#45 - Imagine Me and You

Ohh, Imagine Me and You. What to say about this movie? Well, I should start off by saying that this is neither the first time that I've seen this movie, nor would I think that this is it the first time that you readers have heard of this movie. It's on those movies that is usually mentioned as one of the better known, queer films,. Then again, it has Piper Perabo (Lost and Delirious) in it, so how could it not be mentioned?!

I'll start off by saying, that it's not one of my favorite movies. Time and time again, I fail to see why lesbians love this movie to pieces. I won't lie - it is a good movie, and it is heartwarming, but it's not memorable. You don't fall in love with any of the characters, you may feel for them, but honestly, this movie just feels like it tries too hard to be a good romantic comedy.

Summary:

Rachel is getting married to Heck. On the day of her wedding, she feels an unexplicable attraction to Luce, the female gay florist. After the wedding, she befriends Luce (invites her to dinner, etc) in the hopes of setting her up with Cooper, Heck's friend. However, sparks fly between the two ladies, and although neither of them do anything about it, you can tell that there is an attraction. The next day, she learns that Luce is gay, and is now even more interested in learning about Luce, and begins to do some "research" on lesbians on her own (cue in the hilarious scene at the movie rental place). From here, there is a lot of events that lead up to the romance between the two ladies. I won't give too much away after this, but it's definitely a journey that quite nice to watch. Although there isn't much of a sexual, physical intimacy between the two characters, you definitely get enough emotional intimacy to make up for the loss.

Relationships:

The relationship between Rachel and Luce is one of the sweeter ones that I've seen. They are adorable from the start, and the two actresses definitely had a lot of chemistry. You see why they fall in love, and every time I watch this movie, I always catch something between them that I missed the last time I saw them.

As for all of the relationships in the movie, they all are pretty realistic - as far as romantic comedies go. There are plenty of one liners between all the characters that are just friggen adorable. You are left touched, and at times also pensive.

Characters that were just too unrealistic:

The characters are charming, and completely fleshed out. You definitely understand their motivations and do feel empathy for their situations. While I don't completely agree with all of their actions, I can see why they are made - and I appreciate them for it. I'm also sure many people find the little girl adorable, I however cannot stand her. But, that's a rant for another day.

I think one of the problems with the movie is that everyone is just too friggen nice. Yes, they may be angry every now and then, but they are all together too forgiving. Heck. Really? Come on, you've just found out that your wife has fallen in love with a women, and thats all the emotion that you show? Come on. To quote Paulie "rage more." Then, let's look at Rachel's mom. You have a problem with your daughter's new attraction, but you seem to get over it within a few hours. That's pretty unrealistic, and just downright stupid on behalf of the writer.

I understand the need for a happy ending, but how about some realism, yea?

If you are in love and are watching this movie - you would definitely enjoy the affection between the characters, and the plot in general. I wouldn't recommend this as one of those movies that are going to be a fan favorite, but for a rainy saturday afternoon, this movie hits the spot. For those of you going through a break up, there is some peace to be reached after watching the movie. It's cleansing in a way.

#88 - The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love

Since his passing, I've had John Hughes on my mind a lot. His movies have always had this quality about them that made them memorable and relatable even in the most extreme of cases. He got you laughing, but also thinking.

I bring him up now because thats the exact same feeling I had after watching The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love (try saying that 5 times fast). This movie is right up there with The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. In the best of times and worst of times in the movie, there was this undertone that served as a reminder that these kids were still in high school and had all to face all the things that go along with that.

Plot/Setting

This movie wasn't a lesbian movie, and it wasn't a teen movie, it was just a movie about two teens and their first love, and the wild things that result from it. That's enough of a summary for you. I will also add that I loved the way that the director treated the characters lives outside from each other, and their relationship. From the note passing near the lockers, the awkward hand holding, and the strict parents that no longer understood, and the oblivious, often hurtful "friends" - everything was so iconically high school that it was perfect.

Characters

I loved all the characters in the movie. The main character Randy is this butch lesbian who is self conscious, vulnerable, but also very strong. She stands firm even in the worst of cases and has a good heart.

