The month of May brings the Inside Out film festival to the T-Dot. It is an opportunity to see films by and for the Lesbian, Gay, Trans community. I have seen some very interesting films at this festival… One of my surprise favourites was I Don’t Want to Sleep Alone (Hei yan quan) by Ming-liang Tsai at last year’s festival. I would not recommend it to everyone but if you enjoy minimal dialogue and can find art in it, perhaps you may like it.
Nonetheless, this year’s festival had a nice selection of films for anyone who is interested. My festival started with Savage Grace by Tom Kalin. It is the story of a descendant of the inventor of plastic. The cast includes Julianne Moore as the overbearing mother, Eddie Redmayne as the ever-pleasing son Tom, and Stephen Dillane as Brooks, the father. In the film critics circle, it has been getting mixed reviews. I can see why and how; not the best edited film and can be a bit tiring at times. Nonetheless, I have to say that Moore does a good job. I disliked her character, which is good. She is at times too self-absorbed, pathetic and scary; very well done. I think she made the movie for me.
I continued with Zero Chou’s Drifting Flowers; the same director as Spider Lillies. The film introduces to three female characters in three interrelated stories. It was a nice film in the sense that the stories managed to flow neatly into one another without making you feel discombobulated. The characters are developed enough for the audience to relate. A good Tuesday night film.
My next sampler was Razzle Dazzle: A Journey Into Dance, a parody of teen-dance competitions and the extent to which parents and dance teachers alike are willing to go in order to reach the finals. I had a great time watching this film. From the dance teacher who is trying to tackle socio-political issues through choreography to the stage mom who truly believes her daughter will reach world-class success, the film is a hoot. I am not sure if this has distribution yet but I highly recommend it and not just for laughs.
On the second-last day, I saw Save Me. A film about finding love for yourself and with someone else. What is interesting about this film is that it was set in a hospice for gay men looking to “cure” themselves from their homosexuality by using the scriptures from the Bible and finding God. The lead character Mark (played by Chad Allen) was believable and so was Gayle (Judith Light’s character), the woman who built this hospice. A bit slow in the middle but otherwise a decent film. The characters were believable and the story interestingly developed.
The last day included a sing and drag along screening of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. If you have seen the movie, then I do not have to re-tell you what it’s about. If you have not, rent it, it’s fun. A bit disappointing not to have a host for this one. Some audience members came in drag and ready to sing along… but I had expected more. I still enjoyed the film regardless.
The closing film was XXY, which also screened at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. I was glad to have a chance to screen this film, since I missed it in September. It’s the story of an intersex fifteen year old named Alex, played byInés Efron. A film dealing with multiple topics like sex, parent-child relationships and gender identity. From a psychological perspective, it was a realistic depiction of what happens when a teenager becomes curious about his/her sexuality. In this particular case, a bigger dilemma given Alex’s circumstances. Alex’s parents have conflicting opinions about whether Alex should have surgery to “fix” the problem. Alex just wants to be who Alex is… When you include other people in this dilemma, it only gets messier (for lack of a better word). The film raises many questions and indeed is very thought provoking; especially with an ending that is really no end to the story. A good effort by Lucìa Puenzo from Argentina and a good way to end the festival.
