Nacidas para Sufrir (Born to Suffer)

From the Made in Spain section of 2010 San Sebastian fest and 2010 Berlinale a film with a story that I’m sure is not as easy as obvious narrative tells plus good performances by an all female cast with the most puzzling characters that maybe are like “this” or maybe not. This Miguel Albaladejo film was a nice surprise as I enjoyed much more than what I imagined especially because the awful movie name, but be sure that this dramedy is not about suffering at all.

In an unusual turn I’m going to spoil the story for you, why? Because I’ll tell the obvious storyline and when you watch it will be up to you to figure out if there are other meanings to the story or not. Film tells about elderly Flora that after her sister death is afraid her nieces will send her to a nursery home when she wants to stay at her home doing the chores she has always done. So she figures out that the best way to retain her independence is to marry her younger servant, Purita, and the first gay/lesbian marriage happens in the most traditional, typical and stereotyped little village of Spain.

That’s the story that many talk about the tragicomic exploitation situation where Flora dominates and Purita is the slave, but then you’ll find enough clues about Purita’s and Flora’s past to start to guess that maybe these two women were just hiding -with a very elaborated plan- the obvious attraction between both women. No matter what you believe you have seen in the story, I’m sure that you will enjoy the movie with all the plot twists and good performances by the two lead actresses playing Flora and Purita.

As a film is like a borderline of auteur and commercial cinema and I believe what makes it not only mainstream is the dark, very-dark, storytelling narrative technique that know many will enjoy beyond the obvious storyline.

I’m not sure if I should call this film with lesbian interest as definitively is not the usual film in the genre, plus it will be up to the viewer to elucidate the interpretation that pleases you most; nevertheless this is a film about women and how they interact with each other in adverse surrounding situations and as such definitively I do recommend the film.

I was positively surprised by the dark story, the good performances and the story versatility with as many interpretations as you wish to find.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

4.3.2.1

A Brit teen movie about 4 (girls), 3 (days), 2 (cities), 1 (chance) that basically looks and feels like four short stories about 3 days in the life of 4 girls even when filmmakers went (unsuccessfully) into great lengths to make the story one.

Film starts with the end but goes back to when the four girls meet at a coffee shop and when they part ways (point one), film proceeds to tell one by one what each girl did in the following three days. After telling first story, film fast-rewinds to ‘point-one’ and tells second girl story, and so on and so forth until after the last girl story rewinds to the beginning and concludes. Have to say that’s a good idea but was badly executed as not only story used a not-so-credible unifying storyline about stolen diamonds but also segments were uneven.

Opens with the story of Shannon that urgently needs the help of her friends but is unable to get their attention; she’s troubled because her mother left her and her father. This story is acceptable. Second tells the story of Cassandra who travels to New York City to meet a guy she fall in love via Internet. Not credible and uninteresting story but Tamsin Egerton is eye-candy. Third is Kerrys story which is the true reason I watched this film as she’s lesbian and (tries to) spend the three days with her girlfriend at Cassandra’s flat. Even when story is silly, in general, is acceptable for those that enjoy the lesbian interest genre as has all the necessary elements that genre audience enjoys. Last is Joanne story which is the worst of all, not only because is really non-interesting but also because actress performance is the worst of all four.

Labeled as crime and thriller be sure that this is No crime and nothing is thrilling in this hard to classify movie as Shannon segment is drama, Cassandra’s is silly drama, Kerrys is more comedy and Joanne’s is boring! Also I'm still wondering about the 1 chance (in the title) the girls had as unless is traveling abroad at the end, I have no idea.

I don’t recommend the movie as is a little bit more than a huge mess, but I know that Kerrys segment is must be seen for many that read the blog.

Enjoy.

Watch trailer @MOC

Villa Amalia

Seems that lately I have been choosing to watch films where female protagonists leave everything behind to start a “new life”. First was Nothing Personal and now Villa Amalia. Is someone sending me a message? (LOL!) Anyway this Benoît Jacquot film couldn’t be more different than the Irish film as not only is a great example of what I can call very-very French cinema but the lead character is played by none other than Isabelle Huppert.

Film tells about Ann (Huppert) that what she sees in one night detonates not only the rupture of her love life but also propels a decision that as you get to know her story and circumstances you will totally understand why she does what she does. This is a story that explores themes of identity and fugue. Yes Ann leaves her live-in boyfriend, her successful concert pianist and composer career, and her possessions to search for a new meaning for her life. Not totally willingly helped by Georges -a childhood friend she re-encounters in that one night- she ends up at the island of Ischia in Italy.

