#75 - Saving Face

As I'm sure many of you have noticed (yes, I used many for our small following), I really like Saving Face. I've referenced it a lot, and figured it was high time I give a more detailed review on Alice Wu's film, since it is a part of the 101's and the positive lesbian list.

Saving Face had been the best lesbian movie, in general that I had ever seen. And in the chick flick category, there was none other. The relationships were real, the story was entertaining, and the dialogue was fantastic. Then, I watched some more recent films (*ahem* I Can't Think Straight), and I began to look at Saving Face more critically to see why it did not matched up.

To say the least, the relationships were well handled and realistic. While there were some culture clashes (i.e. the father's idea that his reputation should be what most mattered, etc), for the most part I could relate to the characters (maybe you can chalk that up to my traditional, hispanic upbringing). I loved the relationship between Will and Vivian, and Will's relationship with her mom was also endearing to watch.

There were also some really awesome scenes between the characters that still totally crack me up and having me cringing with embarrassment for Will. Needless to say, this movie will make you laugh.

The chemistry between the two characters is also fantastic to watch. Their intimacy and scenes where they finally do the deed is always sensual and gratifying, no matter how many times you watch it.

So...the plot is great, the script is great, the acting is awesome. Why does it not match up? Part of the reason is that the ending is a bit too... rosey colored window. Everyone learns something, everyone is accepted, and everyone lives happily ever after. Sure, most chick flicks end this way, but this one ends this way after having gone through a couple twists that were a bit too surprising and a bit too unexpected. If you like a chick flick to have those elements, then you are totally in the zone, and you will love this movie. If you enjoy staying grounded in reality at all times, you will still love this movie, but find it a bit too much, even a bit campy at a couple times.

However, regardless of its flaws, Saving Face is one of the best lesbian movies out there. Given the fact that there were pretty crappy things before it, its a work of art. Everything works - the chemistry, the acting, the story. Its fantastic. Watch this alone, with a friend, with a lover.... no matter what, you'll leave smiling.

#95 - The World Unseen

Can I just start by saying that I think I love Shamim Sarif? Okay? Alright, I'll say it. I think I love her talent. She is an awesome director. I also love Lisa Ray and Sheetal Sheth.

I just finished watching The World Unseen and I was very impressed by the overall movie and, once again the two gorgeous actresses. Unlike Sarif's later movie, I Can't Think Straight, this movie is by no means a comedy, in fact, calling it that could not be further from the truth. At times, the movie was gut wrenching and very difficult to watch. The debut of the two actresses was phenomenal. Like in their later film, the chemistry between Lisa Ray and Sheetal Sheth is undeniable, and their ability to play a range of emotions makes their movies fantastic.

Like I said, the movie is often times very difficult to watch. It takes place in South Africa during the apartheid, where racism and machistmo reign supreme. The main character, Amina, is a free spirit who owns a cafe (which for a woman to do that during this time is pretty impressive). Amina defies gender norms and while not out of the closet, people in the town do talk. She falls in love with Miriam, a housewife who has 3 children, a conservative husband, and just a woman who never really thought she had any options, or the right to think.

The progression of their relationship is well paced and while nothing is really resolved at the end of the film, you are left at peace with the characters. These two women develop wonderfully into stronger women after their experiences, and it was great to once again watch their relationship blossom.

Another topic that is touched upon in this movie is racism. Then again, if you are having a movie take place during apartheid, you are bound to touch on this subject. The relationship between Amina's black friend and the white woman he feel in love with was touching, and heartbreaking to watch. The racism he, along with some of the darker skinned characters faced was both infuriating and terrible to watch. You really felt for all the characters in this movie.

I strongly recommend this movie to anyone who wishes to see it. It's not just a lesbian movie, and it's not just a movie about race. It's a movie about the human condition.

I have loved the two movies directed by Sarif, and I can't wait to see what else she'll come out with.

#57 - Mango Kiss

After having watched Mango Kiss, I can now almost completely understand why there are some people out there who can't stand watching But I'm a Cheerleader. Both have this surreal quality to it - from the way the characters dress, the color of the scenery, and the plot itself. I compare this movie to But I'm a Cheerleader because that is what it reminded me of... except that the characters weren't teenagers, but instead butch kinky women. So basically, But I'm a Cheerleader... rated R.

