M.F.A.

Noelle (Francesca Eastwood) is studying painting at a Californian college for her MFA. She is invited to a party by hunky classmate Luke. They make out but the sex turns rough. She tries to stop but is overpowered by him. Her neighbor Skye counsels letting it go as she had done with her own rape. Noelle decides to report to the school therapist but her questioning is accusatory. She joins a help group but the girls are ineffectual. She confronts Luke and accidentally kills him. She decides to turn into a vigilante. Police detective Kennedy (Clifton Collins Jr.) investigates.

Clint's daughter Francesca Eastwood is an interesting new actress. She hasn't broken through yet but she has the charisma to get noticed. She has a nice dark side and does damaged well. The writing is a little pedestrian but it generally works. More needs to be given to Clifton Collins Jr. His is the key for tension and drama but he isn't given the needed material. Generally, this is fine but it doesn't really push the envelope.

Francesca Eastwood, is great and a fresh actress, who really knows how to electrify her performances. She reminds me a lot of Asia Argento (another famous actor, director father), in the sort of roles she's choosing and how she comes across on screen. She's very talented and certainly has a screen presence. The rape revenge plot has been done over and over but this movie has a lot of social comment to digest; although it tends to be a bit heavy handed at times. The ending is quite a satisfactory and moving conclusion.

This was a good to very good thriller. Francesca Eastwood painted a wonderful portrait of a victim turning to vengeance. The director obviously knew the subject matter well as the plot of the movie came across a entirely possible with the original premise being all to factual, The action keeps moving, It will hold your attention without being to gory or intellectual. Plenty of violence

The rape culture, the crime of rape and societies reaction to the victims and the rapists are a stain on America. This movie draws some needed attention to the priorities of our judicial and higher educational systems with regard to rape, victims of rape and it's perpetrators, I thank the all people who worked on this film for their efforts to bring attention to this very uncomfortable subject. A special vote of appreciation to Natalia Leite who directed this both from the heart and from personal experience.

I love a good revenge story, and MFA hit the mark for me. The rape scene was certainly not an easy watch. It seemed real and felt right in the scene - I felt uncomfortable in the moment. The cinematography was beautiful throughout the film and it made me want to check out more of Kovalchik's work. I loved the tracking shot when Eastwood was walking thru the locker room to the showers. The whole movie was done really well. Eastwood's acting was great. I wish the ending was different and she was able to get away with what she was fighting for, but I get it. I definitely recommend this film!

PS - I thought it was creepy, especially for the theme of the movie for Collins Jr being the detective trying to bring Eastwood down. They are married in real life with over a 20 year age difference. I thought it was weird. But it's Hollywood for ya eh....

Maybe if the movie was released during the #metoo movement, it might have done really well at the box office. It does have Clint Eastwoods daughter in the main role and of course it does have the topic of sexual abuse. There is some reality behind it all which may make some people uncomfortable. 1) because of the subject matter and 2) because of how it handles the topic after it (where it descends into the fantastic and unbelievable).

While I don't agree with everything the movie is portraying, the movie itself says that our main protagonist isn't always on the right side (of her mind) either. So if you try to nitpick, there is a lot you can find here. But if you accept this as a thriller and a bit of social message in between, you should be ok. Sit back, relax and do try to take the positive the movie is trying to tell/sell