what is this list and how does it work?

search

contact (submit a review!)

quotations

rental tips and references

who is responsible for this?

pick a category:
drama
comedy
musical
foreign language
documentary/miniseries
semi-queer

sort all categories according to your specific interests:
lesbian
gay guys
bisexual
transgender
youth
people of color
HIV/AIDS
based on books & plays
based on real people & events
coming out
families
oppression & violence
fighting the system
tearjerkers
the great pretenders
fag hags

foreign language

Aimee and Jaguar
Germany, 1998, Max Färberböck. Juliane Köhler, Maria Schrader, Johanna Wokalek.
Review coming soon—I saw this one at school because one of the lead actresses also happens to the niece of one of my professors.

All About My Mother
Spain, 1999, written and directed by Pedro Almodovar. Cecilia Roth, Antonia San Juan, Marisa Paredes, Candela Pena, Penelope Cruz.
After her son Esteban dies, Manuela goes off looking for his father. She meets up with some old friends—like Agrado, the transsexual prostitute--and makes some new ones—like actresses and lovers Huma and Nina, and Rosa, who is (are you ready for this?) an HIV positive, pregnant nun. The film is full of pure bright colors (which, I gather, are an Almodovar specialty), and manages to be both harsh and sensitive in it’s treatment of the complications we make for ourselves when dealing with gender, love, and death.

Antonia’s Line {editor's pick!}
Netherlands, 1995, Marleen Gorris. Willeke Van Ammelrooy, Els Dottermans, Dora Van Der Groen.
Review coming eventually.

Between Us [Entre-Nous]
France, 1983, Diane Kurys. Isabelle Huppert, Miou-Miou.
Review coming later.

The Birdcage [La Cage Au Folles]
France, 1978, Edouard Molinaro.
Also see “The Birdcage” (American remake).

The Closet [Le Placard]
France, 2000, written and directed by Francis Veber. Daniel Auteuil, Michele Laroque (My Life In Pink), Gerard Depardieu, Jean Rochefort, Michel Aumont.
In order to keep his job, boring loser Francois pretends to be gay. It has surprising results: suddenly he is interesting to his boss, his son, and his co-workers. Two co-workers in particular—one, a homophobic bully who develops an obsession with being nice to Francois, and the other, a female who is suddenly attracted to him. The nicest character is his neighbor, an old guy with an adorable kitten. Also priceless is the incongruous sight of the decidedly un-fabulous Auteuil in a gay pride parade wearing a condom-shaped hat.
Quotations

Come Undone [Presque Rien]
France, 2000, Sébastien Lifshitz. Jérémie Elkaïm, Stéphane Rideau, Dominique Reymond.
I think perhaps the French have gotten so complacent in their skill with coming-of-age films that they’re not even trying anymore. “Come Undone” mistakes being moody for being meaningful, and even if you give the director the benefit of the doubt and assume he did this to make a point about teen angst, it still doesn’t make pretentious-French-film shots of a boy sitting alone and staring any more interesting to watch. And there are a lot of those shots in “Come Undone.” The film focuses on Mathieu, a depressed teenage boy with a depressed family, and Cedric, Mathieu’s working-class boyfriend. The plotline is difficult to discern, as it shifts without warning between three different time periods, and there are a lot of gaps in the story that don’t get filled in. This gives the film a scattered sort of feel, perhaps appropriate to the coming-of-age genre, but frustrating nonetheless. Also annoying was how similar the two actors looked—it took me about half the film before I could tell them apart. If a good French coming-of-age film is what you’re after, don’t bother with “Come Undone”—try “Wild Reeds,” or go right to the source and watch Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows.”

Farewell My Concubine {editor's pick!}
China, 1993, Chen Kaige. Gong Li, Leslie Cheung (Happy Together), Zhang Fengyi.
Review coming eventually.

Happy Together
Hong Kong, 1997, written and directed by Wong Kar-Wai. Cinematography by Christopher Doyle. Leslie Cheung (Farewell My Concubine), Tony Leung, Chang Chen.
My girlfriend at the time told me that Wong Kar-Wei is famous for his artistic use of light and shadow, yet I found this movie almost painful to watch –not just visually, but also in terms of content. It’s about two Chinese men in Argentina who are anything but happy together. If the goal of this film is to make the viewer so depressed she feels like killing herself, then Wong Kar-Wei is a brilliant director indeed.

