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sasha_featherBeautiful Boxer 2004
My roommate and I declared this "one of the better queer movies". It's based on a true story of a boxer in Thailand who is transgender. It was a bit slow in the beginning but soon I was emotionally invested in the story of Toom's life from childhood onward. With the support of a mentor, Toom wears make up in the ring and has a successful kick boxing career. Eventually she becomes famous, earns money and transitions to being to a woman. English subtitles.
Release 2010.
Anti-rec due to graphic violence, over-the-top angst, and unbelievability. This is the story of a priest who goes to prison for a crime he's committed, and while there falls in love with a guard. The love story part is pretty sweet and moving-- a very forbidden love and they are in constant fear of getting caught (Aside: I am informed that such a relationship is a 1st degree sexual assault in Wisconsin under the prevention of prison rape act). The tense, moody atmosphere is also effective, and I thought the performances were good. The other inmates think that the priest is a pedophile and are out to get him. The other guards and the warden are corrupt-- I couldn't figure out why-- and let the other inmates run wild. The plot hangs on threads that are just too thin; the violence is gross; and the ending sucks. It was also strangely hard to hear, but there are subtitles.
Beeswax 2009.
Not a queer film! A subtle disability film. It's about a pair of fraternal twin sisters, Jeannie and Lauren, and their lives in Texas as 20-somethings. It felt very real, and it felt like I would hang out with these people. One sister runs a quirky clothing shop and is about to be sued by her seldom-present business partner. Her boyfriend, a soon-to-be-lawyer, tries to lighten her mood. Lauren is contemplating a career change. Jeannie is a wheelchair user and it is totally normalized-- her disability/diagnosis is not mentioned, people don't make comments about it in the film, and only once does she seem to struggle with the logistics of getting around-- when she has to ask a stranger for help getting the chair out of the back of her car. Her boyfriend Merrill messes around with her chair when they are lounging at home. This film is a bit slow-paced but I really enjoyed it because it felt so real.
My roommate and I declared this "one of the better queer movies". It's based on a true story of a boxer in Thailand who is transgender. It was a bit slow in the beginning but soon I was emotionally invested in the story of Toom's life from childhood onward. With the support of a mentor, Toom wears make up in the ring and has a successful kick boxing career. Eventually she becomes famous, earns money and transitions to being to a woman. English subtitles.
Release 2010.
Anti-rec due to graphic violence, over-the-top angst, and unbelievability. This is the story of a priest who goes to prison for a crime he's committed, and while there falls in love with a guard. The love story part is pretty sweet and moving-- a very forbidden love and they are in constant fear of getting caught (Aside: I am informed that such a relationship is a 1st degree sexual assault in Wisconsin under the prevention of prison rape act). The tense, moody atmosphere is also effective, and I thought the performances were good. The other inmates think that the priest is a pedophile and are out to get him. The other guards and the warden are corrupt-- I couldn't figure out why-- and let the other inmates run wild. The plot hangs on threads that are just too thin; the violence is gross; and the ending sucks. It was also strangely hard to hear, but there are subtitles.
Beeswax 2009.
Not a queer film! A subtle disability film. It's about a pair of fraternal twin sisters, Jeannie and Lauren, and their lives in Texas as 20-somethings. It felt very real, and it felt like I would hang out with these people. One sister runs a quirky clothing shop and is about to be sued by her seldom-present business partner. Her boyfriend, a soon-to-be-lawyer, tries to lighten her mood. Lauren is contemplating a career change. Jeannie is a wheelchair user and it is totally normalized-- her disability/diagnosis is not mentioned, people don't make comments about it in the film, and only once does she seem to struggle with the logistics of getting around-- when she has to ask a stranger for help getting the chair out of the back of her car. Her boyfriend Merrill messes around with her chair when they are lounging at home. This film is a bit slow-paced but I really enjoyed it because it felt so real.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-28 01:42 am (UTC)I'm glad you enjoyed Beeswax as much as we did. When I think about the many things that happens, it certainly moved a lot faster than life, but it felt so lifelike. The total "normalizing" of her Jeannie's chair sends a pretty powerful disability message, I hope.