Matriarch Madness: The Elite Eight

We are wasting no time here. The Battle for the Final Four is nigh!

An Iranian graphic novel adaptation, a groundbreaking French film, a queer cult classic, a children's movie, a delicious Jane Austen adaptation, a visually iconic Bonnie & Clyde reinterpretation, the FIRST film to ever receive an Oscar nomination for a WOMAN DIRECTOR, and Sofia's luckiest project to date - these films span from 1993 to 2020 and couldn't be more different. 
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​May the Greatest Matriarchs Win!!!

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I fucking love Persepolis and you should too, but I will NEVER RECOVER FROM HOW THE FLAWLESS, SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE THAT WAS Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
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The winner is... Celine Sciamma

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What a weird set of movies to compare, huh? I see you, Baby Gay Lohan, but what Babbit did with But I’m A Cheerleader transcends filmmaking and falls into the beloved, cherished, and envious bracket all of its own: the cult classic. ​

The winner is... Jamie Babbit

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This one is NOT easy. Emma was - dare I say it? - brand fucking new. Yes, you’re going to see sprinkles of Wes Anderson and a heavy dash of Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, but de Wilde managed to make a WHOLE NEW THING with her take on Jane Austen, something that I am not generally impressed with. Do yourself a favor and please watch the sheer deliciousness that is Emma. ​

And if you REALLY care about yourself, about unparalleled filmmaking, about #BlackLivesMatter (oh yeah, I went there) and about women who are about to fucking take over Hollywood, watch Queen & Slim fucking immediately. I do not say this lightly: it is a masterpiece.

The winner is... Melina Matsoukas

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I feel like an asshole admitting this, but you know what? I’m a little relieved Coppola’s reign has finally come to an end. YES she is a great director, YES she makes good movies, but YES she is also just the *tiniest* bit overrated. You know who is NOT overrated? Jane Campion, one of the many women who literally paved the way for this entire bracket to even happen. I bow before the sacred, timeless beauty that is The Piano, and you should too.

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