I, the Worst of All
Argentina, 1990, Maria Luisa Bemberg. Black & white. Assumpta Serna, Dominique Sanda, Hector Alterio. Based on the book The Traps of Faith by Nobel Prize-winning poet Octavio Paz.
Do not be fooled by the video cover! Despite the tantalizing promise of "lesbian passion seething behind convent walls," this film contains no naughty nun-on-nun action. What it does contain is a true story of religious persecution and misogyny. Sister Juana Ines de la Cruz was a 17th-century Mexican nun who entered the convent so she could concentrate on writing poetry. Despite the beauty of her verses and the protection (not to mention erotic interest) of the Spanish Vicerina, Juana eventually met with trouble at the hands of the Inquisition-era Church leaders.
It is a powerful story, but alas, not powerful enough to prevent the cinematic sin of dullness. The cinematography is sparse and delicate, but the film still looks slightly grainy and unclear--a visual effect as depressing as the story itself.

Maybe….Maybe Not
Germany, 1996, Sonke Wortmann. Til Schweiger, Katja Riemann, Joachim Krol.
An irritating and rather dull farce, chock full o’ stereotypes (the non-amusing kind). Bleh.

My Life In Pink [Ma Vie En Rose] {editor's pick!}
Belgium, 1997, Alain Berliner. Georges Du Fresne, Michele Laroque (The Closet), Jean-Philippe Ecoffey, Helene Vincent.
I love this movie so much. Complete review coming soon.

Nico and Dani Spain, 2001, Cesc Gay.
Review coming soon. Official site.
Quotations

The Pillow Book
Great Britain/Japan, 1996, Peter Greenaway. Vivian Wu, Yoshi Oida, Ewan McGregor (Velvet Goldmine).
“The Pillow Book” is only slightly queer, but it is beautifully made. In all seriousness, it is like a moving work of art. If you’ve ever seen the work of a really good collage artisit or bookmaker, then you’ll have an idea of how this film looks. The plot (about a young woman whose art is writing on live human flesh) is rather confusing and really, that doesn’t really matter much in a movie like this one, where the plot is secondary to the visual experience.
Besides the innovative look of the film, my favorite thing about “Pillow Book” is Ewan McGregor. He is just so damn sexy—he is definitely on my team-switching list. (Him and Tobey Maguire. Mmm.) I love how fearless Ewan is in choice of films—in “Pillow Book,” for instance, his character gets it on with an old Chinese guy, and in his other films he’s played characters that sing, dive into a toilets, and get completely naked. In fact, he’s gotten naked in just about every movie I’ve seen him in. Well, except for “Moulin Rouge.” And “Star Wars.” Actually, it would have been kind of cool if he’d gotten naked in “Star Wars”….but I digress. Back to the point…“The Pillow Book” is an excellent art film, but not much more than that.

Show Me Love [originally titled “Fucking Amal”] {editor's pick!}
Sweden, 1998, Lukas Moodysson. Alexandra Dahlstrom, Rebecca Liljeberg.
I’m dying to see this, yet something tells me that if the video isn’t available for rental by now, it probably won’t ever be. I’ll just have to wait until I get some extra cash (that’ll be the day) so I can buy the damn thing. Which basically means it could be awhile before I’ll have a review for this. So if you’ve seen it, please let me know what you think ( bibliophilebp@yahoo.com ). Otherwise, you’ll just have to content yourselves with the official site or the unofficial site.

Strawberry and Chocolate [Fresa y chocolate]{editor's pick!}
Cuba, 1994, Tomas Gutierrez Alea with Juan Carlos Tabio. Jorge Perugorria, Vladimir Cruz, Mirtha Ibarra.
Review coming soon.

The Wedding Banquet [Hsi Yen]
Taiwan, 1993, Ang Lee. Produced by Dolly Hall (All Over Me, The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love, High Art, Johns, Longtime Companion). Winston Chao, May Chin, Mitchell Lichtenstein, Ah-Leh Gua.
From the guy who brought you a whole bunch of films that no one noticed until “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” Review coming later.

