earthboli Reviews

The L Word: Generation Q (2019–2023)

Better luck next time....

[2/10 · 26 February 2024]

What happens when you take a few original L Word cast members who are now much older and throw them in with a gang of 20-somethings who are humorless and one-dimensionally-written? Apparently a mish-mash of uneven writing, a cast that doesn't blend well, and a show that doesn't make sense on its own OR as a nod to the original show.

First of all, the Gen Q script takes itself way too seriously and lacks levity. The characters are mostly one-dimensional and checking boxes for inclusivity rather than being fully fleshed out, complex people who can still be likeable. Most of the young characters are just annoying thanks to bad writing that tries way too hard. I appreciate the intention to be more inclusive-but it almost feels like that was so much of the focus for the show-correcting the original L Word's "wrongs" for its time-that the actual writing in Gen Q is an afterthought here. In addition, we are missing chemistry between...well, anyone really other than the buddy-buddiness of old pals Alice and Shane. The older generation doesn't really mix at all with the younger cast, so any interactions between generations seem forced and out of place. Gone are the funny lunch table conversations with the ensemble of women we saw in the L Word, and instead we get piecemeal interactions and awkwardly-written relationships with "Gen Q."

The original L Word got flack for their treatment of transmen, but I'm not sure Gen Q's transman is any better-he's mopey, rigid, humorless, and as mentioned about many characters on this show, pretty one-dimensional. Not sure you improved things there, Gen Q writers!

At the end of the day, the L Word did have a few issues with its portrayal of bisexuality and trans characters, and it lacked diversity in some ways. But it had heart, laughter, the actors had amazing chemistry, and it was compelling. Gen Q is a bit of a dumpster fire in comparison. The writing is terrible, the ensemble is gone, the cast has no chemistry with each other, and this show won't please either generation watching-the older lesbians who remember the original, or the Gen Z kids wanting a show about fleshed out same sex relationships between women and compelling characters they actually like watching. This new version is a snoozefest and embarrassing compared to the original.

Benedetta (2021)

Spastic nun sex and weird script, somewhat disturbing

[6/10 · 7 January 2022]

Paul Verhoeven has shown us that he likes weird, wild, sudden spastic sex. Remember the "dolphin sex" in Showgirls? Elizabeth Berkeley bounced and writhed so wildly in the water that she would've fractured Kyle Maclachlan's penis had that scene been real. Well, imagine that, just with nuns.

I am being a bit facetious, because this movie is more than the salacious bits. It's a period biopic/drama that focuses on the life of Benedetta and is she a visionary or a fraud? And does it matter? Well, her sexuality is at the forefront of the controversy, along with her visions.

But Verhoeven isn't subtle by any means. The script is weird. The sex is weird and particularly graphic and implausible. The use of objects goes beyond blasphemy and almost enters the realm of camp. I'm also sure Catholics would be fuming at their portrayal in this film that paints them as unworthy hypocrites (not a problem for me though). Back to the camp, there's a scene where Benedetta licks a body part of a statue of Mary, for example. But yet the movie simultaneously takes itself very seriously, carrying the plot forward and events with an unexpected heaviness and seriousness. One example of the contradictions inherent in this film.

I found the movie interesting, yet disturbing and just weird. And in the second half, it does start to drag a bit. A solid 20 minutes could've been judiciously cut without taking away from the film.

Benedetta and her love aren't given justice though, behaving so oddly with each other (and spastic/wild, as we've seen before) that it takes you out of the film completely because it doesn't seem realistic AT ALL. It's crazy. But then you go back to "normal scenes." What are you trying to create, Verhoeven?

In sum, intriguing, but over the top in some ways, disturbing, and contains lots of boob fetish scenes and some bizarre sex scenes that feel out of place. It's hard to say more about this film. It's weird and full of contradictions...