As such, I'm left with a lot of questions that could be used for both movies. Where the hell is this supposed to take place? Why is everyone so absurd? Why did I spend time watching this? (at least, for BIAC, these questions were made with a positive undertone). During brief periods while watching this, I even found myself thinking... I need a break, this is too much for me.

So let's get down to the nitty gritty, shall we?

Characters:

Whether the director thought it important or not to mention, it was the one thing that I kept going back to when asking myself "why is everyone so absurd?" The narrator starts off the movie by mentioning that they had recently graduated college, and with that background the one thing that I could think of was...ooh! they are too baked to be a part of reality just yet.

Yes, that is the way these characters acted. In particular, Sassafrass. Yes. That is her name. Either this girl was oblivious to the world around her, brain fried to know she was in one, or making pretend. Her actions angered me and her voice made me want to just put the movie on mute and turn on closed captioning.

Lou was a little bit more tolerable, although she was still a little bit too much of a punk for my tastes.

The rest of the characters were over-the-top, and depicted as amazingly extreme lesbians who are either femme, butch or just completely out there. My favorite characters were their neighbors who were depicted as the femme and stone butch who basically live like a husband and wife. But their satire could not make up for the rest of this movie. Now, I know, I know, the movie is not supposed to be taken seriously, its a comedy, but.... I can't help but be too amazed that this terrible movie was actually made into a movie.

Plot/Setting

The movie is about these two girls who originally started off as best friends, became something more, explored non-monogamy, entered the world of S&M and started to fall apart when they realized that they were in over their heads and had no idea what to do about it.

I go back the question I posed before... where the hell is supposed to take place? Supposedly they live in San Francisco, but I feel like a place like this can't exist. And if it does, I'd rather not go there. It's not because of the themes, but because the characters were just too... intolerable.

Pros

There were none. No, totally joking. The acting wasn't that bad. The actors did a good at job at playing their roles. Either that or they were completely baked while playing their parts.

I remember Telemachus Two mentioning that there aren't that many movies with butches that she's seen. Well, here everyone is. So if you are just looking for a movie with butch characters, this is it. Do you want one that has that and is of good quality? Keep looking.

So now that I've finished giving in my two cents, I should add that I'm sure there are many lesbians out there who would love this movie. In the same way that there are those who hate But I'm a Cheerleader, and those that love it, I'm sure this movie has split viewer-ship. You are just reading the side that would rather not have seen that movie at all.

Spoken Word Artists

I've been listening to a lot queer female spoken word artists lately and I really like the poetry of Andrea Gibson, Alix Olson, and Staceyann Chin, (yea, I already know...where have I been?? They've been around for a really long time). But you know what hasn't been around for a while... this blog! So here I am talking about some really great queer poets.

I first heard Andrea Gibson when she came to Cornell, and I fell in love with her poetry then.

It's funny when I think about it now, I had only recently started going to queer events/meeting queer people at Cornell, and it was all pretty frightening. And yea, even though I sat alone for most of the night, her poetry was awesome. Her poems touch on a lot of subjects from gender norms, war, rape, relationships, and they all were pretty powerful and amazing to hear. A couple of my favorite poems of hers is "I Do" and "Blue Blanket."

Alix Olson comes to a close second to Andrea Gibson.

I first heard some of her stuff at the dorm of a friend of mine, and found her voice to be pretty nice to listen to. While Andrea Gibson sounds more intense, Alix is more sweet. Her poetry also is around the same realm as Gibson's but still pretty unique. One of my favorites of hers is "Picnic Table." I've got to say, its one of my favorite poems ever. I love how all the concepts form into this pretty sweet poem.

And last but not least! Staceyann Chin. Queer poet of color.

She too touches on a lot of the same issues as Gibson and Olson. But, she also talks about issues concerning race. She's been on Oprah, and like the other two, has found a lot of success in this field. She actually was in SummerStage this year in NYC and it was a shame to not be able to go. One of her better known poems is "Nails."

Anyway, these three poets are some of the most talented ladies that I have ever heard. Check them out!

