Queereaders discussion

So out of the many, many movies I saw last year, here's what stood out:

"Chris & Don: A Love Story" = documentary about Christopher Isherwood
"The Edge of Heaven" = German/Turkish
"Four Minutes" = German
"Love Songs" = French somewhat-musical
"Milk"
"Save Me"
"Shelter"
"Shelter Me" = Italian
"XXY" = Argentine

What else did you see and thoroughly enjoy?

How about the film a few years ago with Stefano Acorisi, "Le Fate Ignorati" or "His Secret Life"?

"Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom"

Just be prepared to cry!

"It's My Party" is also a tearjerker.

Wanna see a weird movie? Then see "Chuck & Buck" or "The Mudge Boy".

I FINALLY got to watch Latter days , it was cute.

I still want to see "His Secret Life" (although I've seen that filmmaker's other films "Steam" and "Saturn in Opposition"). I liked the short film on which "The Mudge Boy" was based better than the longer, later version.

Working in an independent video store means I get to see the plethora of great movies out there for free, so I've seen most of the GLBT ones. "Fashion Victims" just came out and it was a blast. It's a German comedy that feels like a French farce. I also recently watched a bunch of films by Derek Jarman, who's always fascinating.

Oh, and "Cthulhu" was okay... until towards the end, when it fell apart. It's nice to see some queer-inclusive horror films coming out.

There was a great film I watched years ago .....I believe the name of it was Lillies, I took place in a weird lil town ( maybe in France) all the female characters were men in Drag. I know some kind of scandal involving a preist was part of the plot. Anyone seen this?? By years ago I mean perhaps Early/Mid 90's

ScottK wrote: "There was a great film I watched years ago .....I believe the name of it was Lillies,"

Is this the one you're talking about?

The director has a semi-new movie out called "Proteus"; it's quite lovely as well.

ScottK wrote: "There was a great film I watched years ago .....I believe the name of it was Lillies, I took place in a weird lil town ( maybe in France) all the female characters were men in Drag..."

Oh, yes! "Lilies" is a wonderful Canadian film from 1996. There were so many excellent films in the 90s. Did you ever see "The Hanging Garden" or "Love and Human Remains"?

And speaking of French Canadian, has anyone seen "CRAZY"? It was the Canadian submission to the 2005 American Acamdey Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. A truly wonderful film about the relationship between a father and his sons, one of whom is gay.

I watched Lilies when I was in high school and have remembered it ever since. It is on my "wish list" for amazon, but it is always $25 - a little more than I pay for a DVD, but I might have to give-in soon. It really was a phenomenal movie.

I saw quite a few movies at the DC gay film fest this past fall and, although most were a snooze, I really liked a French movie titled "Times Have Been Better" It was truly fantastic, honest, and funny. I fell totally in love with this movie and hope to get it soon.

No one has mentioned Pedro Almodovar!

Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios is my all-time favorite.

Alex yup that is the one, I have also looked for it but have always found it rather pricey for a dvd too Scott. It is a great film though. I did not know about the other movie but will have to check it out.

Scott wrote: "I watched Lilies when I was in high school and have remembered it ever since. It is on my "wish list" for amazon, but it is always $25 - a little more than I pay for a DVD, but I might have to giv..."

Keep in mind that the expensive cost is because it's from a small company whose mission it is to distribute GLBT movies. The cheaper DVDs are from more mainstream, Hollywood-based companies who do not promote queer cinema. So essentially, you are paying extra to ensure that queer cinema will survive.

"Times Have Been Better" is fabulous. Also check out "Fashion Victims" and "Côte d'Azur", as both have a similar, playful feel.

Rambling Reader wrote: "No one has mentioned Pedro Almodovar!"

Oh, he's great. All About My Mother is my favorite film by him.

Check out Km.0 (Kilometer Zero), which feels like an Almodóvar film, but isn't.

OK great ....fine now I feel guilty for not buying it . :(

ScottK wrote: "OK great ....fine now I feel guilty for not buying it . :( "

Oh dear, that wasn't my intention! I've been working in independent businesses for over a decade now and sometimes the struggle makes me feel so like Sisyphus and my feisty quirks spill out. I like to share information, so. La. Ti. Doh!