Tipping the Velvet (2002)

STILL great-a fun, lighthearted lesbian coming of age

[10/10 · 8 January 2021]

I first saw this maybe 2003? It was one of the first lesbian dramas I ever saw. Yes, it's not technically a film (but a 3 hour/3 part miniseries), but could've easily been edited to go to theaters. I read the book, and yes, this is a bit of a departure, however in mostly good ways. It's worth watching.

Plot: late 1800s, small village woman Nancy meets a woman named Kitty who sings as a boy in her local venue and is instantly intrigued. Nan starts to fall for her while working with her as a performer and enters into a secret relationship with her. Later she ends up selling herself as a boy on the street, becomes a rich kinky lesbian's tart, and later gets to know a kind woman named Flo while cleaning her house and tries to woo her. There are many challenges along the way, which leads to her growth and becoming more comfortable in her own skin and seeking love. I can't share more details without the spoiler alert, so we'll leave it at that.

What I love: It's an adult coming of age that avoids the usual cliches in lesbian films like really unhappy endings, excessive focus on men in lesbians' worlds, etc. It's witty, fun to watch, and has heart. It has some unhappy subject matter, but is overall a more lighthearted way to view lesbians' lives than MANY lesbian movies out there. Also BBC didn't shy away from sex scenes (in the early 2000s, there are at least 3 sex scenes and a lot of raunchy references and events). Good acting, good script, good score-love some of the orchestral music. Departs from book in such a way as to bypass the most boring part of Waters' book (near the end, the whole political rally, which felt like a complete shift in tone/content for the book that made no sense). Great chemistry between the actors, as well-good buildup of sexual tension.

Tipping the Velvet is sometimes a hint theater campy, but not excessively so and it is fitting for the singing/performance/drama theme. Also, Nan in the book is pretty masculine, but BBC really made sure that they stick to all femmes in this film-Nan is very feminine looking. Rachael Stirling as Nan is polarizing to some folks who think her deep voice and hint of cockney accent are annoying. At times she seems to overact just a shade, but does well most of the time. I don't have as much issue with her as some folks seem to.

Overall, it's a bit of a raunchy but fun and well-written romp through a lesbian's young adult life in the 1800s, and yes, it's going to feel a touch unrealistic for how open some women are in their sexuality at times, but it's so sorely needed after a (continued) barrage of depressing, dark lesbian films that end badly (cheating, death, suicide, leaving for a man, breaking up, etc.). So refreshing to have a change of pace!

I watch this miniseries once a year or so because it is one of my top favorite lesbian-related movies in the dramedy genre. Definitely a feel-good movie/miniseries.

More Beautiful for Having Been Broken (2019)

Want A Burger With that Cheese?

[1/10 · 8 December 2020]

The title is pretentious and should tell you a little something about how heavy-handed this will be. Because it knocks you over the head with its self-importance and symbolism to the point of being cheesy and very over-the-top.

I had low expectations because I saw Conn's Clair of the Moon, which was, well, cheesy. But I appreciated aspects of it.

This film has a narrator who appears and disappears, and the film starts right away with cheesy narration. Not a good start. From there, we get an implausible plot and weird twists and a bad script. Acting is okay; I can't fault the actors for reading corny lines. Plot: an FBI agent who experienced a death in her family goes somewhere to mourn and regroup and things happen. You don't need to know any more except there are dancing scenes symbolizing sex. Yep. It's that kind of movie!

As an aside, the "child with special needs has special powers" trope is rather insulting. To think that we need a kid to have psychic/intuitive powers to accept him is too much. He's fine as he is without needing to be psychic, thank you very much.

Do I need to continue? I think what you've read so far is enough. It's really bad.

Ammonite (2020)

Portrait of Silence and More Silence

[4/10 · 8 December 2020]

The best way to describe this film is if Portrait of A Lady on Fire was written by a man. Meaning, there seems to be a lack of understanding of what builds intimacy and connection between women in this film, so it seems like a bit of a failed attempt to replicate the former film, just in the 1840s with a self-made fossil expert rather than a painter.

