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Queer Movie reviews part 5
Jan. 25th, 2011 07:00 pmXXY Spanish language with English subtitles. 2007, not rated. Streaming on Netflix.
There aren't many stories about intersex people, and this one is great. Alex is a kid in Uruguay, being raised as a girl but who knows that she is intersex. Some friends of her mother's come to visit, including a teenage boy that she pursues sexually. This film uses silence and quiet well, and is an understated movie about a difficult subject. It is well-acted and the emotions really carry through. I also found it progressive: it subtly argues against a gender binary, and explicitly argues against surgery for intersex people.
There is one very upsetting scene at about 1:01 that includes an assault and(presumed) attempted rape of Alex by some local boys.
The Kids are All Right 2010. R.
I hated this movie! Anti-rec! I have spoken to at least one person who liked it, though, so YMMV.
Julianne Moore and Annette Bening play married lesbians with two teenage kids. The kids look up and contact their sperm donor, played by Mark Ruffalo. Drama ensues and he becomes intertwined in their lives in various ways.
The particular reason I hated this movie is because every character was unlikeable. It was a type of movie where there are problems, the people fight (and don't really make up), then there are more problems, and more, and eventually everything comes to a head. We're supposed to believe the members of this family love each other, but we're never really shown that-- they just seem annoyed to be around each other. Mark Ruffalo's character was likeable some of the time if only because he smiled and seemed to be having fun with his life, unlike everyone else. This movie has also been criticized by some queer people for other reasons, which I think are legitimate (?), but I hated it because it was simply not fun or enjoyable to watch. It's listed as both "comedy" and "drama" but I didn't think it was funny at all!
Desert Hearts 1985. R. Streaming on Netflix.
This was a breath of fresh air, an antidote to The Kids are All Right, and one of the more realistic movies about lesbians that I've seen. Vivian Bell, a professor, travels to Reno for a quickie divorce in 1959. She stays at a ranch to establish residency and while there, meets Cay, a young woman who makes no secret about her sexuality. The romance develops slowly, the sex scene is good, and the major fight is about outness/visibility. The minor/supporting characters (Kay's friends and family) are all very interesting characters. Recommended.
There aren't many stories about intersex people, and this one is great. Alex is a kid in Uruguay, being raised as a girl but who knows that she is intersex. Some friends of her mother's come to visit, including a teenage boy that she pursues sexually. This film uses silence and quiet well, and is an understated movie about a difficult subject. It is well-acted and the emotions really carry through. I also found it progressive: it subtly argues against a gender binary, and explicitly argues against surgery for intersex people.
There is one very upsetting scene at about 1:01 that includes an assault and
The Kids are All Right 2010. R.
I hated this movie! Anti-rec! I have spoken to at least one person who liked it, though, so YMMV.
Julianne Moore and Annette Bening play married lesbians with two teenage kids. The kids look up and contact their sperm donor, played by Mark Ruffalo. Drama ensues and he becomes intertwined in their lives in various ways.
The particular reason I hated this movie is because every character was unlikeable. It was a type of movie where there are problems, the people fight (and don't really make up), then there are more problems, and more, and eventually everything comes to a head. We're supposed to believe the members of this family love each other, but we're never really shown that-- they just seem annoyed to be around each other. Mark Ruffalo's character was likeable some of the time if only because he smiled and seemed to be having fun with his life, unlike everyone else. This movie has also been criticized by some queer people for other reasons, which I think are legitimate (?), but I hated it because it was simply not fun or enjoyable to watch. It's listed as both "comedy" and "drama" but I didn't think it was funny at all!
Desert Hearts 1985. R. Streaming on Netflix.
This was a breath of fresh air, an antidote to The Kids are All Right, and one of the more realistic movies about lesbians that I've seen. Vivian Bell, a professor, travels to Reno for a quickie divorce in 1959. She stays at a ranch to establish residency and while there, meets Cay, a young woman who makes no secret about her sexuality. The romance develops slowly, the sex scene is good, and the major fight is about outness/visibility. The minor/supporting characters (Kay's friends and family) are all very interesting characters. Recommended.