Wild Reeds [Les Roseaux Sauvages]
France, 1994, Andre Techine. Elodie Bouchez, Gael Morel, Frederic Gorny.
Francois likes his straight schoolmate Serge; Serge likes Francois’s (female) best friend Maite; and Maite likes Henri, who is mainly focused on the political turmoil of 1962 France. "Wild Reeds" has confusion, coming-of-age, and Elodie Buschez (the babelicious actress). As an extra bonus, if you listen carefully you can learn to say to say “I am a faggot” in French.

documentary & miniseries

After Stonewall
1999, John Scagliotti. Narrated by Melissa Etheridge.
Sequel to 1985’s “Before Stonewall.” A documentary chronicling the gay rights movement from the 1969 Stonewall riots to the present day. Interviews with many prominent queer activists, writers, and other witnesses to the homo revolution. Official site

And the Band Played On
1993, Roger Spottiswoode. Matthew Modine, Alan Alda, Anjelica Huston, Lily Tomlin (The Celluloid Closet), Ian McKellan (Bent, Six Degrees of Separation, Gods and Monsters), a bunch of other people. From the book by Randy Shilts.

Before Stonewall
1985, Greta Schiller and Robert Rosenberg, produced by John Scagliotti.
A documentary about the early gay rights movement, up until the 1969 riots at the Stonewall Inn that ushered in a new era of queer activism. Followed by 1999’s After Stonewall.

The Celluloid Closet {editor's pick!}
1995, Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman. From the book by Vito Russo. Narrated by Lily Tomlin. Harvey Fierstien, Tony Curtis, Tom Hanks, Susan Sarandon, Harry Hamlin, Shirley Maclaine, Gore Vidal, Farley Granger, Whoopi Goldberg, Quentin Crisp, Armistead Maupin, Susie Bright.
Review coming later.

Breaking the Code
British, 1996, Herbert Wise. Derek Jacobi, Alun Armstrong, Amanda Root.
This BBC miniseries tells the true story of Alan Turing, the British mathematician who, among other things, cracked the German Enigma code in WW2, and pioneered the idea of the computer. He was also gay, and it was because of this that the British government ended up destroying the eccentric genius who had given so much to their country. I suggest reading the biography by Andrew Hodges, Alan Turing: The Enigma, rather than watching this BBC miniseries. I know Derek Jacobi is supposed to be this fabulous actor, but frankly, in the role of Turing I found him simply annoying.

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit {editor's pick!}
British, 1990, Beeban Kidron (To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar). Charlotte Coleman, Emily Aston, Geraldine McEwan, Barbara Hicks, Margery Withers, Cathryn Bradshaw, Tania Rodrigues, Celia Imrie. Adapted for this BBC miniseries by Jeanette Winterson, from her novel of the same name.
        My first concern when watching any film adaptation of a book that I love is to see how faithful the filmmakers are to the book. The first half of this miniseries is quite faithful to Winterson’s novel, which tells the story of Jess, a young girl who is adopted by a fervent, almost maniacal, Pentecostal Christian woman. (For an actress so young, Emily Aston does a marvelous job in portraying the unusual and difficult character of Jess.) The film doesn’t deviate from the novel much until the second half, when Jess (now played by Charlotte Coleman) gets older and falls in love with a girl named Melanie. When her mother and the church decide to “help” (by publicly accusing Jess, tying her up and exorcising her), the film has Jess be much more actively, vocally resistant than Jeanette, her counterpart in the novel. For instance, in the book, Jeanette is helped, but also seduced, by an older woman, Miss Jewsbury. In the film, however, the sexual encounter is removed and replaced by a defiant Jess encouraging the submissive Miss Jewsbury to “fight,” to escape from the bigotry of their church “family.” Towards the end of the film, there are more and more departures from the novel, but I find that these are much easier to forgive if one remembers that Winterson herself made the changes.
       All things considered, I thought that this was a good adaptation, but that it really only gives the viewer the bare bones of the novel. The incredible richness and layering of Winterson’s writing would be nearly impossible to convey on-screen. The only concession the film makes to the mystical stories and visions that intertwine with Jess/Jeanette’s story in the book is the eerie carnival dream sequence that appears at the beginning of each installment. As always, I recommend reading the book first ;-)
Official Jeanette Winterson site.