One character (Mary, played by Winslet) is cold and guarded, and we never really see her come out of her shell. Like ever. The other, Charlotte, played by Ronan) is practically throwing herself at Mary. But we never really understand why she's so hot and bothered, because Mary doesn't ever talk. The little things, like playfulness, eye gazes, and deep conversation that build intimacy are missing. All we get are a few ankle shots and googly eyes from Ronan. Even the love scenes felt transactional and sort of out of nowhere.

The plot and premise are certainly worthwhile, but the script and direction fell really short, which created a lack of chemistry. I enjoy subtlety, but this was just confusing and unfortunately, really boring. Ultimately, Mary's character in particular is a frigid icicle who never fully thaws enough for us to sympathize with her. It's also just hard to root for a couple when we don't even understand why they like each other in the first place. Other films have created intimacy/tension far more masterfully.

This was disappointing, and suffers from a lack of character development, pacing, and script issues. Winslet and Ronan do their best with what they have, but like Disobedience, there isn't enough for us to digest.

Antebellum (2020)

Decently Suspenseful & Good Message, but has Major Issues

[6/10 · 19 September 2020]

I was really looking forward to this movie after I saw the trailer last year. I watched it, and...well. Hmm. What makes it particularly hard to review this movie is being able to critique without spoiling anything, but I'll do my best.

This is a movie in 3 acts, almost like a play. We start with a Black woman who is enslaved and tortured on a Civil War-era plantation. Everyone is brutalized, and it is horrific there. We follow her story. In act two we see a powerful, accomplished Black woman traveling to speak at a conference and we get to know her life. And act three reveals all. Unfortunately, the big reveal comes at the very beginning of the 3rd act, 30 minutes before the ending when you realize the twist, so that the very end isn't a true reveal because you probably guessed it by now because what other possible conclusion can you make once your know the twist?

This movie tries REALLY hard to show how horrific white supremacy and racism are (as they are), but gets super heavy-handed and over-the-top with symbolism, particularly in the third act. It beats you over the head with symbolism, in fact. That said, it is very suspenseful and a nail-biter because you don't know what will happen to the main characters in the film, and you feel empathy for them. The cinematography is good, the music also really solid and creates the right ambiance. The script is not great--I don't know a lot of folks who actually talk this way to their friends and seemed a bit cheesy in the 2nd act, so I think they could've done a lot better there. They also made Gabourey Sidibe's character inappropriately aggressive and cringey in certain parts--you'll understand if you watch.

The visuals are flashy, and the overall message is good, but the execution felt kind of shallow and half-baked in some ways. I felt like they took an interesting premise, spent a lot of money on actors and cinematographers, but sorta dropped the ball on the writing in parts, particularly given the ending, which could have been much better and more interesting had they made different creative choices. The whole movie, I thought something far more creative as a possibility was happening in the film as I was guessing, and was ultimately disappointed that it wasn't as creative as I thought it was.

That said, you might feel like it's still worth watching for the overall message and the suspense. At its heart, it's a decent thriller/suspense film, but promised more than it delivered in terms of writing and creativity. If you want another Get Out, you'll be sorely disappointed. Temper your expectationsand it will be decent for what it is--a suspense film with a relevant message.

As a side note, my spouse figured out the twist from the start of the film and never felt like there were any real unknowns in the film, whereas I did not. The trailer definitely gives more away than it should--I would suggest not watching it at all and going in with an open mind.

Stuff (2015)

You know how this one will go...

[2/10 · 14 December 2019]

...because it's exactly like every other low-budget movie made about women loving women. There's not much to say except "Trisha" can't get over her dead father who passed five years ago. She can't function at work or at home; at this point, she should just be hospitalized if five years passed and she can't get through a single day without doing something related to her father. She treats her wife like crap and largely ignores her, so I guess it's no surprise that another person comes in and catches her wife's eye. Speaking of which, the flirtation scenes are just so over the top and drawn out. One scene has like two minutes of just staring closely and moving heads around within inches of each other to gaze without kissing. We also get graced with an extended high five that turns into intense staring for awhile. Umm...okay. And the end is lame, but I think they wanted to wrap it up quickly. The acting is fine, but the script, story, and directing are just terrible. In short, If Lifetime made "lesbian" films, this wouldn't be far from it. The two stars were because I was amused by the ridiculous script at times.

