In 1960s San Francisco, a once-promising catholic school girl, Celina Guerrera, sets out to rise above the oppression of poverty and invest in a future for herself that sets new precedents for the time.
Pam says:
First-time feature writer/director Lissette Feliciano brings us a story of one woman’s struggle in the 1960’s as she navigates her young life amidst the disparity imposed by society of class, race, and even more pronounced, gender. Vibrantly tackling tough topics, Feliciano finds an elegant grace to this personal story inspired by the Janis Joplin song, “Women Is Losers,” and her mother’s life, which reflects her own…a statement of how far we haven’t come.
We meet Celina (Lorenza Izzo) confronting her no-good cheating hubby, pulling her young son out of the chaos. Quickly these characters “break the fourth wall” and tell us a little about what’s to come and why they are telling it in the manner we are about to see.
“Pulling themselves up by their bootstraps,” the small ensemble cast takes us back in time to the 1960’s in San Francisco where Celina and her best friend Marty (Chrissie Fit) attempt to understand their high school geometry class. Celina, a young girl with the intelligence to make it out of her stifling environment compounded by the negative and abusive home environment, finds herself pregnant. Both she and Marty are in the same position, but their response to the situation becomes a crossroads in their lives that will haunt them both forever.
Celina, a single mom trying to make ends meet and be a good mom, finds that the world is stacked against her. Try as she might, she can’t make any gains, that is until she learns a few tidbits of information that catapult her ahead. These gains, of course come with a surprising price, but that, my friends, is the life of being female.
Feliciano finds just the right tone to tell this story; a story that will speak to any female who sees it. The topics it dares to address in honest and forthright ways hits home as it provokes an equally honest conversation following the credits.
Izzo’s confident performance as Celina punctuates the difficulties of being female in a male-dominated world. Her character’s frustration with the situations at hand as well as the ridiculousness of the era’s mindset of women’s issues and rights elicits sympathy, empathy, and even a few tears and laughter. It’s a well-rounded representation of the realities that women used to and, unfortunately, still do, encounter. From adolescence to adulthood, Izzo along with Fit find an authenticity that speaks to us all.
Feliciano pays careful attention to her set design and costuming, even on what would be considered an indie budget. Visually, it’s beautiful as it captures a bygone era, at least in fashion. Feliciano’s eye is skilled as the camera hones in on the characters’ attributes to bring them not only to life, but to find the emotional components of their performances.
“Women Is Losers” has heart and soul and with that comes a powerful message that stimulates conversations among friends and family. And these are conversations that are long overdue.
3 Stars
Check out the interview I recently had with Feliciano about the making of the film here: https://youtu.be/fSiu3CuVNLM
