Like a natural woman: how the female gaze is finally bringing real life to the screen
Film and television makers have never been shy about the female form. Hollywood always valiantly ensures audiences know what its leading ladies look like in underwear, and often without, while television heaves with the bosoms of pretty ingénues in period drama. Alas, anyone with a brain will know these portrayals are far from representative of how women look and act in real life. Tired of the disconnect? Good news: today’s hottest screen hits are proving that you can discuss women’s bodies honestly, and without sexualising them, too.
Take , the scorching period drama from the French film-maker released on 21 February. Having already generated a buzz, and plenty of awards, in France, adoring reviews suggest that it’s set to do the same here. – a punchy snapshot of teenage life in the Parisian banlieues. Now she has turned her hand to a tale of lesbian passion in 18th-century Brittany.
