Movie reviews

14. LGBT+ FILM FESTIVAL

The festival intro spot was moving. Incredible how oppressive some laws are.

LESBIAN LOVE AFFAIRS (SHORTS)

The 5 short films, all quiet and subtle,  were:

BLUE HOUR

Watchable. For cinematography. No idea where it's heading.

KEEP/DELETE

Recommended. Wonderful visual effects enhance this original sci-fi story. Fabulous acting delights in its own right. 

OKAY. NEVERMIND. 

Watchable. A lesbian at a party feels awkward. Pleasant but hard to tell where it's heading. It must have resonated with the lesbian audience though, since it was voted the best short of the festival. 

私たちの (OURS)

Recommended. A quiet, steady film. The end note is powerful and tear-jerking.

YELLOW POLKA DOT

Recommended. Set in 1962, it boasts wonderful dialogue and recreation of the period. Fabulously acted too.

SOMETHING YOU SAID LAST NIGHT

Watchable. The only thing this full-length movie says is that androgynous people can live in ordinary, quite happy families. Too little for 95 minutes. Much like "Aftersun", a family holiday where nothing much happens, everyone is wasting their time away. On the other had, it shows one thing effectively: the real problems are dropping out of college or losing your job, not what your sex is. It shifts your perspective.

THIS IS NOT ME

Watchable. An observational documentary, a bit overtalked. A journey through f to m sex change in Iran. A con-artist posing as a lawyer cheated 60 people, they never got their money back. The police humiliate them. The procedure is long. Luckily their cases leave no doubts and families support them. You see why many commit suicides. At least this documentary ends in a triumphant transition. 

WILDE (1997)

Recommended. An accurate biopic depicting the part of Oscar Wilde's life from his tour of the US. His famous quotes abound. As they're uttered by Stephen Fry, you immediately grasp his genius. It charts his life and work letting you put whatever you've read to the picture. His one-liners are so smart nearly each twists the plot. The final act, while still showing his brilliance, is tear-inducing. On the whole though, as you follow his dilemmas and concerns about how much of his work will survive, you realise a genius mind matters more in history than any corporal cravings. It pays to be earnest. 

MISSING

Recommended. Twists of action, the puzzle, an engaging investigation. The undertone is how much can be found online and whether we actually should protect our data - what if a close family member goes missing?