Elisa & Marcela (2019)

Many glaring issues: bad script, voice dubbing, etc.

[1/10 · 31 August 2019]

Just wow. First of all, the script is not period-appropriate, so the characters talk and act like they're from the present day (using phrases like "I guess so," "we're circus freaks," etc.). Second, the relationship is way too quick to develop and feels rushed/forced. Third, a movie in Spanish was dubbed over in English voices by some very white-sounding ladies who sound very similar. WHY dub the film??? What about subtitles??? It's annoying and makes scenes (including sex scenes) seem absurd (yes, they dub breathing sounds). Speaking of which, some bizarre props were incorporated into the sex scenes Fourth, poor editing makes several scenes confusing and leaves a lot of unanswered questions. It's hard to understand where they are, how long they've been there, why certain things happen, etc. And this isn't all the issues, just a small smattering of them. Overall, terrible script (lost in translation or just horrible writing?), bad editing, bad filtering (overdid it on the vintage look), unnecessary & melodramatic voice dubbing, plot with a lot of holes in it & unanswered questions, bizarre/freakish sex scenes....I could go on, but do you want me to? The fact that this was a true story makes it all the more tragic that this movie did not do it justice AT ALL. I also got really bored about halfway through because this wasn't funny bad, it was "take itself too seriously" and boring bad. The real-life couple deserved so much better than this embarrassing depiction.

Lez Bomb (2018)

Lifetime didn't make this melodramatic comedy?

[2/10 · 17 August 2019]

So much went so wrong so quickly. There are some decent actors making do with a bad/cutesy script and some serious overacting by other actors. This is the kind of movie where everything that can go wrong does in the course of a Thanksgiving-how cute! The main character tries to tell her family she's dating a woman 1,000 times but no one listens, and her male roommate shows up and they think she's dating him. Hijinks ensue-how cute! A fire gets accidentally started, the turkey is ruined, half of the family gets high on pot, the way underage cousin tries to seduce the male roommate-- *cue laughter.* I could go on, but do you really want me to? Super annoying and unrealistic.

Tries wayyyyy too hard to be a witty, funny movie but with the talent of Lifetime network writers. Unrealistic, ridiculous, and just plain unfunny. Also not as endearing as it tries to be. It really was written exactly like a silly holiday lifetime movie.

Between Two Women (2003)

Understated Romance, Sentimental/Nostalgia Feel

[9/10 · 10 August 2019]

This film won't please everyone (my partner thought it was dull and too subtle), but if you have a nostalgic feel about a small, working-class English community in the 1950s and the quiet life combined with a subtle story about two women who fall for each other, you will truly love it.

The score is dreamy and gives the film a feel for a long lost lifetime, the actors do a great job in their roles, and this film is very European in the sense that there's little dialogue and a lot of scenes of daily life and small moments. The romance between the two women is a bit too subtle at times (hence dropping a star), as it would have been nice to see a little more physical closeness, but the plot makes up for it by avoiding the pitfalls of frustrating cliches. The women gaze a little too long, smile a little bigger, and seem a little nervous around each other, which adds to the charm and romance.

This film is obscure and not well-known, but worth your time if you appreciate subtlety, feel sentimental about 1950s working class England, and dare I say, value a favorable ending!