This is a film with what some have called “gay subtext” because Georges ‘seems’ gay as well as Ann meets Giulia and she ends up sharing her bed. But I believe is not subtext as I was able to clearly see that Georges is gay and it was very clear what happened to Ann with Giulia. In a sense I regret that the treatment to the lesbian interest moments was so superficial, but if I take into account Jacquot storytelling technique absolutely understand why he chose to do those moments the way he did them.

As always extraordinary performance by Isabelle Huppert that more than with words is with her body language and facial expressions that make you feel all kind of emotions that range from numbness to total sympathy for whatever the character is doing, feeling or living. As a movie has good cinematography, slow pace, many extraordinary silences (most notably during Ann’s last visit to her mother), is full of narratives ellipses plus truncated conversations which transmits fracture and makes the storytelling technique quite extraordinary.

I liked the film for the story, great performance by Huppert and her co protagonists, and beautiful sights of the Italian island; but most of all I liked for Jacquot narrative and visual storytelling technique and as such I do recommend it to those that enjoy great –but very particular- French cinema. Also I don’t recommend the movie to those that enjoy the lesbian or gay interest genre as absolutely is not the ‘normal’ genre film; still is important to share that the film has been in the European LGTB fest circuit, so some maybe dare to give the film a try.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Habitación en Roma (Room in Rome)

Thanks to a very dear friend I was able to watch this movie that have been waiting too long to watch and had very HIGH expectations regarding the story, the film and the director’s work. The film exceeds by far my high expectations in so many levels that it was really “painful” to watch such a beautiful film. To talk about this film have to use my dual brain, one brain will talk about the lesbian interest film and the other about the mainstream arty film.

Up-to-date this is the best lesbian interest film that I have ever watched as tells a story that is so REAL but the way is told makes even more real and I know that many that have ever lived a one-night-stand at a hotel room will easily understand why I say this film story resembles real-life. But more amazing is the way is told and seems that Julio Medem had excellent source(s) of information about what happens beyond the close doors when two women meet and fall in love. Still even more amazing is the fact that this film is inspired by Matias Bize’s En la Cama, a Chilean film that tells a similar story but the protagonists are a man and a woman. How a filmmaker can portrait so good real-life about something I’m sure has never seen much less lived? Interesting.

The films tells about two strangers, one Russian and one Spaniard, that meet on their last night in Rome, feel attracted to each other, end-up in Alba’s room and slowly -very-slowly- start to open themselves to each other until they tell truth, get scared for what they’re feeling and it’s too late as feelings have overcome whatever they have to face in their real-lives they tried so hard to protect. Very simple story told with many conversations, some sex but more love, some silences, many sights and many facial expressions. Fantastic!!!

I’m totally biased but I enjoyed more Elena Anaya’s Alba than Natasha Yarovenko’s Natasha, after all Anaya is a more accomplished actress and her performance here is just perfect for the role she’s playing, but Yarovenko’s performance was acceptable as both actresses are in almost every scene and indeed they are what makes the film so beautiful and interesting to watch, besides the story.

As a mainstream arty film is complex with Medem’s magic realism leading the story this time with paintings that if you’re familiar with the paintings, the simple painting’s presence will (sort of) tell you what the story will be about and if not, narrative will tell. Then you have Cupid that needs no explanation. If this had been a man and a woman story I’ll be talking SO different about the story and would have made a better analysis of what the story is really about. I saw the story but since Medem chose to have two women, it totally became irrelevant to me as the lesbian interest story became not only more interesting but so resembling real life that overcame me. But will share that yes Medem’s magic realism could have made the story a dream and yes, the visual narrative has a lot to do with two symbols, maps (including the great take with the upside down map of Microsoft’s Bing – plus all the other-) and mirrors.

Still I was able to appreciate the movie beyond the story and the two protagonist pas-de-deux and one… no, two particular scenes blew my mind. The first is when the camera enters the room -at the beginning- and the second is when the camera exits the room –at the end-in the same fashion as the first but backwards. In general the best this movie has –as a movie- is framing, camera takes and camera moves. Still there are a few, perhaps too many for such a beautiful film, really bad framing's.

I was reading a few reviews as well as viewers comments and since I know that this film is a must-be-seen for those that enjoy the lesbian interest film I have to share with you all that this is not necessarily a ‘normal’ genre film. First please remember that is European and second absolutely is a Julio Medem’s film. The second comment may be explained better if you saw -or could see before watching this one- Medem’s Sex and Lucia, for example. I’m mentioning this as if you know Medem’s work I’m sure you will enjoy this film a lot more than just watching because is a lesbian interest movie.

