Reviews

Flying: Confessions of a Free Woman

Exploring the modern female life

By PEG ALOI | April 9, 2008

3.0 Stars

FLYING: Jennifer Fox goes beyond solipsistic whining.

This documentary mini-series by Jennifer Fox (An American Love Story) is a personal memoir of, as she puts it, “this modern female life.” Juggling two lovers (one married, one tolerant of polyamory), Fox has a pregnancy scare that prompts her to explore being single, childless, and 42. She “passes the camera” among friends in her Manhattan loft and in her various ports of call as an educator. Pat, the singer with chronic pain after removal of a brain tumor, and L’Dawn, the divorced mom embroiled in a bitter court battle with her ex, are two of her circle of co-conspirators. It’s tempting to dismiss Fox’s soul searching as solipsistic whining, given her affluent lifestyle, her 20 years of therapy. But as she scrutinizes sexual autonomy among Cambodian prostitutes and South African victims of genital mutilation, she reveals humility and empathy. At six hours, with its deliberate pacing and thoughtful editing, Flying makes for an absorbing viewing experience. 353 minutes | MFA: April 17-19

| More

Most Popular

The Current Issue

Table of Contents

Cover Archive

Masthead | Authors | Contact us

Blogs

Where To Follow Me
Talking Politics | March 24, 2013 at 11:09 AM

Mo Takes His Turn
March 21, 2013 at 12:59 PM

[Q&A] KMFDM's Sascha Konietzko on art, Columbine and having balls
On The Download | March 18, 2013 at 3:22 PM

See this film series: The Belmont World Film Series @ Studio Cinema in Belmont
Outside The Frame | March 18, 2013 at 11:00 AM

See this film: This is Spinal Tap [with post-film talk by expert from Acoustical Society of America] @ the Coolidge
March 17, 2013 at 12:00 PM

ARTICLES BY PEG ALOI

REVIEW: WAR OF THE BUTTONS | October 24, 2012
Based upon Louis Pergaud's beloved and much adapted 1912 novel, this retread by Christophe Barratier ( Paris 36 ) is flawed but has its charms.

REVIEW: THE APPARITION | August 29, 2012
Todd Lincoln's tepid feature debut borrows from some horror standouts of the last 15 years.

REVIEW: THE WELL-DIGGER’S DAUGHTER | July 24, 2012
Daniel Auteuil ( Manon of the Spring ) directs and stars in this melodrama set in Provence during World War I.

REVIEW: 5 BROKEN CAMERAS | June 19, 2012
Emad Burnat, a Palestinian villager, goes through five different cameras from 2005 to 2010, each one broken when the Israeli military or police assault him as he tries to record the ongoing turmoil.

REVIEW: THE FAIRY | April 18, 2012
Belgian filmmaking trio Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, and Bruno Romy (L'Iceberg) have crafted a bittersweet, surreal urban fantasy set in the dreary seaside town of Le Havre.