Gender Neutral Pronouns

So, recently I've been running into a lot of gender neutral pronouns (ze, hir, etc) and I also got to thinking about a conversation Telemachus Two and I had a little while ago. Most of the time I really do think that I am just as liberal as I am, sort of because I have to be. I mean, how much of "the man" can I be? A triple minority does not have the luxury to do so. Yet, at the same time, when I can be, I am pretty much conservative in my beliefs in terms of government and a bit of societal structures. Now, before you start trying to get my gay card back, I'm not saying that if I was straight I'd be all against gay marriage or anything of the sort, its just that I am all for equality, but just have a thing against hippies or left-wing liberals. Rather than fight against something, I say become a part of it and change from with in.

But anyway, back to gender neutral pronouns. For some reason, "ze" and "hir" really grate at my skin. It's not that I have anything against the trans community, just gender neutral pronouns. While there are many people even within the trans community that do go by either "he" or "she," I have been running into those that use "ze" or "hir." And yes, I've read the articles, understand their logic, binary etc etc, but I just.... Like my girlfriend says, it could just be, that like most people, when it comes to language, you are pretty much taught the basic structures of the language and where things fall into place, and since "ze" and "hir" go against that, I have a problem with it. So alas, this is where I stand.

I can see how people feel that they don't necessarily stand in one binary or another, believe me, I really do. And I'm not saying that I do not support those who do go with gender neutral pronouns or am against the trans community, but come on. give me a break. And yes, I know, I'm not offering solutions, just my opinion.

#44 - It's in the Water

Hmm....

I just finished watching It's in the Water, and before I say anything else about the movie, I think I must note that is indeed a generation and culture gap between me and this movie. It's in the Water premiered in 1997 and is about a rich southern town and a rich socialite, who contradicts everything that can ever be attached to that word, and who has bigger dreams and values than is considered proper in her home, her town, her life.

I think for it's time, It's in the Water was pretty good, and pretty groundbreaking. The 90's didn't exactly have a plethora of movies to base itself on, so the director did what she could with what she had. But alright, anyway, back to the actual movie.

It's in the Water was pretty amusing, there were a couple times I chuckled, but all in all, I found it chock full of stereotypes and all together rushed. There was a lot of things happening, but nothing was every really fleshed out. I feel like subjects were danced around for too long, and when they finally got to the action/conflict, most of the movie was already over. Too much time was spent setting up the setting, the time, the culture. And not enough on the heart of the movie.

Most of the movie, as I took it, is a satire on the "society" life, like the expectations and gossip that spreads like wildfire. And I appreciated the jokes, but I felt like it was just too much at once. The director did a good job at showing the bigotry and homophobia, but at the same time, I think she just drove the point in too hard. I mean, come on? HIV Clinic, water scare, etc. It was just too much.

I did not find the movie funny, instead I found myself more angry than anything else. The reason that I say this is because I don't think it should be a part of the positive lesbian movies list! Just because the ending was okay, and the main characters survived, it doesn't make it a good ending, or a happy film. In fact, you are just sort of left with this feeling that these characters are just going to have to live in this world with the judgments and everything else. No one learned anything. Hell, with so many people coming out as queer, it's no wonder that people thought there was something in the water. I don't know. I just wasn't impressed. The ending made it seem like the queer group were nothing but rebels with a cause.

Like I said, for it's time, it was a positive lesbian movie. No one died, no one went back in the closet, and the world did not end. But now... now this generation will not see it in the same way. It doesn't do the same thing that the newer movies do. It wasn't a comedy, not by today's terms. However, it did help in getting us to where we are now. Thanks for that.

101 Must See Movies for Lesbians

I was on afterellen again and ran into a blog post talking about 101 movies for lesbians to see. A few people responded, and gave their recommendations. However, a list wasn't actually made. So I compiled their recommendations and my own and made a list. Here is is! 101 Must See movies for Lesbians or Gay Women:

