When you think of motorcycle culture, the first thing you think of probably isn’t women–that’s just a reality. Women ultimately make up a small percentage of the people that ride motorcycles in the United States–but Women in the Front Seat gathers a number of them to tell their stories. Writer-Director Indy Saini sits down and talks with a series of women that have made riding motorcycles their life. These women are fierce, a force to be reckoned with; these are their incredible stories.
Women in the Front Seat is full of a motley crew of individuals, a seemingly random group of people that has one thing in common–motorcycles. This is a film about inclusion in a unique way–and it exists in a space in this corner of cinema with only a few other films. The film is never pushy, it’s never aggressive in a way that frustrates–however, the women in this film make it abundantly clear why they are important, why riding motorcycles is so wonderful. Just about everyone in this film is likable–which isn’t necessarily essential, but it’s helpful. Viewers are able to connect with these individuals, and Saini does such a wonderful job of setting things up and asking just the right questions so that viewers are able to relate to the things that they see and hear throughout the course of Women in the Front Seat. That’s the most important thing–being able to understand the things being said throughout the film–and that’s made easy from beginning to end.
While the film is accessible, and the stories that exist throughout are interesting, it never leads to anything. The same thing we learn in the opening moments is what we continue to learn until the film concludes more than an hour later. Ultimately nothing ever really comes from the film. While Women in the Front Seat is a documentary, the entire film seems to be made up of exposition, never developing into anything else other than a series of short stories that are most certainly connected, but still separate from one another.
What really impresses me about Women in the Front Seat is Saini’s ability to capture many of the women in a series of different ways. They can be seen riding their motorcycles, working in their shops, just sitting back answering questions, and more–but viewers also often see Saini as she films them. This effectively adds another layer to the film, reminding viewers that Saini is more than just the director of Women in the Front Seat, she’s the inspiration for it. Riding is her passion as well, and she is presented the opportunity to resonate with viewers as well–and we can often see her sitting behind the camera capturing the film through her eyes and her lens. Physically seeing her helps viewers to appreciate the time and effort put into this film–and her expertise, her ability to capture this content in a way that is accessible and approachable greatly helps the film.
Women in the Front Seat is a bit fractured in the sense that while all of the stories are connected to one another, it’s not leading us in a particular direction, to one specific thing. In a lot of ways this documentary plays out like an anthology series that’s sewn together and made into one, semi-cohesive film. Women in the Front Seat gets its point across, and it’s obvious the things that Saini and her team want to come to life (and they do come to life), but I wanted something more, something that let us know we’ve accomplished something, that all of these stories have effectively led us to something. Each and every one of the women showcased in Women in the Front Seat is, again, likable, capable of captivating an audience–and that’s what keeps the film going, what keeps viewers engaged. This is a powerful documentary about women and their passion for riding, one that, even with its few shortcomings, is absolutely successful in its attempt to rally the world around this group.
Written & Directed by Indy Saini.
Starring Indy Saini, Mack Dihle, Tamale Sepp, Meredith Younger, Rosaria Aybar, Tiara Shipton, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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