I strongly recommend the film beyond the lesbian interest genre but please don’t expect steamy sex as the many trailers suggest and even if the two protagonists are nude almost the entire film (which is exactly how you are in real-life inside the closed doors of a hotel room) after about ten minutes you will forget that they’re nude.

Of course I LOVE the film as a lesbian interest film but also as a Julio Medem’s film.

Big Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC (well, if I find one that doesn’t exploit the sex scenes – it’s impossible so no trailer)

58th San Sebastian International Film Festival - Made in Spain

If something I totally agree with today's press release is that the 19 films that comprise the selection in this section has (a huge) diversity and shows the vitality of last year Spanish cinema production. From serious awards winner dramas like Celda 211, to a visual stunning film about a voyage to Mongolia in La Terra Habitada (The Inhabited Land), passing by Codero's Rabia (Rage), last Biennale [REC] 2, comedy in Velilla's Que se Mueran Los Feos (To Hell with the Ugly), Berlinale's Nacidas Para Sufrir, Silver Biznaga winner Fake Orgasm, and many more.

But what really made write this post is a film that I'm simply 'dying' to watch, Julio Medem's Room in Rome; just for this movie I wish I could go to San Sebastian this year. LOL!

To check all films in this section plus info and photos, please go here.

35th Toronto International Film Festival

Some of you maybe recall that I'm not really a fan of this festival as find it's too commercial for my taste, has the North American premiere of many films that come from prestigious festivals, and most of the films are simply not interesting to me. But I do recognize that's an important fest in North America and maybe it's the largest. This year will screen 246 films in many sections and programs; will run from September 9 to 19 and here are sections that the fest has.

Canada First - First time Canadian directors
Canadian Open Vault - Special presentations of recently restored, iconic, Canadian films
City to City - An Exploration of the urban experience through film. Each year a city is spotlighted
Contemporary World Cinema - Best films from every corner of the earth. (Maybe the most interesting program)
Discovery - Showcase for innovative new filmmakers
Future Projections - Cinema meets visual arts with moving-image projects throughout the city of Toronto
Galas Presentations
Masters - Films made by the most influential directors living today
Mavericks - Unforgettable dialogues with some of the most compelling figures of working in cinema today
Midnight Madness - Weird and wonderful films from misfit directors for those audiences who appreciate the wild side of cinema
Reel to Reel - Candid and unscripted, the best documentaries of the year
Short Cuts Canada -Canadian shorts
Special Presentations - Crowd pleasing films
Sprockets Family Zone - Films for children and adults alike
TIFF for Free - Free public screenings showcasing gems from festivals past
Vanguard - Films that defy convention (another sometimes interesting section)
Visions - Poetic films that take radical and innovative approach to filmmaking and the art of storytelling (ditto above)
Wavelengths - Film is art. Vibrant and aesthetically stunning works from the world's leading and emerging film and video artists.

To check films in each section/program go here.

These are some of the films I find interesting and are new to the blog.

All About Love, Ann Hui, Hong Kong, 2010 (lesbian interest)
Inside America, Barbara Eder, Austria, 2010
Jucy, Louise Alston, Australia, 2010 (is a womatic comedy!)
Last Night, Massy Tadjedin, France and USA, 2009 (Intriguing cast, but hope is not too American)
The Piano in a Factory, Zhang Meng, China, 2010

4th Queer Lion Awards Lineup

These are the films that will be competing for the Queer Lion.

Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky, USA (lesbian interest) - Main Competition
Capo Dio Monte, Pappi Corsicato, Italy (documentary about gay artist) - Venice Days -Spazio Aperto
Drei (Three), Tom Tykwer, Germany (gay interest) - Main Competition
En el Futuro, Mauro Andrizzi, Argentina (gay interest) - Orizzonti -
Et in Terra Pax, Matteo Botrugno and Daniele Coluccini, Italy (gay interest)- Venice Days
Happy Few, Antony Cordier, France (gay interest) - Main Competition
Lisetta Carmi, A Soul on the Road, Daniele Segre, Italy (sort of gay interest?) - Venice Days (Italian Portraits and Landscapes)
Potiche, Fracois Ozon, Frace (gay interest) (Must be seen) - Main Competition
La Solitudine dei Numeri Primi (The Solitude of Prime Numbers), Saverio Costanzo, Italy, Germany and France (gay interest) - Main Competition
The Tempest, Julie Taymor, USA Closing Film (first is Taymor, second Helen Mirren, THIRD Mirren plays Prospera that in the original Shakespeare play is a man and here is a 'virile woman', must be seen)- Out of Competition
Sposerò Nichi Vendola, Andrea Constantino, Italy (gay interest) - Controcampo Italiano (Short Film)

As expected there is only one really lesbian interest as The Tempest I'm doubting will have any specific interest, but will be interesting watching Helen Mirren playing the role. Also think that Potiche is in the considered films because is Ozon as was described as being totally 'queer' because the actresses. Will check for more info about the genre as news start to appear.

