|
|
Yes, my review is long, but I hope you'll hang in there.
Tastes vary, but a couple of reviews here make me wonder what film the reviewers were watching. I completely disagree with anyone who says this was a bad film. I just watched countless short films and other "features" at the LGBT film festival, and I've seen bad. This wasn't it. In fact, I registered on this site for the first time because this movie...well...moved me, and I don't want anyone to be swayed from giving it a chance due to people posting reviews based on not having seen the movie. Seems like it would be akin to taking the advice of a friend who recommends a doctor based on walking through the lobby, filling out paperwork, and walking out. The beginning of the movie includes exposition but is anything but torturous. If you don't want to feel, laugh, and root for two women to find happiness together, by all means, ignore this flick. Otherwise, gather the popcorn and your girl (or guy, or friends, or what have you) and get ready to be pleasantly surprised.
Elena Undone included the elements that a high majority of lesbian films neglect altogether, while successfully weaving together elements that most simply get wrong. Though there is angst in the complex coming together of two very different lives (as there needs to be), this movie also had laugh-out-loud humor, passion, heart, and -- something I personally appreciated -- no insane lesbians, homicidal lesbians, dying lesbians, or any insane, homicidal, dying lesbians. Right there, it beats most TV shows and movies out there (and yes, I'm still mourning Tara Maclay of Buffy fame). However, the mere absence of those clichés is not indicative of how I arrived at 9/10 for this movie.
Yes, in Elena Undone, there's a friend who's a relationship guru of sorts, and he occasionally narrates throughout the film, but there are far worse things in Gay Movieville than a personally and professionally respected, sweet, straight dude who's basically cheering for our girls from the get-go and is actually pretty charming in his optimism. In any case, he's hardly a focus of the film, and for me, his interjections didn't interrupt the flow of the storyline. The inserted snippets from "real life" couples are reminiscent of those in When Harry Met Sally, but it's a nice little glimpse into the lives of other brave souls who've found each other and made it work despite life getting in the way. The guru and the couples are a small part of the film overall.
Addressing another issue that many are chatting about online lately, yes, there's a long kiss between two women. A very long kiss. Over 3 minutes long. Ever been completely in love and lust with someone and wanted to make out for about a day and a half? That's what I felt coming from the screen during the scene; it was about the new, it was about discovery, it was about palpable attraction and affection. It's not a porn movie, so it was tastefully done, hot (for lack of a better term), and fitting within the context of the story.
The characters must process a lot during this movie's run, so anyone expecting every facet to be thoroughly examined is probably only in luck if someone decides to make a series of this film. I appreciated the inclusion of the family members' reactions to the relationship, as well as the fact that -- at least to some degree -- the filmmakers addressed the wake of chaos left after the relationship is discovered.
I know nothing about the back story of the filmmakers, so I can't say if this movie is a reflection of that or not. Frankly, I didn't and don't care. Regardless, it was realistic and beautiful, and compared to many films of this genre, it didn't have a low-budget vibe at all. I thought the clothing of the lead was less "Hey, I'm stuck in the 90s" and more "Hey, I'm the Repressed Wife of a Pastor," at least until she started to explore her feelings and the freedoms and choices available to her.
I gave this film 9 out of 10 because I felt there were some uneven moments and because I have a little thing about their *always* having to be babies involved (you'll see what I mean), but overall, I enjoyed the heck out of it and will be buying it. I get that I'm a total stranger, so I would bet that the fact I like it means pretty much zippo to you who are reading this. If it helps for perspective, two of my favorite lesbian-centric films are Tipping the Velvet and When Night is Falling.
So that's it. Thanks for reading, and have fun out there.
score 9/10
connier88 20 August 2010
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2298317/ |
|
9-3-2021 12:06:03