I wish I had seen more of her leading lady, Evie. Evie is a little bit sheltered, very sweet and smart, affluent African American. She starts the movie as a straight girl and as the movie progresses, so does she. The reason I wish I could have seen more of her is because she had to deal with many things at once in high school. Not only was she trying to figure out her sexuality, but it was also obvious that she was always very aware of her race, and interracial relationships. She talks about her mother's disapproval of her father's new white wife, and asks Randy if her aunt (Randy does not live with her mother) does not like her because she is black. Clearly, Evie was dealing with many pressures from many sides and I would have really liked to have seen a little bit more from her perspective.

The more minor characters were equally as rich in character development and equally as entertaining to watch. You got to see a little bit of everyone and it was really great how it all came together at the end. I especially loved Randy's best friend, Frank, the gay Hispanic male in the movie.

After watching It's in the Water, and having decided that I would not be including that in the newly updated version of the Amazon positive lesbian movie, I was looking for a movie to replace that film. This is certainly it. You cannot really go wrong with this movie. It's funny, its decent, its leaves you smiling at the end. While the ending does not really provide much of a resolution, it does provide enough for the viewer to know that everything will be alright. The dedication at the end of the movie, showed that too.

#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.

#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!

#62 - Nina's Heavenly Delights

Who knew cooking could be so sexy? Well, after watching this Indian/Scottish movie (which made for some awesome accents, albeit a bit difficult to understand at times), I am now a believer.

So I just finished watching Nina's Heavenly Delights (number 3 on the Amazon happy lesbian list, number 62 on the 101 movies to see for lesbians). I've got to say it was a good movie. It had all the elements of one. Great cast, great acting, great script, story line, etc.

Yet, now I must refer to something Nina said at a couple points in the movie when talking about good vs. great cooking - just because a meal has all the ingredients, if the chemistry isn't right, then it won't taste that great. Unfortunately, I must use her own words against her when describing this movie. There was something that was missing. I feel like the chemistry between Nina and her main squeeze was just not... there. They both played their part well, and it wasn't awkward, but I guess it also wasn't very believable. There was no intimacy between them - just a relationship. Don't get me wrong, there were scenes where this was the case. Nina teaching Lisa how to cook, them tasting the food, meeting at the club... all great scenes acted out wonderfully. But there wasn't any chemistry between the actresses. I couldn't believe that the two characters were in the love. It all felt a little empty.

However, that is not the say that in general the movie wasn't that good, or that it didn't leave me smiling. On the contrary, I was laughing, tearing up, fuming, all within a period of 120 minutes.

What I liked about the movie was that the lesbianism wasn't obvious, or at least not the focus of the film for at least 30 minutes into it. Illusions were made of course (Nina left her fiance at the altar before going off to London for a few years), eye contact, side comments Nina's flamboyantly gay friend makes upon her arrival, but if you weren't watching close enough, or didn't know anything about the movie before watching it, you would have been surprised when Nina's orientation came to play.

Nina's love life came second to the bigger story arc. A family getting over a death and also trying to win a competition for the title of best curry restaurant. Nina's love life, and the secrets her brother and sister held were also amusing and in the end tied well together.

I also particularly liked Nina's internal conflict of whether to come out to her family or not to. She had much to lose if she did and if she didn't. And that heartfelt conversation with her friend was one that I'm sure many of us could relate to. I appreciated how the character voiced the fears that are often just left unsaid mainly because it's already pretty obvious as to why the character cannot come out.

(Spoiler ahead)

I did find the ending to be a bit cliche. We've already seen it before in Imagine Me & You and in Saving Face. Lisa leaves Nina because she won't come out, Nina is heartbroken, and then her mother comes to the rescue, gives her the advice, courage, and approval she needs to get her girl back. But then again, it is a nice touch to add. Sure Saving Face did it a bit better, but that's up to the taste of the viewer.

(End of Spoiler)

I've got to say, Nina's Heavenly Delights was heavenly to watch. Like I said, it had all the elements of a really great (chic flick) movie and I really enjoyed it. But in the end, when all the ingredients were in the pot, I think it was just the chemistry that did it in. It wasn't amazing, and it wasn't memorable. However, it was a better movie that others that I've seen and and it's one that people can enjoy and even love (as I am sure that there are some would probably not agree with what I've just said).

So... Buen Provecho!