Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes
Critics list

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
Train Dreams (2025) 95% 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) 86% 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 Anatomy of a Fall (2023) 96% EDIT “Anatomy of a Fall is most fascinating in its representation of how women are demonized by succeeding, asking for what they want, and being uncompromising.” – AWFJ.org Oct 12, 2023 Full Review Gonzo Girl (2023) 59% 3/5 EDIT “As "Walker Reade" Willem Dafoe brings all the gonzo required to keep Hunter S Thompson fans interested. First time director Arquette will do well in future with a stronger script. ” – AWFJ.org Sep 22, 2023 Full Review Jules (2023) 86% 3.5/5 EDIT “Though the message could have been delivered in a more dramatic way, Jules really brings home that when a speechless alien offers more connection than people living next door, society has a lot of work to do.” – AWFJ.org Aug 9, 2023 Full Review Another Body (2023) 91% 4/5 EDIT “The fact that these women don’t get justice is an important part of the story.” – AWFJ.org Jun 5, 2023 Full Review The Thief Collector (2022) 91% EDIT “Allison Otto’s doc goes unexpected places, far beyond a simple examination of one stolen masterpiece. This documentary reminds viewers the fun folks next door may be way more than they seem.” – AWFJ.org May 17, 2023 Full Review A Thousand and One (2023) 97% 4 1/2 out of 5 stars EDIT “A quietly devastating Black-centered film featuring exceptional performances. AV Rockwell's instincts as writer/director will make for her success going forward, assuming those who can open more doors for her watch the film. ” – AWFJ.org Apr 4, 2023 Full Review Pay or Die (2023) 91% EDIT “The increased cost of insulin has led to the deaths of Type 1 Diabetes patients. The documentary follows three families as they try to navigate a system that leaves the poor behind in one of the richest countries in the world.” – AWFJ.org Mar 23, 2023 Full Review Please Baby Please (2022) 77% 3/5 stars EDIT “Imagine a talk-y mash-up of Rocky Horror Picture Show and West Side Story by way of Ed Wood, and you might come close to approximating Amanda Kramer’s theatrical uber-indie Please Baby Please. ” – AWFJ.org Dec 16, 2022 Full Review Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power (2022) 100% 4/5 stars EDIT “Lowndes County is the sort of documentary that certain boards of education would fight tooth and nail to keep from being played in schools, and exactly the kind that should be required viewing at every high school across the country. ” – AWFJ.org Dec 16, 2022 Full Review
No Reviews Yet
Load More