FilmWeek: ‘Born in China,’ ‘The Promise,’ ‘Unforgettable’ and more, plus should acting award categories be gender neutral?

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Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Christy Lemire review this weekend’s new movie releases. We'll also talk about the pros and cons of making award shows gender neutral, call in and make your case!

FilmWeek: ‘Born in China,’ ‘The Promise,’ ‘Unforgettable’ and more, plus should acting award categories be gender neutral?

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Christy Lemire review this weekend’s new movie releases. We'll also talk about the pros and cons of making award shows gender neutral, call in and make your case!

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Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Christy Lemire review this weekend’s new movie releases. We'll also talk about the pros and cons of making award shows gender neutral, call in to share your opinion!

FilmWeek: ‘Born in China,’ ‘The Promise,’ ‘Unforgettable’ and more

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig and Christy Lemire review this weekend’s new movie releases including:

• " Born in China " in wide release
• " The Promise " in wide release
• " Unforgettable " in wide release
• " Free Fire " in wide release
• " Let it Fall: LA 1982-1992 " at Laemmle's Music Hall
• " Finding Oscar " at Laemmle's Monica Film Center
• " Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent " at The Landmark
• " A Quiet Passion " at Laemmle's Playhouse and Laemmle's Royal Theatre
• " Somewhere Beautiful " at Los Feliz Vintage Cinemas

Critics' Hits

• Claudia: "Finding Oscar" & "Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcCTos5h8nY&t=9s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Legzr_ED9R8

• Christy: "Let it Fall: LA 1982-1992," "A Quiet Passion" & "Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ_eHxee26Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3SyPbUTEeU

Mixed Feelings

• Claudia: "Born in China" & "A Quiet Passion"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xRQ5qOtsHI

• Christy: "Unforgettable"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFXIBL617yc

Misses!

• Christy: "Somewhere Beautiful"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU8jGLzIUQY

Guests:

Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association; she tweets

Christy Lemire , film critic for KPCC and host of YouTube’s “What the Flick?;”she tweets

Should awards shows have gender neutral acting categories?

This year’s MTV Movie & TV Awards, coming up on May 7, are foregoing male and female acting categories for a single, gender-neutral award, citing their viewers’ changing understanding of gender and the desire to be inclusive to non-binary actors.

Should other award shows follow suit?

Some critics say this could be harmful to equality, considering the gender barriers within Hollywood. In the Oscars directing category, for example , there have only ever been four female nominees, and one winner – Kathryn Bigelow, for The Hurt Locker. If a show like the Oscars scrapped gender division in the acting category, would that lead to, as movie critic Peter Howell suggested , #OscarsSoMale?

Would you like to see awards shows adopt gender neutral acting categories? What would be the benefits and pitfalls?