Blyss Cleveland

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Her POV: ‘Babygirl’ is all tension with no release

Jan 20, 2025 | stanforddaily.com | Blyss Cleveland

In her column “Her POV,” Blyss Cleveland reviews classic and contemporary films directed by women. “Babygirl” (2024) examines whether the unequal power dynamics of age-gap relationships are mitigated when the older partner is a woman. The story is even more complicated because it is a workplace affair involving sadomasochism.
Her POV: ‘Madeline’s Madeline’ artfully breaks down the parent-child bond

Jan 12, 2025 | stanforddaily.com | Blyss Cleveland

In her column “Her POV,” Blyss Cleveland reviews classic and contemporary films directed by women. Content warning: This review contains references to mental health that may be troubling to some readers. Parent-child relationships can be bewildering. For children, it can be flummoxing to be confronted with situations where someone who made your life possible makes it harder to be in the world. Conversely for parents, knowing a child their entire life doesn’t mean he or she isn’t a stranger.
‘Anora’ mostly avoids tired tropes about sex work

Nov 12, 2024 | stanforddaily.com | Blyss Cleveland

Writer and film director Sean Baker’s “Anora” is a modern-day Cinderella story. In this version, the protagonist is a sex worker, and her prince is the son of a Russian oligarch. It’s a sexy, exciting and funny film until the disenchanting third act. In the movie released in May, Anora (Mikey Madison), or “Ani,” is a 23-year-old stripper who supplements her income by escorting. She lives with her sister in Brighton Beach, a Brooklyn neighborhood with a large Russian-speaking population.
Her POV: ‘Woman of the Hour’ frames skepticism as a silent killer of women

Oct 29, 2024 | stanforddaily.com | Blyss Cleveland

In her column “Her POV,” Blyss Cleveland reviews classic and contemporary films directed by women. Content warning: This article contains references to sexual violence. Despite the greater awareness of violence against women in the post #MeToo era, most preventative measures target potential victims instead of would-be perpetrators. It is a sign of positive societal change that there are more supportive services for survivors. But we exist in a world where many victims are still met with disbelief.
Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’ remix is a completely new return to form

Oct 25, 2024 | stanforddaily.com | Blyss Cleveland

Four months after releasing her sixth studio album “Brat” and changing the trajectory of Kamala Harris’ campaign, Charli XCX is back with new music. With several guest appearances from musicians who make cameos in the Charli XCX universe, the remixed album, “Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat,” is a return to form.
‘Good’ Girlhood: 7 female-focused coming-of-age films

Oct 15, 2024 | stanforddaily.com | Blyss Cleveland |Jen Silverman |Aslihan Unaldia

When I pitched my column “‘Good’ Girlhood,” Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” (2023) was the number one film at the box office. I wanted to capitalize on the appetite for coming-of-age films about women and spotlight movies that I think Daily readers would be interested in watching. About three weeks into its theatrical run, “Barbie” had grossed a billion dollars, making Gerwig the only woman with a solo directing credit to achieve this .
‘We Are Lady Parts’ tunes into the business of art

Sep 30, 2024 | stanforddaily.com | Blyss Cleveland

Three years after its debut, “We Are Lady Parts” returns with a triumphant second season. Created, written and directed by Nida Manzoor, the show’s depiction of a British all-female Muslim punk band revisits themes from the first season — identity, representation and the commodification of art — with greater depth and nuance.
‘Turtles All the Way Down’: Thin lines between self-care and self-absorption

May 17, 2024 | newsbreak.com | Blyss Cleveland

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‘Turtles All the Way Down’ explores self-care vs -absorption

May 17, 2024 | stanforddaily.com | Blyss Cleveland

This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques. “All you can be is in love,” Aza Holmes (Isabela Merced) explains toward the end of the film adaptation of John Green’s “Turtles All the Way Down.” She is saddened that one cannot be “in hope” or “in friendship” — love is the only emotional state that people inhabit in everyday conversation.
How to Have Sex’ is about the before and after

May 14, 2024 | stanforddaily.com | Blyss Cleveland

Content warning: This article contains references to sexual violence. This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques. There are communication dynamics that are infuriating once you notice them. One rhetorical tactic that annoys me is when people hear me say “no” to a request and understand this as the start of a negotiation. Writer and director Molly Manning Walker’s provocatively-titled feature film debut, “How to Have Sex,” explores this dynamic in great detail.