Tag Archives: Ageism

Finding Your Feet (2018)

Two films about old people attracted my attention this week: Finding Your Feet (2018) and Eternity And A Day (1998). I had seen the latter 19-20 years ago but I only remembered the two characters : an old man and a … Continue reading

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EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN (1994) film genres…

  My Father was the centre of the family, and everybody tried to please him. My Mother loves me and everything goes well. I have no conflict whith her, so that’s not dramatic. Ang Lee  Why was I not offended by … Continue reading

Posted in Ageing, Ang Lee, classic film, fable, food, grief, love, melodrama, three generations of women, women's friendships | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mrs. Caldicot’s Cabbage War (2002)

Before I write about the EON (Ealing Over 60 network) film session Mrs. Caldicot’s Cabbage War I would like to quote again the most outrageously sexist/ageist example in journalism that I have encountered in my extensive reading about films.   … Continue reading

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SUMMER REFLECTIONS on films featuring old women.

Too hot to think clearly. Too hot to sit for a long time looking at the screen. Too hot to remember the times spent talking about ageing and films. The laughs and  heated discussions.   My friends long departed. Is … Continue reading

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EALING OLDIES NETWORK FILM SESSION

Our March film session at the Ealing Oldies Network was poorly attended due to the snow and treacherous slippery streets. My need to go back home early was imperative. There were only 8 women present and I decided to talk … Continue reading

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Make Mine Mink (1960) at the Ealing Oldies Network meeting.

I was asked by the Ealing Oldies Network to show them a film and lead the following discussion. EON is a friendship group of old people who meet locally every Monday. It is self organised, people share their knowledge and … Continue reading

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HOW WE ‘CONSUME’ CINEMA

A member of our film group sent me a link to an article by Tom Lamont. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/dec/03/film-streaming-future-of-movie-going The 21st. century has seen a revolution in how we consume cinema, from streaming a movie the day it is released to forking … Continue reading

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Ali: Fear Eats the Soul. An older woman’s view.

When I first saw Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, years ago I did not record my thoughts or the film group’s. I just remember that I had a strong feeling that Fassbinder explored ageing and ageism as well as racism … Continue reading

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ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL.

The film I chose for the old women in film group this month was Fassbinder’s Ali: Fear Eats The Soul (1974) . I saw it a long time ago with a group in the context of old women in film but at … Continue reading

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AGEISM IN HOLLYWOOD.

I was appalled to read in the Guardian 28/09/16 Short Cuts, under the title Is this a cure for ageist casting disasters?. “a landmark law, effective from next year, in California only, that permits actors to request the removal of … Continue reading

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THE RARE AND RIDICULE. Ageism in Hollywood popular films.

  The online Guardian of 14 Sept,  headlined “Older characters underrepresentated and ridiculed in Hollywood”. Under a close-up  of Helen Mirren’s face and neck unretouched showing her lines and wrinkles the article proceeds to report: …research conducted by the Media, … Continue reading

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Chronic: palliative care or a man’s portrait?

Holidays. Time to reflect on some questions I asked myself after a few viewings.  In my post about Wrinkles I wrote: “But one cannot help being intrigued by the predominantly male atmosphere of the film when it is common knowledge that … Continue reading

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MISS ROBIN HOOD (1952)

Report by Rita of the film group meeting on June 3rd. There were 8 of us at the session. General discussion Overall, the women in the group felt the film was not very enjoyable and engaging. We could see that … Continue reading

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TATIE DANIELLE (1990)

This is the third group of older women who viewed and discussed the film apart from the 101 U3A members (see previous post in 2005 and resources for the BFI Guide to Older Women in Film). I was surprised again … Continue reading

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LA VIEILLE FEMME INDIGNE (1965)

Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are. Bertolt Brecht. When I decided to look at the representation of the old woman in films for my MA in 1997 I thought I would … Continue reading

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The Ladykillers (1955) revisited

