Women Captivate and Mesmerize in 7 Tribeca 2018 Films

The best of Tribeca 2018 films were the remarkable performances of actresses who captivated and mesmerized with their strong or understated performances. At the top of this notable list is Mary Kay Place who gives an extraordinary and moving performance, in Diane, pulled in all directions by a dying cousin, a drug-addicted son and a circle of friends including Andrea Martin. In director Eva Vive’s All About Nina, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, as Nina, makes relationship self-sabotage relatable as she draws us in to her stand up comedy world career struggles and unstable living situation. Watch and cringe at Emma Roberts frustration as Hallie in In a Relationship, as she deals with her flip flopping boyfriend and cousin Willa (Dree Hemmingway), finding their millennial way. Take the advice and adopt the attitude of Rosemarie DeWitt as Regan in Song of Back and Neck who will inspire you to brighten your outlook with humor and to try acupuncture. Spain, Chile and Italy brought us powerful women in Sunday’s Illness (La Enfermedad del Domingo,) Dry Martina and Daughter of Mine (Figlia Mia.) Susi Sanchez as Anabel and Barbara Lennie as daughter Chiara in Sunday’s Illness are the focal points of this compelling drama, thankfully available from Netflix. Hard to choose the best among the female performances in Daughter of Mine (Figlia Mia), directed by Laura Bispuri but Sara Casu is the most impressive as the wondering yet wary and weary 10-year old Vittoria, figuring out mother Tina’s (Valeria Golino) secret, that Angelica (Alba Rohrwacher), is actually her birth mother. Perhaps the most touching performance was Antonella Costa’s as Martina in Dry Martina as she packs her bag and flies off uninvited to another country in pursuit of a romance, recalling a line from her opening song, “You think you’re hurt but you’re hitting your own face.” Also noteworthy in Dry Martina  is Geraldine Neary as Francisca, going after what she wants. Lisa Skriloff