1. A Family Affair

2. A Girl Thing

3. A Village Affair

4. A Walk on the Wild Side

5. Aimee and Jaguar

6. All Over Me

7. Amour de Femme

8. Antonia's Line (Antonia)

9. Bar Girls

10. Better than Chocolate

11. Between Two Women

12. Blue Gate Crossing

13. Bound

14. Boys Don't Cry

15. Boys on the Side

16. But I'm a Cheerleader

17. Chasing Amy

18. Chinese Botanist's Daughters (Les Files du Botaniste)

19. Chutney Popcorn

20. Clair on the Moon

21. Clara's Summer (Clara cet ete la)

22. Daphne

23. D.E.B.S.

24. Desert Hearts

25. Eulogy

26. Everything Relative

27. Fried Green Tomatoes

28. FoxFire

29. Fire

30. Fingersmith

31. French Twist

32. Fucking Amal (Show me love)

33. Gia

34. Girlplay

35. Ghosted

36. Go Fish

37. Goldfish Memory

38. Gray Matters

39. Gypo

40. Heavenly Creatures

41. High Art

42. I Can't Think Straight

43. If these walls could talk 2

44. It's in the Water

45. Imagine me and you

46. Intentions

47. Itty Bitty Titty Committe

48. Julie Johnson

49. Kissing Jessica Stein

50. Lianna

51. Lost and Delirious

52. Love and Suicide

53. Love on the Side

54. Loving Annabelle

55. Madchen in Uniform

56. Maggie and Annie

57. Mango Kiss

58. Monster

59. Mullholand Drive

60. My Mother Likes Women

61. My summer of love

62. Nina's Heavenly Delights

63. Out at the Wedding

64. Pariah***

65. Personal Best

66. Portrait of a Marriage

67. Prey for Rock 'n' Roll

68. Producing Adults

69. Puccini for beginners

70. Red Doors

71. Rescuing Desire

72. Rome and Juliet

73. Running on empty dreams

74. Salmon Berries

75. Face Saving

76. She hate me

77. She Likes Girls

78. Some Prefer Cake

79. Song Catcher

80. Sonja

81. Spider Lilies

82. The Celluloid Closet

83. The Children's Hour

84. The Fox

85. The Girl

86. The Gymnast

87. The Hunger

88. The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love

89. The Journey

90. The Kiss

91. The Laramie Project

92. The Page Turner (La Tourneuse de Pages)

93. The Secrets

94. The Truth about Jane

95. The World Unseen

96. Treading Water

97. TIpping The Velvet

98. Unveiled

99. Vivere

100. Water Lilies

101. When Night is Falling

Edit: Since it is not a movie, I did not put it on the list, but I have gotten recommendations for Last Friends. It's a Japanese drama.

Why Helloo Kitty

Did you know that Sanrio, the makers of Hello Kitty, have re-released the Hello Kitty shoulder massager?

Ten years ago, Sanrio released this shoulder massager to great commercial success. And no, it wasn't because it was great at helping loosen tense muscles in the shoulder... instead, it was relieving aching muscles somewhere else. That's right, 10 years ago there was a Hello Kitty vibrator in the market. Sanrio, upon realizing that their Hello Kitty was becoming a cult favorite and sex toy, soon took it off the market, trying to conserve it's family values. After it got discontinued, people continued to search for this product, and it has even sold on ebay for $100.

So now, 10 years later, Sanrio is once again putting the Hello Kitty shoulder massager out again. My question is why are they doing this? They know the bad PR they are going to get. It looks like they are only doing it for the money. Of course, they have said that it is a health aid, and is going to be sold in Japan, which already isn't the case. And, not only is it in the original pink, but now they have made it in black? and red? Come on... black and red massagers...hmm...

Any way, I find this amusing and intriguing.

Really?

It just amazes me how ignorant people can be online and in the world. I was recently on afterellen.com and there was an article about the ABC special about a mtf transition, and how it was going to affect her family, her wife, her life, etc.

First off, there were a couple things with the previews for the episode that I had trouble with. Granted, I did not see the program, so I do not know how much of what was portrayed in the commercials was portrayed in the actual show. It seemed to me to look like it wasn't so much the process, but how it was going to negatively affect the family and children. Rather than highlighting the good, it was showing the bad. It was making the trans issue a "family secret," which is completely unacceptable.

Now, back to what angered me even more. In the comments area, one woman actually said how she could not understand why someone would do that, and instead just stay the way he was. This was completely disrespectful to the trans community as a whole. I mean, it is pretty well known that there is some friction between the trans and lgb community (ahem...HRC?) and a part of that may come from ignorance or just close-mindedness. But to just brush off the experience of another human being and look down upon is ridiculous. Especially as a member of the lgb community... really? You are really going to do that. Amazing.

