"In my two-year investigation in Hedy’s case, I spoke with this man, who took it upon himself to be the historian of secret communication. He hunted down Lamarr, who at that time was living in reclusion and conducted one of her final interviews. It lasted only 10 minutes. She said “My husband, the military manufacturer did not come up with this invention. George Antheil, my co-inventor did not come up with this invention. I came up with this invention.” As he went out into the world to publicize her story, he erased that line. It was an intentional omission. He just didn’t believe her." Filmmaker Alexandra Dean discussing "Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story"


"Bombshell", which has been streaming online since its theatrical run, made its debut on PBS this weekend as part of their "American Masters" series. I watched the film a few weeks ago. Although I was pleased someone finally told Lamarr's story, I was also depressed by the trajectory of her life. Hedy Lamarr invented the idea of frequency hopping which underpins all sorts of communication devices, including GPS and WiFi. Her idea has an estimated worth of $30 billion dollars but Lamarr never received a dime, even though she held a patent. Once Lamarr lost her looks (largely due to an addiction to plastic surgery), she became reclusive and a bit of a media joke. Alexandra Dean's film restores Lamarr's dignity and her place in scientific history. If only it had happened while Lamarr was still alive.

The film I write about in this week's featured review also has complex female characters as its subject. Paolo Virzi, the Italian director of "Like Crazy", recently made his English-language debut with "The Leisure Seeker". Starring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland, the film has not been well-received. Virzi is a talented and thoughtful director, however, and I'm sure he will recover. In the meantime, check out "Like Crazy".


Here's the latest article from the Drama Movies site at BellaOnline.com.

Like Crazy (2017) Film Review
Two women committed to a psychiatric facility find friendship and hope for the future. Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Micaela Ramazzotti deliver award-winning performances in Paolo Virzi's emotionally satisfying film.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art305306.asp

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