52 Films by Women Vol 2. 19. UNFORGETTABLE (Director: Denise Di Novi)
The critics have been unanimous: ‘oh, no – not another crazy ex movie’. I must admit I always think that when the latest X Men movie comes out - Kelsey Grammer as a mutant? Oh my! But Unforgettable , written by Christina Hodson and directed by Denise Di Novi, who took over the reins when Amma Asante ( A United Kingdom ) dropped out, is slightly more interesting than the initial notices suggest. This is a film about two abuse victims who go head-to-head, so the reviewers who sniff ‘but the women should be empowering’ have missed the point. For a film directed by a woman, it has a surprising flaw: bad make-up. When we first meet Julia (Rosario Dawson) she is being interrogated by police who suspect her of murdering her ex, Michael Vargas (Simon Kassianides) who is lying in her kitchen with a knife through a vital organ - no, not his texting finger. She turns her head and we see fake-looking fresh blood and bruising (Caleb Deschanel’s cinematography is just a little too good). In ...