“The personal is political” is an essential tenet of feminism, but advice columnist E. Jean Carroll didn’t set out to become a feminist icon. After going public with rape accusations against Donald Trump, her steely courage and conviction became a beacon of hope in post-#MeToo America. In Ask E. Jean, director Ivy Meeropol offers a riveting, deeply personal exploration of Carroll’s rape and defamation cases, deftly weaving righteous outrage with the fizzy humor of her ’90s Ask E. Jean advice show. Carroll’s quick wit and level-headed takes on love crackle – until Trump’s attack in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room forces her to confront the collision of her public voice and private trauma. Through years of trial drama — and Trump’s grotesque “she’s not my type” defense — Carroll emerges victorious, the only woman to have beaten him in court, twice. Ask E. Jean is a galvanizing, vivid portrait of a singular woman and a bold meditation on speaking truth to power. – Jessica Edwards