Is there such a thing as a "female sensibility" in film? Certainly, there are male filmmakers and writers who are gifted at representing women on the screen. (Pedro Almodóvar is an oft-cited example.) It's the prerogative of the artist to represent humanity through different identities, to embody those of a different gender, age, race, class, etc., but is there something that only a woman can bring to the table?

I asked myself this question as I was watching Courtney Hunt's "Frozen River" at the opening of New Directors/New Films last spring. I felt that the story was undeniably estrogen-inspired, beyond the fact that there are two female leads. The film follows Lila, a Mohawk widow whose child is taken from her, and Ray, a single mother struggling to keep her family afloat. Out of necessity, the two partner in a smuggling operation that involves transporting illegal immigrants over a frozen river across the US/Canadian border. Ultimately, one makes a sacrifice for the other, despite their antagonistic relationship.

I don't think that all films by and about women evoke the distinctly female sensibility that I felt here.

Manohla Dargis ushered in the summer by asking "Is There a Real Woman in This Multiplex?" about the lack of female characters in Hollywood movies. Soon after, Patrick Goldstein reported "Film directing is still a man's world" on the dirth of female directors, with some good insights as to why. Now comes "Thumbs Down - Representation of Women Film Critics in the Top 100 U.S. Daily Newspapers," a study by Dr. Martha Lauzen published last week on the website of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, that quantifies what you probably suspected regarding female representation in film criticism.

Summing it all up in her last paragraph, Lauzen suggests that the whole supply chain is culpable for the gender imbalance in Hollywood:

"In short, men dominate the reviewing process of films primarily made by men featuring mostly males intended for a largely male audience. The under-employment of women film reviewers, actors, and filmmakers perpetuates the nearly seamless dialogue among men in U.S. cinema."

Thoughts?

It's as if every ticket sold is a vote cast for fair representation in Hollywood.

"Sex and the City," now an international hit, is the latest to galvanize an underrepresented constituency, (as the female population sadly is).

"The Passion of the Christ" and "Brokeback Mountain" come to mind as previous campaigns-at-the-movie-theater, for Christian and gay electorates. Did those films permanently alter the moviemaking landscape?

And is it inevitable that the Hollywood status quo will steal this election?

In 1993 there was a tie for the Palme d'Or. The top award at Cannes was shared by Jane Campion for "The Piano" and Chen Kage for "Farewell My Concubine."

Campion is in production as writer/director of "Bright Star," with Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw. The film follows the romance of 23-year-old English poet John Keats and his fashionable muse, in the early 1800s.

I'm excited that Laurent Cantet won this year's Palme d'Or, the top prize at Cannes, for "Entre les Murs" (The Class). I've followed his work from "Les Sanguinaires" (1997) "Human Resources" (1999) and "Time Out" (2001). I had the chance to interview the affable French director for a feature on "Heading South" (2005). All films are highly recommended.

Quiz: Who is the only woman to win the Palme d'Or, and what is she doing now?

Answer: On tomorrow's Week of Wonders.

"Let's get tickets for opening night," says my literary friend. "We should buy them early," adds the trend reporter. "Can I join?" the office manager interjects.

What about that fact that every promo clip looks insipid? And as reported by guardian.co.uk after the film's London premiere last week, "Early reviews were, on the whole, rather mixed."

"I don't care," says the trend reporter. "I'm going to see it and see it again. I'm going to buy the DVD and then see it again with my mother."

And, hell yeah, I'm excited about this female super bowl of film.

UPDATE: The New York Times just caught up to this.