Seventh Row is a nonprofit Canadian film criticism publication and publishing house. We're dedicated to helping you expand your horizons by curating the best socially progressive films from around the world and helping you think deeply about them. This newsletter is run by Seventh Row (http://seventh-row.com) but features exclusive content not found on the website.
It’s not just the kiss — it’s how the film earns it
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Hello Reader, We talk a lot about endings. (Did it stick the landing?) We sometimes talk about openings. But put them together, and you unlock something about the film. That’s what this week’s episode is all about. Last week, I talked about Jane Austen Wrecked My Life as a whole: what makes it one of the best films of 2025. This week, I’m zooming in on how it begins and ends. Because in a film this thoughtful, those bookends carry serious weight. It’s not just about how the story opens and closes — it’s about how the film uses craft to shape your experience. And when you look closer, you can excitedly obsess over so many clever details:
Because in a great film, nothing is accidental. And analyzing those choices — from the very first shot to the final cut to black at the end — can help you understand why the film made you feel the way you did. That's what I unpack in this episode. I'm talking about this film. But you can apply this lens to any film worth its salt, and it pays dividends. (That said… it did take me more than four watches to catch all the things I unpack here — and this kind of close read is one of the things we dive into together inside Reel Ruminators.) Yes, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life ends on a high with a kiss. But it does a hell of a lot of subtle work to earn that high. 🎧 Listen here: Curious what else opens up when you look this closely? Join by June 2, and you’ll get access to May’s featured film and the close readings we did together — perfect if you want more of what you’ll hear in this episode. 👉 Click here to join Reel Ruminators Hope to see you there. Alex
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Seventh Row
Seventh Row is a nonprofit Canadian film criticism publication and publishing house. We're dedicated to helping you expand your horizons by curating the best socially progressive films from around the world and helping you think deeply about them. This newsletter is run by Seventh Row (http://seventh-row.com) but features exclusive content not found on the website.
Hello Reader, We just wrapped the second live Reel Ruminators convo for this month’s film — a special extra we added for May — and both were so rich in different ways. In the first session, we dug into a scene that’s just three minutes long — but it absolutely knocked me out. The sound design. The tenderness. The way it holds so much in so little time. Whether or not it came up again in the second convo (you’ll see!), that’s part of what makes this experience so meaningful — the chance to...
Hello Reader, I didn't expect to watch Jane Austen Wrecked My Life three times last week. But I did. I couldn't help myself. The first time was to jog my memory so I could record this week's podcast. The second was because it brought me such ecstatic joy that I wanted to relive it. The third was to obsess over the details in writer-director Laura Piani's exquisite filmmaking. Why does this film fill me with glee and laughter? (It's definitely the verbal wit. But it's the visual wit, too.) How...
Hello Reader, It can be easy for some of us to forget how recent the “bad old days” were — when queer couples were still jumping through hoops to be seen, recognized, allowed. Alice Douard’s debut feature, Love Letters, just premiered in Critics’ Week — one of the lesser-publicized sidebars at Cannes (which I broke down on Ep. 171 of the podcast). It’s not available to watch yet — but it’s one to keep an eye out for. And if you’re curious about how it captures a very recent chapter of queer...