Trans filmmaker D. Smith has done something incredible with her first film, the documentary “Kokomo City” (Magnolia). She has given voice to black, trans sex workers, a segment of the population that has something to say after remaining silent for too long. Focusing on four individuals – Liyah Mitchell, Dominique Silver, Daniella Carter, and the late Koko Da Doll (who was murdered in April 2023) – Smith offers us insight into both the trans and sex worker communities in equal measure.
Screen Queen
Based on the autobiographical novel by Makoto Takayama, director and co-screenwriter Daishi Matsunaga’s “Egoist” (Strand) is one of the most original and moving gay movies of the year. Slightly reminiscent of Hong Khaou’s 2014 “Lilting” (starring out actor Ben Whishaw), in which a mother and her son’s lover bond following a calamity, “Egoist” finds the perfect balance between eroticism and emotion.
The friends trip gone wrong – from “Deliverance” to “The Hangover” to “Girls Trip” – is a tried-and-true formula of which audiences can’t seem to get enough. This also means that copycats abound, which can be both good and bad.
In 21st century movies such as “Bridesmaids,” “Girls Trip,” “Rough Night,” and the forthcoming “Joy Ride,” women prove that they can be every bit as raunchy, if not raunchier, than their male counterparts.
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