To check information and photos for each film go here where you can also browse the other related activities. Award ceremony will be on September 10th.

4th Queer Lion Award News

Been checking everyday for news and today found that the list will be available next Monday, August 23 finally. Let's hope that this year there will be more diversity, but from the films I have been able to identify in the main competition seems that will be as always with gay interest films as a majority.

Sigh.

67th Venice International Film Festival Lineup

Today feels like a holiday as have some free time to write in the blog and what better than to post the lineup of the second most important festival in the world, La Biennale.

From September 1st to the 11th the fest will run in Venezia and definitively I'll be watching if RAI International broadcast the event as the opening film is Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan with a great cast and to my surprise a little lesbian interest in the story.

Here are the films in the Main International Competition.

Attenberg, Athina Rachel Tsangari, Greece
Balada Triste de Trompeta (A Sad Trumpet Balad), Alex de la Iglesia, Spain and France
Barney's Version, Richard J. Lewis, Canada and Italy
Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky, USA (lesbian interest)
The Ditch, Wang Bing, Hong Kong, France and Belgium (was the surprise film!)
Di Renjie Zhi tongtian Diguo (Detective Dee and the Mystery of Phantom Flame), Hark Tsui, China (with Tony Leung Ka Fai)
Drei (Three), Tom Tykwer, Germany (gay interest)
Essential Killing, Jerzy Skolimowski, Poland, Norway, Hungary, and Ireland (with Emmanuelle Seigner)
Happy Few, Antony Cordier, France (gay interest)
Jusan-Nin No Shikaku (13 Assasins), Takashi Miike, Japan (with Kôji Yakusho)
Meek's Cutoff, Kelly Reichardt, USA
Miral, Julian Schnabel, USA, France, Italy and Israel (Most awaited, must be seen -of course)
Noi Credevamo, Mario Martone, Italy and France (with Toni Servillo!)
Noruwei No Mori ノルウェイの森 (Norwegian Wood), Anh Hung Tran, Japan
La Passione, Carlo Mazzacurati, Italy
La Pecora Nera, Ascanio Celestini, Italy
Ovsyanki Овсянки (Silent Souls), Aleksei Fedorchenko, Russia
Post Mortem, Pablo Larraín, Chile, Mexico and Germany
Potiche, Fracois Ozon, France (Must be seen)
Promises Written in Water, Vincent Gallo, USA
Road To Nowhere, Monte Hellman, USA
La Solitudine dei Numeri Primi (The Solitude of Prime Numbers), Saverio Costanzo, Italy, Germany and France (gay interest)
Somewhere, Sofia Coppola, USA
Vénus Noire (Black Venus), Abdellatif Kechiche, France

Main Competition Jury
President: Quentin Tarantino
Guillermo Arriaga, director/screenwriter, Mexico
Ingeborga Dapkunaite, actress, Lithuania
Arnaud Despelchin, director/screenwriter, France
Danny Elfman, musician/composer, USA
Luca Guadagnino, director/screenwriter, Italy
Gabriele Salvatore, director/screenwriter, Italy

Very impressive lineup with well-established directors like Schnabel, Ozon and others like Sofia Coppola, Larrain, Skolimowski, Reichardt among others. My first impression is that this lineup is NOT similar to the -now- infamous Cannes 2010 lineup.

Up-to-today the official site has only the list, but soon will have information about each film. To check the complete list go here.

If the competition lineup is impressive just check the also impressive long list that makes the Out of Competition Official Selection.

