Between the Temples & clam pie

On Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane, The Idea of You, Cha Cha Real Smooth

Today's newsletter is centered on a few cinematic couplings of older women and younger men, inspired by the release of Between the Temples. Nathan Silver’s ninth feature was a hit at Sundance earlier this year and at the box office last week. It’s long overdue for the filmmaker, and his ninth (!!) feature lavishes equal affection on both romantic parties. Movies so often tend to highlight and prioritizes the joyful revelations of the younger man over the feisty older lady when portraying this dynamic (which is also why May December was so revelatory in showing us the traumatic aspect of it).

These days filmmakers and studios are keen to focus towards the women’s perspective. For example, The Idea of You and Hello, My Name is Doris both depict woman's yearning to be seen. On the other hand, Cha Cha Real Smooth, which has Dakota Johnson as a nonsensically breathless MILF, doesn’t really update much...

I’m headed to the film festivals soon, and I’ll send out some interviews in the interim, which reminds me:

HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS

Michael Showalter, 2014

Draped in bows and bangles, Sally Fields plays a boomer fish-out-of-water styled like a geriatric Zooey Deschanel, who falls in love with the new creative director at work played by Max Greenfield (Schmidt from New Girl). What this agency does is unclear, but it employs the likes of Natsha Lyonne and Rich Sommer, which means it’s the best and worst place to work, or, just one made for television and the movies.