Tell It to the Bees (2018)

One-dimensional, cliched, lame ending

[4/10 · 10 August 2019]

I wanted to like this; rarely do filmmakers sensitively portray romance between women and not for the male gaze. But it suffers from the same issues we saw in lesbian movies of the past: the development just wasn't quite there for the characters, every possible tired theme from lesbian films is thrown at us, including the ending, which frankly, bothers me to no end because it makes NO sense. I can't help but think there is an underlying homophobic conspiracy to pretty much every "lesbian" film. I'm just plain sick of it. Seriously, is there a master class taught to every director and producer in how to make a lesbian film crash and burn to discourage women from entering into relationships together?

The acting is okay, but not quite at the level I expected. Anna Paquin straight up fumbles during the romantic scenes (fine, we can buy that she's scared and shy as her character would be? Except she's the more experienced one with women according to the plot...hmmmm) but she legit doesn't know where on the other actor's face to kiss, looking like she wants to swallow her face whole. The intimate scene also has the feel of a scene between two actors who really don't want to do this part; no chemistry and just oddly executed. It was so awkward that it was hard to watch.

The boy's view and storyline with the bees....a little hokey and not executed quite as well, either. This just isn't going to be up to your expectations if you want more than tropes.

Try Between Two Women instead: set in working class England in the 1950s (mother and her artistically-gifted son and his teacher), understated and well made, nostalgic, and doesn't follow the same formula as many lesbian films do.

Duck Butter (2018)

But....why?

[1/10 · 6 February 2019]

I get that some people love the more fluid, unscripted type of movie-"so RAW! So real!"-but I personally find that it's really really easy to do this kind of movie badly. And bad this was: in 24 hours of the characters being together, multiple film cliches came out of the woodwork regarding women-to-women relationships, including some obsessive/intense behaviors that just felt out of place. I didn't find this movie to be as realistic as some think it is, and some scenes were just straight up tasteless and vulgar. I get that we should be impressed that all the usual relationship drama can come out in a short period of time if you spend a lot of time together (apparently this is innovative for a plot device?), but I'm just not impressed.

Call me old-fashioned, but I wanted a decent script and a more compelling story.... and some more inspired acting would have been nice. Both characters needed better development.

Finally, I can't unlearn the definition of "duck butter" after seeing this travesty of a movie, so there's that, too. Just...no.

The Feels (2017)

Hipster/indie/Low Budget Fail

[1/10 · 16 January 2019]

If you liked the indie movie "That's Not Us," you would probably like this movie. I couldn't stand that "gem" of a film and neither could I stand this one. First of all, movies that hinge entirely on dialogue better have a good script and characters we care about. This movie attempts to be "real" and show dialogue of twenty/thirty something aged folks together for a weekend bachelorette party (some people don't know each other well so it goes out of its way to capture awkwardness), but I seriously question the quality and realism of the script.

Combine that with some bad acting and directing, including things like sudden melodramatic gestures/sudden tears from most of the cast at odd moments, random bursts of song from the singer character, and one of the main characters not knowing how to jog without flailing her arms (even non-runners know how to jog a little without looking ridiculous-which was reallllly overdoing it), a nerdy male "Harry Potter" looking guy being lined after by multiple attractive women in the film and you have a bad/unrealistic movie.

I didn't even touch the plot issues. I won't spoil it, but let's just say that if the main lesbian couple just talked more openly, this movie wouldn't have a reason to exist.

In addition, the director made the odd choice to also rely on faux interviews with the characters talking to an interviewer behind the camera to learn more about each person and his/her sexual development. Why was this necessary? It seemed odd and out of place in this dialogue-heavy movie.

Character development was poor. Actors start crying in the film or bickering before you have time to understand them or care.

Ultimately, this movie is a complete waste of time. It was like watching footage of a bunch of random people I don't know and don't care about try to work things out/avoid things over the course of a weekend. Yawn!

Disobedience (2017)

Interesting premise, bad finish and poor editing.

[5/10 · 20 July 2018]

I wanted to like this movie. It's rare that A-list actresses sign on to play lovers, and rare to see romance between women on the big screen. But a lot of things didn't quite fit, from the editing, to the storyline, to the music, to the pacing.