1960, Gabrielle Salvatores, Italy
A Letter to Elia, Martin Scorsese and Kent Jones, USA (documentary)
All Inclusive 3D, Naddia Ranocchi and David Zamagni, Italy and Austria
Dante Ferretti - Production Designer, Gianfranco Giagni, Italy (documentary)
Gorbaciof, Stefano Incerti, Italy
I'm Still Here: The Lost Year of Joaquin Phoenix, Casey Affleck, USA
Jianyu (Reign of Assassins), John Woo and Su Chao Pin (Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement)
Jingwu Fengyun Chen Zhen (Legent of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen), Andrew Lau, China and Hong Kong (Opening Night Tribute to Bruce Lee)
Last Movie, Dennis Hopper, USA, 1971
Lope, Andrucha Waddington, Spain and Brazil (with Sonia Braga... hmm)
Machete, Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis, USA Midnight Opening Film (yes, will watch no matter how gross could be)
Niente Paura - Come Siamo Come Eravamo e le Canzoni di Luciano Ligabue, Piergiorgio Gay, Italy (documentary)
Notizie Degli Scavi, Emidio Greco, Italy
Passione, John Turturro, Italy
Prezit Svuj Zivot (Surviving Life), Jan Svankmajer, Czech Republic and Slovakia
La Prima Volta a Venezia, Antonello Sarno, Italy ( with Toni Servillo and only 43')
Raavanan, Mani Ratman, India (short name Raavan - Of course must be seen for me with Aish) will screen the Tamil version and as an Out of Competition Event the Hindi version
Sei Venezia, Carlo Mazzacurati, Italy
Senritsu Meikyu 3D (The Shock Labyrinth: Extreme), Japan
Sorrelle Mai, Marco Bellocchio, Italy
Taikong Xia 3D (Space Guy), Yuan Zhang, China (animation short)
That Girl in Yellow Boots, Anurag Kashyap, India
The Tempest, Julie Taymor, USA Closing Film (first is Taymor, second is with Helen Mirren, must be seen)
The Town, Ben Affleck, USA
Tungngaan 3D (The Child's Eye 3D), Oxide Pang and Danny Pang, China and Hong Kong
L'Ultimo Gattopardo: Ritratto di Goffredo Lombardo, Giuseppe Tornatore (documentary)
Vallanzasca - Gli Angeli del Male, Michele Placido, Italy
Vittorio Racconta Gassman - Una Vita da Mattatore, Giancarlo Scarchilli, Italy (documentary) (I'm interested) Yes, there will a tribute to Vittorio Gassman.
Yongxin Tiao (Showtime) Stanley Kwan, China (with Tony Leung Ka Fai)
Zebraman, Takashi Miike, Japan, 2004
Zebraman: Zebra City No Gyakushu (Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City), Takashi Miike, Japan

To check the list go here.

I'll wait for the official site to have films information to list the Orizzonti section as right now ALL (shorts, feature films, experimental films, etc) are together. But for starters here are the opening and closing fims

Opening Film: La Belle Endormie, Catherine Breillat, France
Closing Film: Ok-hui-ui yeonghwa (Oki's Movie), Hong Sang-soo, Korea

The Orizzonti section will have four new awards:

Orizzonti Award to full-length (long and very long feature films)
Special Jury Orizzonti Prize (ditto)
Orizzonti Award (short films)
Orizzonti Award (medium-length films)

The renewed Orizzonti section absorbed the CortoCortissimo and Special Events sections, so I'm really curious to find out how they will manage this section and obviously the "new trends" feature films that will screen.

Shirin Neshat will chair the Jury of the Orizzonti section and none other than Fatih Akin will chair the Luigi De Laurentiis Award given to a debut film, an award that gives US$100,000 to be shared by the director and producers - no ex aequo (tie) is permitted.

Other sections in the fest this year are ControCampo Italiano with new trends in Italian Cinema and Italian Comedy a retrospective section on Italian comedy from 1910 to 1988.

If you thought that August is a lousy summer month for movies please think again as in a few days (after the 15) the Berlinale will start to pour us with lots of information about movies as well as events from fest that starts on September 1st.

Last but not least please don't forget that this fest has the Queer Lion Award and for starters I'm almost sure that Aronofsky's Black Swan is in the list of films competing for this award, hope there are many more that we will learn as soon as they publish the list or when I research each film in the fest.

Bravo! La Biennale ha iniziato!!

To watch available trailers ONLY for films in main competition go Movie On Companion.

63rd Locarno Film Festival Lineup

Yesterday the fest opened with the premiere of much awaited (by me) of Benoit Jacquot's Au fond des Bois (Deep in the Woods) starring none other than Isild Le Besco, who also directed a film in the main international competition.

Today the International Competition opened and here are the films in competition.

Bas-Fonds, Isild Le Besco, France (lesbian interest and first time that I see in a fest: Not suitable for those under 18!! yep, will be heavy!)
Beli Beli Svet (White White World), Oleg Novkovic, Serbia, Germany and Sweden
Beyond The Steppes, Vanja d'Alcantara, Belgium and Poland
Cold Weather, Aaron Katz, USA
Curling, Denis Cote, Canada
Han Jia (Winter Vacation), Li Hong qi, China
Homme Au Bain, Christophe Honoré, France (Gay interest, again not suitable for those under 18)
Im Alter von Ellen (At Ellen's Age), Pia Marais, Germany (story seems interesting)
Karamay, Xu Xin, China (Documentary) (must be very hard to watch)
L.A. Zombie, Bruce LaBruce, USA, Germany and France (obviously gay interest and the no under 18 notice, lol! yep, been reading about this film that has been called 'pornography')
La Petite Chambre, Stéphanie Chuatand and Véronique Reymond, Switzerland and Luxembourg
Luz Nas Trevas - A Volta Do Bandido Da Luz Vermelha (Light in Darkness - The Return of Red Light Bandit), Helena Ignez and Icaro C. Martins, Brazil
Morgen, Marian Crisan, Romania, France and Hungary (yes will watch)
Periferic, Bogdan George Apetri, Romania and Austria (Yes, Must Be Seen for me)
Pietro, Daniele Gaglianone, Italy
Saç (Hair), Tayfun Pirselimoglu, Turkey and Greece
Songs of Love and Hate, Katalin Gödrös, Switzerland
Womb, Benedek Fliegauf, Germany, Hungary and France