That's ok I really should have been aware of that ...it makes TOTAL sense, and trust me it's much better than me buying a $75.00 Ab magnifing tshirt....well on the other hand if it MAGNIFIES the abs then ..... but really even then there has to be SOMETHING TO work with huh... :)

Erik wrote: "Rambling Reader wrote: "No one has mentioned Pedro Almodovar!"

Oh, he's great. All About My Mother is my favorite film by him.

Check out Km.0 (Kilometer Zero), which feels like an Almodóvar f..."

Yes, All About My Mother was great. I also loved Volver, with the great Carmen Maura.

Km. 0 was terrific. Lots of cute men in that film!

The Bubble (Israel & Palestinian men fall in love)

Fire (lesbians in India)

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (loved the artsy wackiness; East Berlin/Canada)

Ma Vie en Rose (France--one of my all-time favorite films about a boy who feels like he's a girl)

Maurice (it's fun watching Hugh Grant sucking boy face)

Out of the Past (phenomenal documentary about queer history & youth activism/GSAs)

Saving Face (Asian-American women)

I loved Ma Vie en Rose and Fire also. The others I'll have to check out. My Netflix queue just keeps growing and growing.

Here's a few others I enjoyed:

My Beautiful Laundrette
The Wedding Banquet
Longtime Companion
Torch Song Trilogy
La Cage aux Folles
In and Out

Has anyone seen Transamerica?

Nancy wrote: "Has anyone seen Transamerica?"

Yep, and it was a wonderful little film. Love Felicity Hoffman.

Kate wrote: "D.E.B.S., If These Walls Could Talk 2 and Desert Hearts are great lesbian films."

I saw the latter two, but have heard that "D.E.B.S." is more of a parody/spoof/whatever. What's your opinion of it?

I liked Transamerica quite a lot. Was VERY impressed by Felicity Huffman.

I saw Desert Hearts a LONG time ago, when I was a newly minted babydyke, and liked it pretty well.

Has anyone else seen (or even heard of) I've Heard the Mermaids Singing? It is a WEIRD and CHARMING movie about an eccentric young woman in Toronto (I think) and the art gallery people for whom she works. Has lesbians in it, one of whom is played by Anne Marie McDonald, who later went on to write a couple of really good novels.

I enjoyed Desert Hearts too, but haven't heard of I've Heard the Mermaids Singing. It reminds me of May Sarton's novel, Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing.

Yes... I found the movie first, before I knew about May Sarton. Was very confused until I discovered that they share the allusion, but not much else. The movie is just...I dunno. It's weird. But I like it a lot.

A great movie that is coming to DVD shortly is "If the World were Mine". I watched it in the Shakespeare theater in DC and the combination of the movie and setting - it was really something special. The director had a Q$A after the movie - he was very genial and appreciative of the response.

The movie is a musical set in a high school - a sort of gay, modern twist on Shakespeares's A midsummer's night dream...

Scott wrote: "A great movie that is coming to DVD shortly is "If the World were Mine"..."

I'm looking forward to that too ("Were the World Mine"). Happy to hear it's as fab as the preview. I also want to see "Between Love and Goodbye" from Casper Andreas who did "Slutty Summer" and "A Four Letter Word" (both of which I found more intelligent and enjoyable than I anticipated).

Erik wrote: "So out of the many, many movies I saw last year, here's what stood out:

...
"XXY" = Argentine"

I recently watched XXY and couldn't have loved it more. Not only was the storyline fascinating, but the entire movie was just beautifully done. Ines Efron was especially enchanting. I definitely took a few moments after the film finished to just soak it all in - I only wish I owned it so that I could watch it over and over again.

Nancy wrote: "Has anyone seen Transamerica?"

I did see it, though it was so long ago that I can't remember specifically what I loved about it. I do know, however, that I truly enjoyed it and was so impressed with Huffman. It was certainly a movie that I recommened to anyone and everyone that would listen!

Seeing this post reminded me of a movie I only watched a snippet of. I believe it was aired on Logo and involved two lesbians (that work in a bookstore, I believe) living on the west coast. They move into a blue warehouse-style apartment and one of them is a wild artist. At some point in the storyline, the not-artist's mother arrives for a visit and since the character hasn't come out yet, the artist is rather upset at having to pretend. Well, anyway, the biggest point of trying to explain it was that it was highly recommended to me by a friend, but I can't recall being overly impressed by it. That could be largely attributed to the fact that I didn't see the entire film, but I was wondering if anyone knew of which film I'm talking about and whether or not it would be worth the effort to watch it again?

