One of the better films depicting women’s rights, Free the Nipple shows how a group of young women can stand up for what they believe in, even being topless in public. The drama with comedy is loosely based on true events and has very good acting, direction and a positive storyline. It’s more than just entertainment, it’s a show of women’s rights that brings up fallacies in our government’s view of the Constitution’s first amendment. The film has been released on DVD and digital download. The main cast are committed activists to the cause.
Activist Liv (Lola Kirke), a young woman in New York, gathers some brave followers who get arrested for running topless down Wall Street. After being released from jail Liv runs into With (Lina Esco) a young reporter for New Corp, a global news gathering service. She wants to write a story on Liv, but as she gets deeper into the reasons for their bold stand, With decides to join with her to help start their crusade.
The dramatic presentation spools out as if it were happening for real under the guidance of actor and director Lina Esco. Her opening scene are girls running in the street with capes of red and blue blurring out their breasts. Then she introduces her fine cast through excellent photography, direction and intriguing storytelling. The tasteful baring of breasts by each of the actors follows during subsequent scenes as she tells the story. It’s her way of relating their growing acceptance of the foundation. Later the group topless shots are there to enhance Free the Nipple’s movement showing strength in numbers.
Not a peep show, the film engages in a fight for women’s rights and respect for their bodies. It brings up the double standard between men’s bare chests being freely allowed and women being arrested for the same thing. To these champions of a Constitutional right, they believe that their breasts are not a sexual deviation, but a means of nurturing a child. Engrossing the viewer with the intent of their protest, Lina Esco shows how the initial group fights for their rights using lawyers and advice from an international writer to help promote their grounds.
While the film does appeal more to women as a cause, the film should also appeal to men as well. Not for obvious reasons however, but to join in a fight for both gender’s freedoms provided by the Constitution. It’s a civil rights issue and no matter who spirits it, males joining in shows support by both sexes. Liv comments in the film “The nipple is the first thing we see when we are born, it nourishes us, and then somehow the symbol of life becomes illegal”.
Free the Nipple has not been rated by the MPAA but contains a lot of midriff high nudity, some drug use and language. The nudity is quite tasteful and used to create awareness of the advocates’ campaign to get the word out.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A very good film that now takes their quest to home video. (A-)
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Lina Esco,
Director: Lina Esco
Writer: Hunter Richards
MPAA Rating: Not Rated but contains nudity, language and drug use
Genre: Drama with Comedy, Women’s Rights
Running Time: 1 hr. 17 min
Original Theatrical Release Date: December 12, 2014
Video Release Date: June 2, 2015
Language: English
Reviewed Format: DVD, Digital Download
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: Aspect ratio 2.40:1 Widescreen
Subtitles: English SDH
Number of Discs: 1 Disc
Distributed by: Sundance Selects
