Ricki and The Flash (Official Poster) [2]A story of an aged rock star who gets the chance to reconnect with her family after a sudden event. Starring none other than Hollywoods own , the one the only Meryl Streep, ‘Ricki and The Flash’ turns an otherwise aged tale of dis-abandonment for the chasing of one’s dream, into a heartfelt, sensitive and touching (at times) comedy film.
See the official trailer here [1]:
Upon reviewing Meryl Streep’s character of an aged rock star who is still ‘hip’ in her own right. I’d say her character is quite unique in the way that she never stopped chasing her dreams, even if it meant leaving her family behind. What makes her character stand out is that she’s not afraid to keep going, strumming her way each day with small gigs and small/medium crowds. She’s a fighter when it comes to reaching for what she wants. However what’s very raw and earnest is her ability to know when her family needs her, even if she hasn’t been present for most of their lives. She’s a character which doesn’t want to let her estranged family down, even if she’s let them down so many times before. She’s one which is truthful, dignified and a bit crazy at times (but who isn’t!).
Ricki and The Flash also boasts some more stellar talent in the form of Kevin Kline (Ricki’s ex- husband) and Mamie Gummer (Ricki’s daughter in need). Both actors warm naturally to Streep’s character in a very dysfunctional, awkward yet comfortable way (as the storyline demands). Both act effortlessly in their respective character roles, giving off star energy to each scene, allowing us as the audience to be drawn into their situations, character mapping and emotions. Which for some actors, is quite hard as not many can gel into a scene so naturally as Mammie Gummer and Kevin Kline do. With the latter being a very experienced actor, on par with Streep herself.
Rating: 7.5/10
To conclude, Ricki and The Flash (directed by Jonathan Demme) is a light-hearted watch, which is heavy on drama and emotion. Get ready to face the music and feel all kinds of a family’s love, in all its dysfunctional messy form. Let the films music touch your heart strings and be ready to feel surprised by Meryl Streep’s ability to gel into a rockstar avatar like never before.
With an outstanding performance by Meryl Streep, Ricki and The Flash surely draws you in a little too slowly, but it definitely is worth it! As the drama picks up along side lots of emotion fairly soon, as it’s needed the most.
Overall Ricki and The Flash is extremely sensitive and funny, with lots of drama and star power.
Mrs Incredible Gif [1]For many years in film, we have been taken in by the heroes courage, their fearlessness, and admiration. Whether that’s them saving someone in need, a dire state, a ruined empire or giving back to the poor. They have always been seen as a very symbolic figure in the history of film. However, the definition of who a Hero truly is has been developed and added to over the years.
First off, the definition of a ‘Hero’ can be stated as the following: “A person who is admired for having done something very brave or having achieved something great”.-Cambridge Dictionary[3]
Recently I watched the reboot of ‘Ghostbusters’ starring an all-female cast for the fist time! Having initial scepticism beforehand (due to polarising negative reviews towards the Ghostbusters Trailer (views)[6], I watched the film not expecting too much. After watching it completely, I was thoroughly impressed and proud of the brave move by Paul Feig (the director) in constructing a female cast for the reboot of a predominantly male cult classic. This really made me think as to why many did not like the reboot, thus dawning on me for a while. Until I realised how far ‘The Female Heroine’ has come along in recent years. Considering that many female characters are now featured as ‘the heroes’ rather than the stereotypical damsel in distress. Although the film industry still has a long way to come, ‘The Female Hero’ is certainly becoming a norm, with ‘Ghostbusters’ being just one example of how females can easily do what males do, dare I say even better! Gone are the days where females wait to be rescued, as now it seems they are rescuing themselves. Which is not only refreshing but also inspiring, as it high time that the true term of ‘a female boss’ can be appreciated wholly.
Another example of ‘The Female Hero’ or in its more common term ‘The Female Heroine’ includes the latest Superhero film ‘Wonder Woman’ (yet to be released) chronicling the life of Wonder Woman from a young girl to an adult combatting war and evil. For me, the character of DC’s Wonder Woman transcends the female hero to new heights. Considering that the hero themselves stand for hope, courage amongst many other attributes. I would say relating the concept of the ‘female hero’ to film, that this certainly sets out a new roll out, of the importance of this notion that anything males can do, females can do the same. Considering that in many years of film, we have conditioned ourselves in seeing solid action films (Die Hard Series & Mission Impossible) focusing on the ‘male hero’ in its true heterosexual form. Where they are seen to be clever, strong, good looking and brave, making sure to save the damsel in distress and defeating the bad guys.
I would say however that this ‘hero mentality’ doesn’t really apply to female heroine films. As its more about what they represent and how their involvement inspires many young girls to have that ‘I can..’ attitude in stepping out of their comfort zone and breaking barriers down (whether that’s in female-centric sports such as Rugby etc.)
To conclude, I would say that ‘female heroes’ are ever evolving more so now than ever. Whether that means receiving more prominence as the ‘saviour’ or even gaining more of a ‘fearless’ status rather than one which requires them standing on the sidelines waiting to be saved.
The example of successful ‘female heroes’ shown on the silver screen would have to include the following: Ghostbusters (2016), The Hunger Games(2012-15) and Wonder Woman (trailer). The Edge of Tommorow(2014) can also be added to this list, however, it’s important to insert that although there is a female hero, she is seen more as a ‘wise helper’ than a fully assembled hero, as its Tom Cruises character which takes centre stage. Thus this is just one example that females in films still have a long way to climb, in making their mark as heroes. Although there have been many successful films featuring female hero leads, most successfully: ‘The Hunger Games’ (film adaptation) series. To end, next time you see a hero orientated film which features a strong heterosexual male, just think to yoursleves what that film would be like with a female hero and how whats shown on screen would change or even stay the same. In terms of how you yourselves percieve females to act and how their attributes reflect on the story itself, just as a male hero is seen to be ‘ruthless’ and ‘victorious’.
Namaste Media Minions! 
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