To add even more to this already-rambling post, what did people think of "Gia" with Angelina Jolie? I've never seen it and haven't heard very good things about it, but I've really enjoyed some of Jolie's other work, so I was considering giving it a try.

Heather wrote: "...what did people think of "Gia" with Angelina Jolie? I've never seen it and haven't heard very good things about it, but I've really enjoyed some of Jolie's other work, so I was considering giving it a try..."

I wasn't too crazy about Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, but really enjoyed Jolie's performance in Girl, Interrupted and Changeling. Maybe I'll see Gia one of these days. I generally avoid movies and books about PWA's since losing a very close friend to the disease.

Heather wrote: "Seeing this post reminded me of a movie I only watched a snippet of. I believe it was aired on Logo and involved two lesbians (that work in a bookstore, I believe) living on the west coast. They move into a blue warehouse-style apartment and one of them is a wild artist. At some point in the storyline, the not-artist's mother arrives for a visit and since the character hasn't come out yet, the artist is rather upset at having to pretend. Well, anyway, the biggest point of trying to explain it was that it was highly recommended to me by a friend, but I can't recall being overly impressed by it. That could be largely attributed to the fact that I didn't see the entire film, but I was wondering if anyone knew of which film I'm talking about and whether or not it would be worth the effort to watch it again?"

That sounds like "Better Than Chocolate". It's a pretty good movie, IMO.

Jacinda wrote: "That sounds like "Better Than Chocolate". It's a pretty good movie, IMO."

That is indeed it! Thanks so much - after reading a synopsis, I think I will have to watch the entire movie. I'm particularly interested in the storyline that mostly involves the mother.

I absolutely loved "Big Eden". It was one of the first gay movies I saw that was truly a love story, and not complicated by a coming out story, as well. It is one I will re-watch numerous times, very uplifting!

I just finshed watching Shelter..was great! though now im feeling wistful for hugs :( and i bet the 2 leads were straight, they usually are

Has anyone watched "Verfolgt"/"Punish Me"? Although it doesnt have a m/m relationship, it is one of the best D/s films that I have seen (other than porn...and I can suggest a few of those if you are interested. haha!).

Here is the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTQnwZ... and another video from the movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMREFo...

One of my favorites is "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" starring a pre "Will & Grace", Sean Hayes. Cute little movie.

I absolutely love "Big Eden". It is a movie about about a gay relationship that has nothing to do with coming out. it just has to do with two people tripping as they fall in love. it is refreshing to have a movie with gay main characters be presented as a love story, not a controversy and not for shock factor or marginalization or stereotypes.

I've seen a number of LGBTQ themed films, but there are three that I absolutely loved and would highly recommend.

1. Hedwig and the Angry Inch - this is truly a classic must see for any LGBTQ

2. Vier Minuten (Four Minutes) - This is a French film with English subtitles. The LGBTQ is a bit subtle, but it will likely take your breath away.

3. Fingersmith - I just watched this one. It is based on a Sarah Waters novel (I'm guessing the book is even better, does anyone know?). If you are tired of predictable movies, this one has lots of surprises & some great love scenes. It starts off a little slow, but don’t give up on it right away, you won’t regret it.

Hedwig is awesome... esp wig in a box lol

Just watched the 2007 movie, In the Arms of My Enemy (French title: Voleurs de Chevaux.

It's set in the 1850's, about two pairs of brothers. One pair joins the Cossacks to escape a life of poverty while the other pairs steals horses. The brothers cross paths while one pair is in the water and the other pair is stealing their horses. Revenge ensues.

Gorgeous scenery, haunting music, violent scenes. Not a gay movie per se, since it is about brotherly love, but I couldn't help finding it subtly homoerotic.

I love GLBT cinema - there's some real gems if you know where to look. I've got a list of some of my faves on my Flixster page here:

http://tinyurl.com/ycxuslg

I would definitely recommend C.R.A.Z.Y., Swimming and Heights.

