She taught Americans French cooking

 

If you're of a certain age, you already know that Julia Child was once America's most famous chef, a woman whose high-pitched bubble of a voice and ability to simplify  French cooking made her a star of the PBS world. Directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West have teamed for a look at the woman who preceded the rise of the celebrity chef and whose cookbook (Mastering the Art of French Cooking) has been a staple in many American kitchens ever since its publication in 1961. The directors tell the story of Child's suburban California upbringing, her service in the OSS during World War II, and her marriage to Paul Child, a foreign service worker whose posting in Paris opened the door to Julia's culinary career. Tall and ungainly in appearance, Child changed attitudes about cooking and for those of us who don't cherish moments at the stove,  eating. The directors of 2018's RPG, make good use of interviews with colleagues and footage from Child's vast TV repertoire. They also chronicle how Child, who died in 2004, shifted her views on homosexuality to become an advocate for those suffering from AIDS. She stood up for women in a field traditionally dominated by men. Health consciousness has evolved since Child's heyday, but the palate leaps with joy when listing to Julia's passionate defense of butter. Julia serves as a reminder that we eat for nourishment, but also (and equally important) for pleasure. And for late bloomers, Child's story serves as inspiration: Her masterpiece cookbook (written with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle) took 10 years to write. She was 50 when The French Chef made its TV debut in 1963. 

Learning about a Ciivl Rights pioneer

If you've never heard of Pauli Murray, you're probably not alone. One of the least publicized figures of the Civil Rights movement, Murray's story emerges in My Name is Pauli Murray, a detailed and informative documentary from directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen. It turns out that, as a Howard law student, Murray advanced one of the key arguments was used by attorneys -- including Thurgood Marshall -- to argue the landmark1954 case of Brown v. Board of Education. A complex figure and a gay woman who lived with blurry gender boundaries, Murray followed multiple paths. She wrote poetry, attended Hunter College in New York City, and after law school at Howard became a teacher, activist, and, finally, a Methodist minister. Enriched by interviews with those who've studied Murray's life, by recordings Murray made herself, and by the sheer breadth of its story (Murray developed a friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt), the movie  points out that Murray pioneered thinking about connections between racism and women's issues. She was both a racial justice and feminist advocate. Murray fought tirelessly for beliefs founded on intellectual, moral, and deeply personal grounds. The gender portions of Murray's story are accompanied by contemporary gay and transgender commentary. So, if you're unfamiliar with Murray, who died at the age of 75 in 1985, here's an opportunity to learn.

A supreme court justice and an icon

Directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West make little attempt to hide their affection and respect for Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in RBG, a documentary about a jurist who has become an icon of feminism, intelligence, and independence. The directors' approach would be unbearable if Ginsburg weren’t worthy of veneration born of a keen intellect and natural personal charm. One of the movie’s strengths is that it highlights the relationship between RBG and her late husband, Marty Ginsburg. They met as students at Cornell and spent 56 years in a marriage in which two very different attorneys (he was a tax lawyer) managed to support one another, and in which Marty's wit often proved a saving grace. Ginsburg, of course, was a groundbreaker. She attended Harvard Law School when women didn't find much representation in the nation's law schools, a gender wall Ginsburg helped topple along with a variety of other impediments to equality for women. And if the film is right, no one — male or female — should expect to outwork Ginsburg, who still works out at age 85 and isn’t afraid to burn the midnight oil. Even Ginsburg's detractors, who get short shrift here, would have to admit that RBG is formidable, whether on the bench or away from the court. Spending time with her proves a real pleasure.