To check the list and read information about the films go here and select Films & Screening Schedule then Concorso Internanazionale, film info is in English. Some films have trailers or scene videos. Have to say that there are some quite strange and weird stories in some movies, just the synopsis made me gasp when reading, some absolutely will have to see them just to find how the filmmaker dealt with the story.

There is also the Cineasti del Presente Competition (Filmmakers of the Present Competition) dedicated to emerging directors from the world; check the films in the competition section. The shorts competition Pardi di Domani (Leopards of Tomorrow) has up to 40 minutes shorts by directors who haven't yet made feature films and has an award for international filmmakers and another for Swiss filmmakers.

The fest runs until August 14 and will be checking for the winners as soon as they're published.

Outfest 2010

Yesterday the fest had the award ceremony and the most amazing thing is that a lesbian interest film won the top award,something that's not really common so I hope the film is good. Here are some of the winners

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature Film: A Marine Story by Ned Farr

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film: Debra Weber in A Marine Story by Ned Farr

Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature Film: The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister, James Kent, UK

To check all award winners go here.

This year the fest site went digital with their film guide (is here) and honestly was not easy to read, but I was able to discover one lesbian interest film that totally called my attention and it's new to the blog. Take a look.

La Robe du Soir (The Evening Dress), Myriam Aziza, France, 2009 Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

Frameline 34

With many shorts and three new to the blog movies the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival will run from June 17 to 27 and here are the 'new' lesbian interest films.

A Marine Story, Ned Farr, USA, 2010 (with The Gymnast Dreya Weber a story of lesbians in uniform)
Elena Undone, Nicole Conn, USA, 2010 (Heavy drama)
We Have To Stop Now, Robyn Dettman, USA, 2009 (Another comedy with Jill Bennett and Cathy De Buono)

To check the list of all movies, shorts and documentaries (101 in total) with lesbian interest go here. To check the same but with gay interest go here (120 titles).

The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister

Rules have always exceptions and for me the exception in the world of made-for-TV films are British productions. No matter the genre they are excellent and complete-experience productions. But up-to-date the best made-for-TV productions in the lesbian interest genre absolutely are from the BBC and with their latest production based on real people and recently decoded diaries just makes it more evident, if possible. The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister not only is an excellent production but has a compelling story that looks and feels absolutely real, like real life -against fiction or a romanticized version of real events.

Real is the key word for this story that is not really a happy story as you'll see the suffering Miss Lister lives and maybe many will know -or guess- the outcome to similar painful situations and well, that's exactly what happens here! So you can say the story will be predictable for many, but the ride is simply magnificent with excellent performances, so much caring for period details and good production values.

The story is set in nineteenth century Yorkshire were wealthy orphan Anne Lister lives with her unmarried aunt and uncle who are anxious for her to marry well; but Anne is in love with her lover Mariana Belcombe. Love is real between them but Marianna doesn't approve the "public" displays more liberated Anne does among the close provincial society of those days and makes a marriage of convenience to a rich old man hoping that their relationship will continue as always, as they are considered best friends to everyone. But Anne feels betrayed and asks Mariana to stop writing and visiting her. What follows you have to see it, but let me just finish by saying that Anne Lister was really open about her sexuality, well open in closed doors; still, my impression is that many knew she was lesbian as she was the object of gossip behind her back.

Not only the story is about the romantic life of Miss Lister but also is about what probably was the first woman in the region to become an industrialist which to me is like the icing on the cake, as definitively is not another biopic about a lesbian in older times, is about a woman that had to take hard life decisions to fight (and win) men who thought she could not handle the hard coal exploitation business.

Yes I find the story fascinating as a woman story but also as a real-life lesbian interest story. Not often we have the opportunity to learn about interesting women struggles in the past and much less in this genre.