We were only 6 members aged between 58 and 81 to see The Ladykillers.  A good discussion followed the viewing. Subjects :  stereotyping, the ambiguity of Mrs.Wilberforce’s character, her clothes,  the word irritating was often voiced,  the difficulty of agreeing on slapstick humour. Generally I … Continue reading

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Went The Day Well ? (1942)

For the film group this month I chose Went The Day Well? I had seen the film, probably at the NFT, a long time ago. At the time I had just started to research the subject. The film impressed me because … Continue reading

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THE WINTER GUEST (film reception)

Ever since I compared film critics’ and a group of older women’s views of Le Chat*  I have been interested in the way people react to films. Why are some elements of the film not perceived, or registered and what is … Continue reading

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The Second Marigold Hotel

“Just because I’m looking at you when you talk, don’t think I’m listening — or even interested.”  Maggie Smith to Judy Dench I had a free couple of hours and decided reluctantly to see The Second Exotic Marigold Hotel as a … Continue reading

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TATIE DANIELLE (1990) The little old woman

” I am a lonely old woman in the hands of a lunatic.” Tatie Danielle  It is difficult to write about Tatie Danielle.  A film hard to categorise. It is not black comedy nor satire as it is sometimes described being … Continue reading

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MAMADRAMA (2001) The Jewish Mother Stereotype

http://www.jewishfilm.org/Catalogue/films/mamadrama.html This will be a very personal view of the documentary Mamadrama: The Jewish Mother in Cinema.(2001). When I arrived from the Middle East and settled in London I was puzzled by the expression “She is such a Jewish Mother”. … Continue reading

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THE OLD WOMAN WHO WALKED IN THE SEA (1991)

I found a VHS subtitled copy of The Old Woman Who Walked in the Sea. I had seen the film ages ago but must have decided not to show it to the film group because of its language. Now when … Continue reading

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OPENING NIGHT (1977) : Inside I feel 18 years old

In my previous post I analysed a 4 minutes scene where Myrtle is challenged about her inability to act the role of an older woman, Virginia, or disclose her age. This crucial scene occurs nearly half way through the film. It … Continue reading

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OPENING NIGHT: age does not matter?

I cannot remember when I first saw Cassavetes’ Opening Night (1977), maybe before I got interested  in the representation of old women in film.  All I remember is that I came out of the cinema bewildered. I did not understand its style, … Continue reading

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ADVANCED STYLE (2014): not a work of art.

Oh dear! what can I say ? In my last post I quoted Bazin about reviews: “Let us say that the ideal would be to be able to help efficiently those we like and to have little influence on the … Continue reading

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AGEISM AND FILM REVIEWS

I am attending a course on Writing On Film at the Picturehouse Hackney. It is led by Barbara Knorpp and Allan Bairstow. The first session gave me the opportunity of looking at Andre Bazin again. In my youth I used to … Continue reading

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Cultural Gerontology and Films

On the film front the 8th International Conference on Cultural Gerontology was not very exciting for me as opposed to other presentations.  SEE: http://ageingageismdiary.wordpress.com The majority of papers on visual representation were about TV programmes none of which were familiar to … Continue reading

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NEBRASKA (2013) part 1

In the last few months I have been unable to attend the U3A screenings at the Lexi but this week I managed to see Nebraska.  I usually do not comment on films after a first viewing and I thought that … Continue reading

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SOUS LE SABLE (UNDER THE SAND)

A little while ago Under the Sand (2000) was considered for screening at an event on ageing.   I had excluded it from my blog and film group list because Charlotte Rampling was 54 years old when Ozon shot this mystery … Continue reading

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The Old Woman and some British Comedies.

Whisky Galore (1949) was shown on the TV at the approach to Xmas. A very male comedy where Georges’ mother, a controlling bigot with no redeeming features, treats her adult son like a naughty child.   The part is played by Jean … Continue reading

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