CINEMA
RAMONA AT MIDLIFE (2023)
MPAA: NR
Release Date: 06/14/23 [Bentonville Film Festival]
Genre: Comedy.
Studio: The Film Collaborative
"Single mother who discovers that her unflattering current reality is the subject of a filmmaker's new project. Ramona faces up to her disappointments, she finds true creative power and is finally ready to become her best self."
OUR MOVIE REVIEW:
In a world where youth is glamorized to a degree that’s frankly problematic, Ramona at Midlife is a breath of fresh air. The film tells the story of the titular Ramona (Yvonne Woods) – a 40-something writer and mother who works at an animal clinic. Aside from occasional letters to Patti Smith, Ramona has mostly set her writing career on the backburner. With a hit book years in the past, Ramona has resigned herself to being a literary one hit wonder; that is until she learns a “fan” and hit filmmaker named Jonah (Robert Beitzel) is creating a project based on her life… and it’s not completely flattering.
While exploring her legal options, Ramona reconnects with her former bff Imani (April Matthis). A tense encounter with “frenemy” and fellow writer Gwen (Alysia Reiner) serves as fuel to rekindle her career and revitalize friendships she didn’t know she still needed. By balancing motherhood, marital struggles with her husband Carlos (Joel de la Fuente) and a shaky sense of self-worth, Ramona learns it’s never too late to become the version of herself she was always meant to be.
Snarky, sexy, and smart – Ramona at Midlife is a tour de force of actresses over 40 and a win for writer Brooke Berman in her directorial debut.