Out of the Past
1997, Jeff Dupre.
When Kelli Peterson, a high school student in Salt Lake City, Utah, tried to start a Gay-Straight Alliance, the school board voted to ban all non-academic clubs rather than let the one gay club exist. This ruling was later reversed, but not without a struggle, and that struggle is the subject of this film. Intercut with Peterson’s story are profiles of gay and lesbian historical figures (such as civil rights activist Bayard Rustin and early gay-rights organizer Barbar Gittings). Also weighing in are various scholars and commetators, including lesbian herstorian Lillian Faderman. “Out of the Past” is pretty boring if you all ready know about queer history and believe in gay rights, but for those who aren’t in the know, this film could be a would educational tool Education is, after all, it’s purpose..
However, for those who are truly interested in queer history, I’d recommend reading Neil Miller’s book, which is also happens to be titled Out of the Past.

Paris Is Burning
1987, Jennie Livingston. Pepper Labeija, Kim Pendavis, Freddie Pendavis, Dorian Corey, Venus Xtravaganza, Octavia St. Laurent, Willie Ninja.
This documentary film focuses on the complex subculture of drag balls in Harlem. It isn’t quite fair to call them “drag balls,” since these balls about dressing up, in all kinds of ways, to show off how fabulous you are. It was at the Harlem balls that vogueing originated, as a sort of argument through dance, before Madonna appropriated it. More interesting than the structure or language of the balls, however, are the stories of the people that are interviewed. The harsh realities of being poor, black, and either gay or transgendered are made bearable by dreams of high fashion and fierce dedication to being “real.” “Paris Is Burning” is filled with these incongruous combinations—defiance and longing, pride and sadness. Despite the poor cinematography (it has that “gritty” low-budget documentary look), “Paris” is an interesting, if troubling, look at a disappearing subculture.
Quotations

Tales of the City {editor's pick!}
1993, Alastair Reid. Olympia Dukakis (Jeffrey), Laura Linney, Marcus D’Amico, Chloe Webb, Paul Gross, Donald Moffat, Barbara Garrick, Thomas Gibson, Stanley DeSantis, Bill Campbell, Cynda Williams (Relax, It’s Just Sex). Cameos by Janeane Garafalo (Reality Bites), Country Joe McDonald, Parker Posey, Rod Steiger, Karen Black, Bob Mackie, Ian McKellan, Vaginal Davis. From the books by Armistead Maupin. Followed by “More Tales of the City” and “Further Tales of the City,” which also feature Dukakis, Linney, Garrick, and Campbell.
Reviews coming soon.
Quotations

Tales of the City: More Tales of the City
Olympia Dukakis, Laura Linney, Barbara Garrick, Bill Campbell, Paul Hopkins, Whip Hubley, Diana LeBlance, Thomas Gibson, Swoosie Kurtz, Colin Ferguson, Nina Siemasko, Jackie Burroughs (Lost and Delirious), Francoise Robertson. Cameos by Dan Butler, Scott Thompson, Donald Sutherland, Ed Asner, and Armistead Maupin (as the priest).
Quotations

Tales of the City: Further Tales of the City
Based on the novel by Armistead Maupin. Olympia Dukakis, Laura Linney, Barbara Garrick, Bill Campbell, Paul Hopkins, Whip Hubley, Diana LeBlance, Jackie Burroughs, Parker Posey and Francoise Robertson reprise the roles they played in the previous installment(s). Also appearing are Mary Kay Place, Henry Czerny, Bruce McCullough (Kids In the Hall: Brain Candy), Joel Grey (Cabaret), Lea DeLaria (Edge of Seventeen), Sandra Oh, Jackie Richardson, John McMillan, Ted Whittal, and Randy Thomas.
Quotations

Unzipped
Isaac Mizrahi.
An amusing peek into the world of high fashion. Includes Mizrahi’s priceless rendition of the Mary Tyler Moore theme, complete with beret toss.

Wigstock: The Movie
1994, Barry Shils.
The documentary film following the annual music/drag festival. Features RuPaul (But I’m A Cheerleader), Crystal Waters, the Lady Bunny, Debbie Harry, Lypsinka, and lots more. I haven’t seen this one personally. If you have, please send reviews to bibliophilebp@yahoo.com .

Word Is Out
1977, Mariposa Film Group.
Another older film that I can’t seem to find anywhere. Please send reviews to bibliophilebp@yahoo.com .