Boston Strangler Movie Review

There is something about an unsolved crime that piques our imagination. Regardless of whether one is an average person, a journalist, in law enforcement, etc, it makes us want to put on our detective hats and discover the truth.

The new Hulu film, Boston Strangler, is based on the true story of the serial killer who murdered 13 women in Boston in the early 1960s. Reporters Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley) and Jean Cole (Carrie Coon) start looking into the story when no one else will. Underestimated because they are female and expected to stay in their lane, Loretta and Jean start digging.

Though their editor, Jack Maclaine (Chris Cooper) throw them a bone, hoping to make them go away, he soon learns how tough these women are. Though the challenges in front of them are numerous, they are determined to find the murderer before another woman is found dead.

Part thriller and part feminist tale, it speaks (once more) to the fact that female representation that goes beyond the traditional model is often erased or ignored. Knightley and Coon have amazing on-screen chemistry. Their drive to succeed in a world that would send them back to home is inspiring and badass. Without the work of Cole, McLaughlin, and others of that generation, we would still be tied to the kitchen with our apron strings.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Boston Strangler is available for streaming on Hulu.

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9to5: The Story of a Movement Documentary Movie Review

Every social movement starts with a small step toward change.

The 2021 Netflix documentary, 9to5: The Story of a Movement is the real-life 9 to 5. In Boston in the 1970s, female office workers were second-class employees. Stuck in an administrative (aka the secretary) role, they were blocked from climbing the professional ladder due to their gender. Banding together, they raised their voice and fought for better pay, better opportunity, and against sexual harassment.

I loved it. My generation of women stands on the figurative shoulders of these women. Without them, we would still be making coffee and answering the phone for our male bosses. What was also apparent is that though it’s been fifty-odd years, the issues they experienced then are still being wrestled with now.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

9to5: The Story of a Movement is available for streaming on Netflix.

The Madwoman Upstairs Book Review

When Patrick Bronte died in 1861, he was the last surviving member of his immediate family. Outliving his wife and all six of his children, his legacy would have faded into history if not for the extraordinary books of his three youngest daughters.

Though history tells us that Patrick died without any descendants, author Catherine Lowell asks what if someone living today could claim otherwise. In her 2016 book, The Madwoman Upstairs, Samantha Whipple is an American woman raised in Boston who can make this kind of statement. Raised by her late unconventional father after her parent’s divorce, many believe that she has access to a treasure trove of previously unseen materials created by her ancestors. But Samantha has no knowledge of these artifacts and believes them to be fiction. When she enrolls at Oxford University, clues begin to confirm that what Samantha believes to myth is fact. Working with a handsome professor who she gets along with like oil and water, the mystery of her birthright starts to reveal itself.

I loved the first half of the book. There are plenty of Easter eggs to please the most ardent of Bronte fans. I will warn that the reader should go into the novel with at least some knowledge of their life and work. Otherwise many of the details of the plot will go over their heads. The problem is the second half. The unraveling of the truth is not as exciting as it could be. Neither is “romance” between Samantha and her professor. The sisters are known for heart pounding, blood pumping sexuality (Charlotte and Emily to be specific. Anne‘s novels are not as highly charged in that manner). There is no chemistry between the characters, nor do I believe that in their happily ever after.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

Throwback Thursday: Spotlight (2015)

The purpose of religious observance is to provide community and structure to the ins and outs of our daily lives. That does not mean, however, that some within the clergy will use their power for less than honorable means.

The 2015 film, Spotlight, tells the story of how a group of journalists at the Boston Globe discovered that the Catholic Archdiocese was covering up a decades long child molestation scandal. Led by Michael Keaton, the team includes Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, and Brian d’Arcy James. Taking place over the course of a year, the audience is taken on a journey to uncover the truth and the lengths that were taken to cover up what the church would have preferred to remain hidden.

When this movie originally came out six years ago, I tried to see it in the theater. There is a reason why it was sold out. It is gripping, intelligent, and a bare knuckle ride from start to finish. This is why we go to the movies. It is also a reminder of why journalism is so important and can never be overlooked.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

The Straight Pride Parade? Wow

It’s no secret that for most of American history (and human history), a minority has ruled the majority. This minority is the straight, White, Christian and (mostly) wealthy male minority. The rest of us have had to fight for our basic rights.

This weekend, a group of citizens decided to hold a parade in Boston. The name of the parade was the Straight Pride parade.

I suppose that the organizers see it as their version of the LGBTQ Pride parade. But this parade is nothing more than a statement of hate and reminding us who is still in charge.

We are thankfully living in an era in which those of us who have been disenfranchised have rights and opportunities that previous generations had only dreamed of. But those rights and opportunities only came about because of those previous generations who fought, marched and protested for their their rights.

I respect their right to march, but I highly disagree with the reason for the march. If we want to better this country, it’s time that we came together instead of dividing us based on superficial reasons.