I strongly recommend this film to women and to those that enjoy excellent productions in the lesbian interest genre. This is one film that goes to my collection along excellent productions like Fingersmith, Tipping the Velvet and more.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

If you want to learn more about Anne Lister I suggest you go to From History to Her Story site that's here.

And Then Came Lola

A nice comedy for those that like American dryish humor. Me I don't. So, no surprise, I didn't enjoyed much this Ellen Seidler and Megan Siler film that was inspired in one film that definitively I liked a lot Run Lola Run.

Tells about photographer Lola and a series of fortuitous incidents that doesn't allow her to reach her destination on time to give her girlfriend some photos. The story is told several times changing the situations in the fortuitous incidents, until the last one that has a happy ending.

I had no expectations for this film and even when I knew was inspired in excellent Run Lola Run, I was not expecting the film to be alike and well, it's not. I watched the film for two known to me actresses and well they did perform as always, meaning I saw Jill Bennett and Cathy DeBuono and not their characters.

But, I know that many liked and will like the film as an escape moment with a nice American dryish humor comedy, unfortunately I'm not one of them. Can't recommend the film but I know that many will watch as is a comedy with a well-known cast in the lesbian interest genre.

Sigh.

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

1st Queer Palm (Off) Cannes Winner

No surprises for me as it was obvious that a more gay interest film had to win the first Queer Palm (LOL!), so here is the winner that comes from the Midnight Screenings.

Queer Palm: Kaboom, Gregg Araki, USA and France, 2010

Still, the good news are that the film 'hero' is bisexual and his best friend is lesbian, so I'm giving the film the benefit of doubt. Here is a copy and paste of what Franck Finance-Madureira mentions about Jury reasons to select this film.

"Kaboom est un film complètement queer: le héros est bisexuel et sa meilleure amie est lesbienne, tout cela ne pose absolument aucun problème et la sexualité est au centre même du film, une sexualité fluide et libre qui a beaucoup séduit les membres du jury. Les jurés ont beaucoup échangé sur les quatre très bons films qui se dégageaient des sélections cannoises: Kaboom, Les Amours imaginaires, Cuchillo de Palo, et Tournée que nous avons trouvé aussi vraiment queer."

So finally we learned the films they considered for the award and I'm surprised not to find in this list Picco, so maybe is not gay interest but maybe it is under different criteria (I'll find out when I'm able to watch it).

Read the official announcement at Yagg, available only in French.

Queer Palm at 2010 Cannes

Is not part of the official festival (yet) but if Berlinale has its Teddy Awards and Venice has its Queer Lion, why not Cannes? Absolute truth. Let's hope that the initiative becomes -in the near future- part of the official festival but remember that both German and Italian festivals took many years to accept the 'idea' of including such an award at their respective fests. Still is very good news for me as definitively has to stimulate filmmakers to further improve the genre.

Here is a brief summary of the recent news and if you read French please check the article here and watch the below video with an interview to Franck Finance-Madureira, the award organizer. The 'parents' of this award are film directors Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau.

"On Saturday, May 22 the Queer Palme will be awarded to a film -in competition in any of the selections and parallel sections- for its contribution to LGBT issues."

This is the Jury that will decide the winning film this year.

Benoît Arnulf - Director of Nice Gay and Lesbian festival
Florence Ben Sadoun - Premiere Magazine
Romain Charbon - Cinema reporter
Mike Goodridge - Director of Screen International
Xavier Leherpeur - Cinema reporter
Ivan Mitfiot - Lyon Gay and Lesbian festival
Pascale Ourbih - President of Chéries-chéris, Paris festival
Brian Robinson - Programmer of London Gay and Lesbian festival

To learn more about this incipient award check the official site here available only in French. As soon as they have any kind of info about the films that are considered I'll post the list, but from what I learned from all the films most (if not all) will be gay interest. Sigh.

The video has now English subtitles. Merci Yagg!

2010 Tribeca Award Winners

Award Winner in *RED. To check winners in all categories go here.

I was checking the films in the fest and there are two in competitition that definitively are Must Be Seen for me. But this year they are doing something exceptional they'll bring the fest online for Premium Passholders across the USA.

On April 23, the fest will launch Tribeca Film Festival Virtual Premium, an 8-day full Festival experience. Passholders will have access to 8 feature films and over 15 short films, plus live red carpets, live panels and live filmmakers Q&As.

I just hope that eventually an event like this one is open to the citizens of the world! Torn down mental barriers, do business worldwide!

If you have access to the Virtual experience I suggest you do not miss Elvis & Madona by Marcelo Laffitte, Brazil, 2010 that's a 'little' lesbian interest.

Anyway the fest will run from April 21 to May 2 and here are the films in the World Narrative Feature Competition.

