52 Films by Women Vol 5. 7. QUEEN AND SLIM (Director: Melina Matsoukas)
Contains spoilers There will be a point – and we are almost there – at which singling out a film because it is directed by a woman will no longer be necessary. I propose a benchmark: a twelve-month period in which five films directed by women gross $100 million at the domestic US box office. At that moment, there will be no case to answer. Women directors will have proven themselves capable of marshalling large budgets, being able to produce popular films (not just critically acclaimed ones) and earning millions of dollars for the studios that either produce or acquire the movie. This year, Amy Pascal of Sony Pictures, is seeing the fruits of greenlighting films helmed by Elizabeth Banks, Greta Gerwig and Marielle Heller that might just join Lorene Scafaria’s Hustlers in the $100 million club. Whilst Heller’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood , starring Tom Hanks as nice-guy entertainer Fred Rogers, has made a strong start ($13 million opening weekend), Banks’ Charlie’s Ange...