I see a few movies on people's list that I really like. Transamerica was a wonderful movie and I also really enjoyed Fingersmith, I watched the movie and then read the book...took me a while to read the book though.
Not on the list of movies are some of my all-time favorites Boys don't Cry and Xenophelia. Boys don't Cry may be very sad, but its still is a very powerful story.

I don't think "Tan Lines" is a great movie, but I have watched it more than once. Mentally I file it with "Shelter" -- both are first love / coming out / coming of age type movies. Also, both are stories about surfers.

Just wanted to add another little overlooked gem from the 80's to this list: "Parting Glances." One of my very favorites. I also really like Jarman's "Sebastiane"...

I liked the short film on which "The Mudge Boy" was based better than the longer, later version.,

Exactly. And the short story was better still.

Nancy, I loved "Transamerica." I had no idea who Felicity Huffman was at the time, but now I'm a total fan. (And I still think "Desert Hearts" is amazing.)

Saw the sweetest, oddest little film the other night, something called "Ready? OK!" Yes, dreadful title, but a winning story about a ten-year-old boy who's basically an unabashed flaming queen and how his family and teachers relate to him. Nicely done.

What is the short story "Mudge Boy" and "Fishbelly White" are based on? And how might one find it? I've looked for books under the director/screenwriter Michael Burke's name but have come up with nothing...

I can't for the life of me remember. Maybe one of the "Men on Men" anthologies?

Oh, and I cried for week after seeing "Come Undone." ("Presque Rien" is the French title.) I'm not sure whether that's a recommendation or a warning.

Nancy wrote: "Has anyone seen Transamerica?"


As a member of the T community, I was naturally very interested to see the movie. This is the review I wrote when the movie was first released:

"Transamerica", the new movie starring Felicity Huffman, is Hollywood’s latest attempt to delve into the mystifying world of transsexuality. It tells the story of Bree, a pre-operative transsexual woman who, one week before her scheduled gender-reassignment surgery, unexpectedly learns that she has fathered a son, now a jailed teenage sexual hustler. Forced by her therapist to confront this unwanted complication, Bree bails out the kid (not revealing their relationship) and together they set out on a cross-country drive to Los Angeles, where Bree’s surgery awaits. Predictably, they have lots of misadventures along the way, most of which revolve around Bree’s being a transsexual.

As a pre-op T-girl myself, I naturally watched "Transamerica" with great anticipation. After all, movies can be not only entertaining but also informative and educational, especially when dealing with a widely misunderstood subject such as transsexuality. Regrettably, my high hopes were met with disappointment. Although the movie does contain a few positive elements, my overall opinion is that it’s mostly a wasted opportunity.

Perhaps the best thing about "Transamerica" is that it exists at all. Let’s face it, we transsexuals are a very small human subset of society, and not high on anybody’s list of concerns. Seen from that standpoint, any mainstream attempt to portray us is a good thing, because it elevates the general awareness of our presence. Make no mistake; I’m glad that "Transamerica" is out there for folks to see. I only wish it was a better movie.

Not that the effort isn’t there. It seems evident to me that the movie’s makers went to considerable lengths to research the transsexual lifestyle. Unfortunately, as so often happens, their research went only skin-deep, leaving them with just enough material to present an entirely superficial and factually inaccurate picture of what a transsexual person must face. Let me offer some examples:

First of all, the movie’s basic premise is nonsense. No credentialed gender therapist would ever rescind permission for a scheduled surgery on the basis of a suddenly-discovered son. In reality, all such necessary documentation is completed months if not years before the actual operation takes place. But the writers needed an expedient plot device, so off they went, and to heck with plausibility.

In another segment of the story, Bree becomes semi-hysterical (she does that a lot) after losing her bottle of hormone tablets. Perfectly understandable, right? Except for the inconvenient medical fact that, in order to minimize the risk of uncontrolled bleeding, a pre-op transsexual must cease taking hormones a month prior to gender surgery. But apparently, having Bree pilfer her mother’s stash of Premarin tablets was simply too hilarious a turn for the writers to resist.