Buried Land, Geoffrey Aland Rhodes and Steven Eastwood, Bosnia and Herzegovina, UK, and USA, 2009
*Dog Pound, Kim Chapiron, Canada and France, 2009 - Best New Narrative Filmaker
Gainsbourg, Je t'Aime... Moin Non Plus, Joann Sfar, France, 2009
*Mine Vaganti (Loose Cannons), Ferzan Ozpetek, Italy, 2010 (Ozpetek is MUST BE SEEN! - Gay Interest) - Special Jury Mention
Lucky Life, Lee Isaac Chung, USA, 2010
My Brothers, Paul Fraser, Ireland, 2010
Open House, Andrew Paquin, USA, 20100
Paju, Park Chan-ok, South Korea, 2009
Snap, Carmel Winters, Ireland, 2010
*Die Fremde (When We Leave), Feo Aladag, Germany, 2010 (Interesting) Winner of the Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature
Keshtzarhaye Sepid (The White Meadows), Mohammad Rasoulof, Iran, 2009 (Must Be Seen!!!)
William Vincent, Jay Anania, USA, 2010

To read about each movie go here as well as to browse the fest to check the complete program.

Boogie Woogie

A movie that's not for all tastes as you really have to enjoy British satire to laugh with all the crazy situations, crazy acting and crazy story, and if you doubt me just check the awful movie poster that's a ridicule satiric representation of what the story is all about. But boy, did I laugh with this crazy movie.

Described as 'comedy of manners' this Duncan Ward film is set in the contemporary London art world and is based on the book by Danny Moynihan -with the same name- with an excellent cast playing characters devouring each other in a very small world awash with big money. The cast includes Gillian Anderson, Alan Cumming, Christopher Lee, Charlotte Rampling, Stellan Skarsgård, Heather Graham, Danny Huston, Jack Huston, and (again) Amanda Seyfried, plus many more like Gemma Atkinson that plays a lesbian artist that will do anything to be discovered and promoted.

Very fast paced film with many stories (as many as the large amount of characters) but basically revolves around the desire to acquire Piet Mondrian's painting that belongs to an old man who doesn't want to sell as he bought it directly from the famous painter and is his most precious collection piece. But that's the excuse to show us the (real) ridiculous side of art commercialism that is very similar (if not the same) all over the world.

If you have ever been close to the Art Marché in wherever you live then you have to watch this film to uncover people you probably know and if you appreciate Brit humor then the pleasure will be double. Unfortunately I cannot recommend this film to some of my loyal readers as is not the regular lesbian interest movie, but has all the ingredients including the sex scene.

Is so hard for me to find films that understand my humor (lol!) but this one definitively did, plus was a true delight to watch all the paintings, sculptures, etc that parade through out the entire film.

Enjoy!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

Chloe

I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch this film, so I delayed as much as possible but finally I succumbed as is an Atom Egoyan film and had to watch. The good news is that visually the film has many good moments with excellent cinematography and some outstanding outdoor compositions. The bad news is that the original story was changed to make it the most awful story you can image, chemistry between main leads (Julianne Moore and Amanda Seyfried) was non-existent and after watching I was mad!

Remakes are most of the time awful as many times the story is changed to accommodate the morality codes of the target audience. If something I was really curious about this movie was how they were going to adapt Nathalie's very peculiar story that for me totally reflects France's morality values that are SO different to values in English speaking countries. Well, just let me tell you that the main character becomes a stalker of the worst kind, which in the original story is very-very far from it.

Yes this film is the very bad remake of Anne Fontaine's Natalie. Bad because so many things that include the awful story changes but also -for example- Nathalie was all about voices and was really erotic, Chloe tries too hard to be erotic and becomes vulgar.

If you haven't seen Nathalie I urge you to go and buy/rent the DVD so you can see the abysmal difference from Chloe. Would I have liked the movie if I haven't seen Fointaine's film? Visually yes; the story, no.

Definitively Atom Egoyan should avoid doing mainstream films, he's an excellent director that wasted his time with a terrible screenplay.

If you saw and loved Nathalie as much as I did, I suggest you stay away from this movie as I'm sure you will get upset with the old-fashion portrait of lesbianism in this film.

Sigh.

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

12th Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

Tomorrow the fest will start and will run until May 2nd. For a very refreshing change the fest has a couple of very interesting comedies/drama as well as some interesting shorts. The following films are new to the blog.

The Four-Faced Liar, Jacob Chase, USA, 2010
Leading Ladies, Erika and Daniel Beahm, USA, 2010
My Normal, Irving Schwartz, USA, 2009

To read about the films that this year are equally gay and lesbian interest (for a change) go here.

Check trailers @ Movie On Companion