I am glad that so many people called out the OP for her downright ignorant statement. I am glad that people brought it into her own frame of reference and how people could say "ooh, I don't know why she's gay, she might as well stay straight." There are people out there who think before they speak. But I guess I am just flabbergasted that this is even happening.

#42 - I Can't Think Straight

Well.....*applause*

I've got to say, I was completely floored by I Can't Think Straight. It was an amazing movie. By now I'm sure you've realized that I'm a huge chick flick fan, be it gay or straight. Not since Saving Face have I finished watching a movie feeling renewed in my belief in love and happiness. I want to tell the world of this great movie, and also tell everyone that I'm gay (which not everyone knows). Yes. It was just that good and inspiring. To give you another comparison, like most people, I too have the Devil Wears Prada on top of the chick flick movie list. After seeing this movie, however, I think we have a new contender.

It could be that I just finished seeing the movie, so I'm on that rush and haven't fully processed the film, but all I can say, is that it was... fantastic. It was funny, it was provocative, it was emotional, and it was bittersweet. It was all things that a chick flick should be, but only to the next level, but it also got you to think. There was a lot of political opinions thrown into the movie by the author/director, but honestly, it added to the realism of the film. It made the characters believable, and gave you a better insight into their depth. For the rest of this post, I will talk about the relationship between Tala/Leyla, then the two characters individually, and then their relationships with their parents.

Relationship:

The chemistry and relationship between Tala and Leyla was fantastic. Like I mentioned in my last post, it doesn't really matter how good the acting is, if the chemistry isn't there... well then it hurts the film. After seeing these two on the screen... well...I just wish they were together in real life! I loved every scene where they were together. They fed off of each other so well, and it made it so that you really believed what you are watching. In fact, I haven't seen a dynamic so well since Lost and Delirious and Saving Face. The intimacy behind the sex scenes was also to die for. While it was provocative and very sensual, it lacked the crudeness of the scenes in Better than Chocolate. The camera work on both of the sex scenes was also well done. Their first time together was well portrayed with just the camera work in itself. The fact that you never really got a full picture, but instead it was a mangle of limbs, lips, and moans made it very believable as a first time between two in-the-closet girls. Their seduction of each other was also...wow....

Characters

What I first must say about all the characters in the movie is that all the characters really represented different sides of the spectrum. Some were controlled by their men, others were rebels, others were just confused, and others were just ... getting by. I could go into each of the characters, but why ruin it! Watch it yourselves, and you'll see!

However, I do want to talk about Leyla and Tala. Both were really at times opposites of each other, and often times I found myself being reminded of the relationship between Noemi and Michel in The Secrets. Tala was very outspoken, open minded, fierce, and very intelligent. There's a reference that she went to Cornell... so shout out! Leyla on the other hand is very shy, reserved, has a strong sense of family expectations, etc. A writer and a business woman... what do you expect? Their development and their feelings were expressed phenomenally in the movie. Their fears, their joys, their love made me fall in the love with the characters and their stories. Watching Leyla coming to terms with her sexuality and facing her fears head on, and becoming stronger for it, and Tala going through her own thing and her own obligations made this movie very thought provoking and brought up my own insecurities and concerns. They were not only validated but also given hope for the future.

Family

Well, what can I really say about the way that family was treated in the movie? Only that it was done superbly! You had the relationships with siblings, mothers, and fathers, and all of them were handled, albeit with a light undertone, quite seriously. The relationship between Leyla and her sister was very nice to see. Her sister was very open minded, and the scene in which she figured out that her sister was hiding something was hilarious! (references were made to K.D. Lang, lesbian literature, and even a book by the director herself). Leyla's coming out to her parents was also very touching and covered a lot of different themes and issues that come up when coming out to family (expectations, disappointment, religion etc). Tala's family dynamic was also interesting to watch. The reactions and actions from her sisters and parents also covered many aspects that are sometimes a part of the coming out experience. Sure, maybe it was too many different kinds of reactions thrown into one, but... sometimes that just has to happen.

Alright! So, I have spoken enough, and if you stuck with me through the end...good for you! Now, go rent/buy/download this movie for yourself and tell me what you think. It was a great movie, and it's ending was definitely part of the positive lesbian movie! It really did leave me smiling.

While you're at it, pick up the soundtrack too. The music used was amazing!