And then there’s the excruciating scene where Bree attends a party with other T-girls, all of whom look more like drag queens than women. When one of them uses the term “GG”, Bree has no idea what that means, and is condescendingly informed that it stands for “Genuine Girl”. Uh, no. Practically the first thing a newbie transsexual woman learns is that it’s short for “Genetic Girl”. That’s the kind of sloppy inattention to small detail that, for me, undercuts this entire movie. The whole thing is full of omissions, inaccuracies and gratuitous yucks. The character of Bree herself is only sketchily realized. She works as a waitress and a telemarketer, and yet supposedly can afford facial feminization surgery, electrolysis, years of counseling and hormone therapy. All these things cost money, and can easily add up to a hundred grand or more. Where did Bree get it? Generous tips for serving fajitas?

A lot of attention has focused on the performance by Felicity Huffman, which has earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. I greatly admire her bravery in taking on this role, and she does the best job possible with the flawed material. But in my view, it’s more of a special-effects stunt than a convincing portrayal. I don’t like to root against anybody, and I hope Ms. Huffman gets her fair shot at the prize. Nonetheless, if she wins the Oscar, I suspect that Hollywood —addicted as it is to imitative recycling of success— will hasten to flood the cinemas with a rash of "trannie" movies, all starring beautiful famous GG actresses. (That, I could do without.)

Having said all of which, do I recommend that people see "Transamerica" ? Yes, indeed. Immediately thereafter, rent and watch two vastly superior movies with transsexual themes: "Normal", starring Tom Wilkinson and Jessica Lange, and "Soldier’s Girl", which features an absolutely mesmerizing performance by Lee Pace as Calpurnia Addams. Both of those movies present a soberly realistic view of the transsexual experience. That’s something that "Transamerica" fails to deliver… alas.

All excellent points, Iolanthe, beautifully expressed. Thanks for posting that. No, Transamerica does not paint a realistic picture, but I enjoyed it. (Perhaps I overestimate the importance of charm.)

"Hollywood —addicted as it is to imitative recycling of success— will hasten to flood the cinemas with a rash of "trannie" movies, all starring beautiful famous GG actresses."

You slay me. I'm always amused when hetero actors win kudos for playing a gay role. Why does nobody ever praise a gay actor for acting straight? (I will look for Normal and Soldier's Girl.)

That was a nice review Iolanthe... I like all your points. I do think that sometimes Hollywood does cut reality to add plot to make a good story but after all it is Hollywood, so they do need to throw in drama and conflict. I actually did enjoy that film.. I thought Felicity Huffman was good, though I am not looking at it from a personal story point of view.

I just watched "Breakfast with Scot" and found it to be rather charming. It was a light film but I think it did a nice job and was a pleasant diversion.

I watched "the Art of Being Straight" and it has gay themes but it is an utter trainwreck of a movie that doesn't seem sure of where it is going and I am still unsure of what the movie was trying to say after it was over. It was sort of a "slice of life" but it needed something.. more character development, a stronger conflict, and ending.. it just sort of drifted off at the end like the writer really didn't know where it was going. I thought it was pretty darn awful.

I am also interested in mainstream movies (ie, not movies made just for GLBT sensibilities).

Who are great gay characters in mainstream movies?

I remember Derek Jacobi as the British ?? who broke the enigma machine during WWII

Viggo Mortensen playing the lover of some mad artist.

An interesting little movie with John Hurt and Jason Priestly. Hurt was a British actor who developed an obsession with Priestly, a soar-type American actor.

John Hurt and Brendon Frazier as movie producer and untalented cutie.

Sorry the movie titles of the above are not in my brain's RAM.

The there Gay movies that were embraced by the mainstream, like "La cage aux folles", "Brokeback Mountain", "The Naked Civil Servant", " Boys in the Band", "Making Love", "Philadelphia", "Milk", "The Adventures Of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert", "And The Band Played On", "As Good As It Gets", "Consenting Adult", "Deadfall","Doing Time On Maple Drive", "Different For Girls", "Fifth Of July", "Flawless", "In And Out", "Lilies", "Maurice", "Neverland", "The Object Of My Affection ", "Partners", "Reflections In A Golden Eye", "The Ritz", "The Sergeant", "Staircase", "The Sum Of Us","Sunday Bloody Sunday", "The Talented Mr Ripley", "Threesome", "To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything Julie Newmar", "Torch Song Trilogy", "The Victim"...

These vary a lot in quality, of course, but many have A-list actors