The score: whimsical at times, even in dramatic/tense scenes, which felt completely inappropriate. The score seemed like it belonged in a bizarre children's movie, but yet the singing scenes were very dark and sad/somber-sounding. This movie clearly took itself very seriously, so why the carnival music in parts? The cast: good acting overall, no complaints. The story: decent premise. A Rabbi's death brings together old flames in a strictly orthodox Jewish London community, and tensions rise, as well as feelings. But the end...no thanks. Editing/pacing: abrupt at times and feeling disjointed, yet also slow and lingering too long in scenes that dragged. So many directors think that if you are slow and have long, tedious scenes, you will be considered a genius for being artsy and understated. That just isn't how it works. Character development: eh. This movie really would have benefitted from more than just a few words about the past, but scenes depicting more of the history and story between the women. I want to see more depth with these women, but it does end up feeling one-dimensional due to the script and/or editing.

In sum, even today, in 2018, 9 out of 10 movies about women who love each other end with suicide/murder, a woman going back to a man, a woman cheating on her partner with a man (or woman), or some other equally unforgivable outcome, and I say unforgivable because movie producers love to portray gay/bi women as tortured and unable to experience a healthy same-sex relationship. Guess which one this movie falls under, because I won't spoil it...

My advice, skip this and re-watch Carol. I felt like this one wasted my time.

Fear of Water (2014)

Mislabeled as an LGBT film. And not good.

[2/10 · 1 July 2018]

How this film is labeled as 'LGBT' and a romance is beyond me. It's only about friendship and in the coming-of-age genre. The premise: girl from privileged upbringing and girl from wrong side of the tracks become friends and deal with life over a particular summer in the U.K. That's it.

The issues: 1. The movie is slow, unbearably so. Montages of activity are fine, but not after the thousandth time set to an overly-sappy soundtrack. 2. The soundtrack is loud and almost constant, and as mentioned before, overly sappy and just inappropriate for the film as a whole. 3. There are supposed to be touching scenes, but you never really develop much interest in the characters because the pacing is just way to slow. There just isn't any energy in this film, and the development isn't great, so when characters become tearful, it's hard to feel anything as a viewer but boredom and desire for the plot to move along. I've watched many foreign and/or European films that are understated and well-crafted, but this one misses the mark completely. I spent most of the film wishing it would end or something interesting would gappen. It didn't. In fact, in moments when you think a romance will develop, it doesn't.

Not worth the 100 minutes of your time, honestly.

Unveiled (2005)

Survival Tale with Themes of Love, Racism, and Discrimination

[9/10 · 15 October 2017]

To compare this movie to Boys Don't Cry isn't completely fair; there is no transgender character in this film. However, in both films, the gritty, small-town narrow-mindedness threatens the main character, the cinematography is impressive, and themes of love and survival weave throughout.

In this story, the main character (Fariba) is punished for being gay in her home country of Iran (and being in a relationship with a married woman), and flees to small-town Germany, finding work illegally as a man in a factory (for reasons that would take too long to explain). As a man ("Siamak"), she attracts a lot of attention because she is a foreigner and of small stature. One of the racist/boorish factory workers (Uwe) antagonizes "Siamak," especially once "Siamak" starts to fall for Uwe's ex-girlfriend, Anne. In order to survive, Fariba has to navigate the secrets and lies she has been forced to create for survival, as well as the love she begins to find with Anne.

This movie is obscure and not well-known, but the script is solid, the acting is excellent, the characters are well-written, and the style/cinematography is great. "Lesbian" film or not, this gripping drama about love and its cost in an unjust world is worth watching.

AWOL (2016)

Unbelievable Yet Cliché

[2/10 · 15 October 2017]

For whatever reason, there is a whole subgenre of "lesbian" films about gay women falling in love with married women/women in relationships with men. This movie is no departure, and ends up being very cliché. The acting is fine, but no character is likable at all. The script makes "Joey" seem wooden, and "Rayna" as flighty and superficial. Have we seen this before? Yes. Does it put a different spin on the old cliché? No, unless you think backwoods Pennsylvania makes things more worthwhile for a love story.

