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Leslie Combemale

Tomatometer-approved critic
Biography:

Leslie Combemale, who writes about women in film and artists behind the scenes and below the line at http://cinemasiren.com/, is a movie lover and aficionado who aspires to get more people back into the beautiful alternate worlds offered in dark movie houses across the country. She has also been the owner of ArtInsights Gallery of Film and Contemporary Art (https://artinsights.com/) for over twenty five years, promoting artists who are the unsung heroes essential to the finished look of films and their campaigns. She interviews actors, directors, and production artists from all over the world, and writes about film for sites like AWFJ.org, thecredits.org, http://www.animationscoop.com and likeabossgirls.com, and is often invited to present at conventions such as the San Diego Comic-Con, where she has been a panelist and host for The Art of the Hollywood Movie Poster, Classic Film History, Disney & Harry Potter Fandom discussions, and now produces a panel at SDCC called "Women Rocking Hollywood", in its third year.

Reviews

Movies TV Shows
Aanikoobijigan [ancestor/great-grandparent/great-grandchild] (2026) 4/5 EDIT “In Aanikoobijigan, we are witness to a repatriation and burial of 52 boxes of bones from MSU back to the corresponding tribes, and it is done with such reverence and care that it drives home how important the return of these bones really is.” – AWFJ.org Mar 26, 2026 Full Review THE BRIDE! (2026) 58% 4/5 EDIT “The new gothic romance centering on and reimagining Frankenstein’s bride is visually stunning, fearlessly kinetic and inventive, and worth celebrating.” – AWFJ.org Mar 26, 2026 Full Review Forbidden Fruits (2026) 74% 3 1/2/5 EDIT “Imagine a decidedly adult comedy horror feature that is equal parts Mean Girls, Heathers, and The Craft, and you’ll have a pretty good sense of what’s in store for audiences when they sit down to watch Forbidden Fruits.” – AWFJ.org Mar 26, 2026 Full Review Your Attention Please (2026) 4 1/2/5 EDIT “Your Attention Please is a studied, engaging, albeit terrifying documentary about the potential benefits and numerous harms of social media. ” – AWFJ.org Mar 26, 2026 Full Review The Dads (2026) 4/5 EDIT “The Dads is at once encouraging, in how it represents great and committed parenting, and also sad, in how it shows how fearful these families are becoming in the face of our current administration’s plans. ” – AWFJ.org Mar 26, 2026 Full Review Seahorse (2026) 3/5 EDIT “Seahorse has a heart, and has a unique story to tell about people who fall between the cracks. Although Evelyna doesn’t do everything she might with the film, it’s still a worthy watch,” – AWFJ.org Mar 26, 2026 Full Review My NDA (2026) 3 1/2 out of 5 stars EDIT “With this fascinating and disturbing documentary, Shor and Dressner are making audiences more aware of the need for comprehensive NDA reform, and better protection for those they exploit. ” – AWFJ.org Mar 25, 2026 Full Review Mam (2026) 3 1/2 out of 5 stars EDIT “Mam is truly a delight full of optimism and determination, all wrapped in a tasty story about food. ” – AWFJ.org Mar 25, 2026 Full Review I Got Bombed at Harvey's (2026) 2 1/2 out of 5 EDIT “The story should have had better focus and had less cinematic shoe leather to get to its point. Although the focus on Jim Birges was its best feature, his character arc is all but lost, which is a shame. ” – AWFJ.org Mar 25, 2026 Full Review Train Dreams (2025) 94% EDIT “A haunting meditation on life, grief, and living with authenticity, shown through the eyes of one simple man. It feels like the pulse of your own heart.” – AWFJ.org Dec 9, 2025 Full Review Rental Family (2025) 87% EDIT “Hikari knows her way around a character arc, building a story centered on the struggle with loneliness and the need for connection that leads to catharsis for the audience without getting sentimental or maudlin.” – AWFJ.org Nov 7, 2025 Full Review Hamnet (2025) 87% 5/5 EDIT “Hamnet is truly extraordinary. Watching it feels transformative, 'though it requires, as said in the film, keeping your heart open, even as parts of that experience are viscerally and emotionally wrenching, parts of it transcendent.” – AWFJ.org Oct 24, 2025 Full Review Driver (2024) 91% 4.5/5 EDIT “Azimi and her film crew have a way of getting a level of intimacy and truth from Wood and her sisters in trucking that makes the screen time fly by. ” – AWFJ.org Aug 14, 2025 Full Review Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print (2025) 94% 4 1/2 out of 5 stars EDIT “A celebration of sisterhood and of an important feminist touchstone, Dear Ms. shows just how fearless and forward-thinking issue after issue was, but also how willing those in charge always were to learn, change, and course correct.” – AWFJ.org Jun 24, 2025 Full Review Beyond the Gaze: Jule Campbell's Swimsuit Issue (2024) 100% 4/5 EDIT “For anyone who has seen the SI swimsuit issue, even if only in line at the grocery store, this film offers a fascinating history. For feminists who have had issues with the SISI, this will offer a deeper perspective on what those images represent.” – AWFJ.org Jun 24, 2025 Full Review Luther: Never Too Much (2024) 98% 4/5 EDIT “I found the approach of the friends and colleagues who loved him, who wanted to honor how he lived his life, by not discussing his sexuality onscreen, to be a testament to [Porter's] respect for him. ” – AWFJ.org Mar 11, 2025 Full Review Who I Am Not (2023) 100% EDIT “Tünde Skovrán’s docu follows two intersex individuals living in South Africa. It allows viewers to release misunderstanding or prejudice around the intersex experience. Watching what Sharon and Dimakatsobgo through on a daily basis creates empathy. ” – AWFJ.org Nov 20, 2024 Full Review Scrap (2022) 98% EDIT “There have been great examples of aspiring actors breaking into the mainstream through DYI, and, well, by being scrappy. As actor/director/writer/producer Vivian Kerr's first feature, SCRAP, is surprisingly well-crafted.” – AWFJ.org Nov 20, 2024 Full Review All Happy Families (2023) 86% EDIT “The charm of every character and the love that feels like a consistent low hum under all the goings-on will keep viewers rooting to see the Landrys as one big happy albeit messy family. ” – AWFJ.org Oct 9, 2024 Full Review Rule of Two Walls (2023) 100% 5/5 EDIT “Gutnik does a great job, by showing Ukrainian art and culture and the artists creating it, of showing the world who the Ukrainians are and why they fight.” – AWFJ.org Sep 6, 2024 Full Review The Commandant's Shadow (2024) 92% EDIT “Once you hear THE COMMANDANT'S SHADOW is the perfect companion to THE ZONE OF INTEREST, you think, “oh. ok. I can do this.” You prepare yourself. No matter how much you do, this documentary has such a powerful hold, it’s hard to shake even days later.” – AWFJ.org May 26, 2024 Full Review Bob Trevino Likes It (2024) 95% 5/5 EDIT “The ensemble cast is exceptional together, bringing Tracie Laymon's sweet/bittersweet story to life without sentimentality, bringing every viewer along on their emotional journey. ” – AWFJ.org Mar 19, 2024 Full Review The Queen of My Dreams (2023) 89% 4.5/5 EDIT “Come for skilled acting and technicolor visuals and costumes, stay for the queer coming-of-age/quarterlife discovery & celebration of mother/daughter love, despite it being a story centered on grief and loss. ” – AWFJ.org Mar 8, 2024 Full Review Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World (2024) 100% 4/5 EDIT “Veselka celebrates a longstanding New York institution, and shows how community (in this case the Ukrainian community across the country and its allies) comes together during the worst of times. As such, it's a documentary for anyone/everyone to enjoy. ” – AWFJ.org Mar 8, 2024 Full Review Titina (2022) EDIT “Titina registers as 11 on a scale of 1-10 for cuteness and charm. ” – AWFJ.org Nov 27, 2023 Full Review
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