The story is set in a small hick town in Pennsylvania, where Rayna is worried about appearances (and can't look gay), yet women seem to give each other bedroom eyes regularly, and every where you go in this movie, there's no shortage of lesbians ready to flirt and get it on after a few quick words. This is supposed to be realistic? It's far from it. Joey and Rayna get together pretty quickly, and as I said, it adds to the unreality of the movie. What is realistic is Joey's youth, idealism, and lack of long term planning, and that complicates things, as well as Rayna's "one-foot-out-the-door" mentality. But ultimately, this movie is hollow and devoid of deeper meaning, and again, falls into similar trappings of many other movies.

There's nothing redeeming about this film, and it repeats all of the expected clichés, leaving you feeling irritated and annoyed that you wasted your time on another take on the same theme. This kind of plot is far too overdone in so-called lesbian films....don't we deserve better?

Harlots (2017–2019)

Well-Written Period Drama That Loses Steam

[7/10 · 18 July 2017]

Superficially, one might think that this show is a bawdy romp in Georgian England (18th century), but it is so much more. Written and directed by women, this show depicts the harsh realities for women during the 18th century, when they had few options but to be a man's property. Refreshingly, this show features women at center stage of the entire show, with men being the side characters that support the stellar female cast.

Rival whorehouses battle each other out to be the top house in London, with plenty of sharp tongued-lines, none-too-romantic depictions of sex, and here and there, hints of humor that break up this fierce drama. Sex is portrayed similarly as it is in HBO's "Girls": in all of its awkward and unromantic glory.

What will keep you watching is the secrets and twists, strong family ties, and heart-wrenching decisions that the women in this show have to make to survive. We are constantly reminded that no matter what, if women join men in marriage, they become legal property rather than human beings (strikingly similar message as found in The Handmaid's Tale, if I do say so). You sympathize with the characters who chose the path of harlotry as a bit of freedom and coin rather than be owned and controlled for the rest of their short lives. Overall, well-written, gritty, dark, but suspenseful and entertaining with a hint of humor.

Edit: That review was for season one, where they hinted a deeper romance between two women characters among other great storylines. Season two was great, but dropped the same-sex romance suddenly and inexplicably. Can't help but notice that sex scenes between men and women are graphic and plenty, but they shy away from showing more than women kissing each other as if we aren't allowed to see two women have sex because it's too risqué in 2019. Not fitting with the theme of the show AT ALL and makes me think there's some double standard there. Women's romantic relationships with each other are teased, never fleshed out. Wish they'd rethought that approach.

What also made me drop my review 3 stars is that in season 3, suddenly men are at the center of everything (two brothers who are new in town), and Charlotte, a feminist, empowered, bisexual, free woman gets hot and bothered for one of them, a man who treats women like property and is basically a misogynist, which makes no sense at all. The writers bombed this season hard, likely because they felt they needed to amp up the tension and drama and ran out of ideas. Also, a major character ends up leaving the show so they have to abruptly write that in. It was poorly done, and we didn't have enough of a powerful frontrunner to replace this character, so the rest of the season felt empty. I can understand why the show ended after season 3. Honestly, they should've ended it on a high note after season two rather than crashing and burning on the way out.

Girls Lost (II) (2015)

Sensitive, Gritty Coming-of-Age Tale with Transgender Themes

[8/10 · 9 June 2017]

I gave this foreign film a try, not really expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Initially, it feels like a semi-lighthearted and fanciful exploration of girls and their trouble at school, but the movie gets darker and more intense as you watch (similar to Cracks, another coming-of-age gem about a group of girls that starts light and quickly darkens). In this movie, the fantasy element of an odd, dripping black plant grants the girls the ability to be boys for a short time, a catalyst for exploration and awakenings, but also creates rifts in the friendship and new relationships that threaten the old.

Kim, one of the three girls, becomes addicted to the plant when she realizes that she feels at home in a boy's body. This causes a lot of complications among the friends and with others, culminating in an intense ending that seemed a bit odd and abrupt, at best. On the flip side, jealousy, love, sexual awakenings/gender awakenings, and all of those labile emotions of adolescence are very palpable in this film, and sensitively captured both with the male and female actors, who did a great job.

It's a little heavy-handed at times, but as I mentioned, the curiosity and sensitivity of adolescence are captured well. Some questions are left unanswered (why do they transform into older boys?, etc.), but these questions and some of the aforementioned issues aside, this film is surprisingly enigmatic.

Also, I was happy to hear The Knife contributing to the soundtrack....there's no mistaking Karin Andersson's banshee-like voice.

Overall, Girls Lost is a solid coming-of-age movie that burns out at the end, but is still worth watching for its handling of the issues of gender identity, love, and jealousy.

Cracks (I) (2009)

Exquisitely Crafted/Disturbing Coming-of-Age Drama

[10/10 · 5 June 2017]

This movie is a suspenseful masterpiece and coming-of-age period drama, with slow tension building to a grim climax.

In Cracks, you will see several youth lost and forgotten at a countryside boarding school, idolizing the "fearless" teacher/swimming coach Miss G. Alas, the youth slowly discover that people can be cunning, cruel, and dishonest. It only takes one outsider to come along to shift the balance in the girls, and trigger in their mentor a slow descent into obsession and jealousy.

Miss G emanates confidence, power, and intensity, but the film masterly reveals over time that all is not as it seems. Everything she created was a carefully crafted charade that crashed down when she was confronted with a person more worldly and refined, simultaneously triggering sexual awakening, jealousy, and hostile obsession.

This film is somewhat disturbing for its portrayal of certain sexual themes (I will leave it at that to keep from spoilers), but unbelievably well-acted, with a gripping script and Oscar- worthy cinematography. It is, in short, a masterpiece about shattering facades and growing up, albeit the growing pains are gritty and traumatic. No one in this film is without blame for what happens in the climax, but the lessons learned last a lifetime.

This film is an underrated gem of cinema, and I wish it had garnered more attention when it was released.

Raven's Touch (2015)

The title should be enough to scare you away...

[1/10 · 5 June 2017]

I'm not sure why 9 out of 10 lesbian films are poorly acted, super low budget, and with terrible scripts, but this movie is no departure, unfortunately.

*Spoilers*

Plot: A woman named Raven who dresses like she's been shopping at H&M but whose movements are stilted like a lizard and climbs trees finds a woman with very defined eyebrows (Kate) and her teenage kids (shifting from bratty to sweet in the same scene) camping, and yells at them for having a fire. This leads to more interactions, odd and implausible injuries, a crazy ex who runs off with the kids, and a VERY sudden, awkward, and out-of-place sex scene between Lizard Woman and Eyebrows. I literally cringed because it didn't make any sense for the women to like each other and there was no buildup or chemistry. It was also one of those "let's be artistic and sensual and do close ups of touching skin and kisses on the body" (i.e. sexless/foreplay only sex scenes) but with women who had no interest in each other. Then a random guy dies, Lizard Woman saves the kids from crazy ex, and love ensues right after the random guy's funeral.

So....in short: bad acting, bad script, and just very odd overall. Terrible, terrible movie that was so unintentionally bad that I laughed at parts that were supposed to be touching and artistic. And so many unanswered questions, such as why would a woman who lived in a cabin and only away from "civilization" for one month walk and act like she'd been raised by wolves? Why is the small "town" that random guy mentions that is a few minutes away actually a large, residential area that looks suspiciously like an LA suburb? How would Eyebrows and Raven suddenly fall in love with each other ONE WEEK after Eyebrows just got out of a bad relationship with her crazy ex?

There are much higher quality movies with lesbian themes; please avoid this one like the plague.