Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Belle de Lesbian

There aren’t a lot of good lesbian movies. There just aren’t. There are some good ones. A few very good ones. But there are so many more bad ones. And way too many very bad ones. Still, we’ve pretty much seen them all. Because that’s what we do, we watch lesbian movies. Especially if we’re in the newbie phase and trying to consume every last scrap of lesbian culture in an effort to fit in and find community even if only though moving pictures on a screen. We’ve all sat through a “Bar Girls” or a “Claire of the Moon” or [insert name of terrible lesbian movie here]. Oh to get back those precious wasted minutes. But no.

So when a movie comes along that seems like it might be not bad and could even be quite good, we pay attention. And that movie this time is “Concussion.” It’s an intriguing story. A rich, middle-aged married lesbian suffers a concussion and then decides to become a prostitute for women. It’s not that the concussion changed her personality or gave her amnesia or turned her into a sexpot. It’s that it jarred her out of her sexless ennui. Sort of like “Belle de Jour,” minus Catherine Deneuve and with lesbians.

It’s the feature debut from writer-director Stacie Passon and produced by out former Jenny Schecterer-director Rose Troche (you know – D.E.B.S., Go Fish, The L Word, etc. etc.) It stars Robin Weigert (eagle-eyed viewers will recognize as a cleaned-up Calamity Jane from “Deadwood”) and Maggie Siff (from “Sons of Anarchy,” minus the Harleys). And it looks, well, quite good. Rich, complex, sexy and contemplative. Also sexy. Sorry, did I already mention that? Now, some folks might balk at the idea of having our lesbian stories told by someone who becomes a prostitute. And others might grumble about the underlying premise of the dreaded Lesbian Bed Death. Rose even acknowledges as much in a smart, thoughtful interview she did last month with AfterEllen.com.
“The lesbian audience is a very difficult one. We have so few images that we tend to hang on so much to one piece. It's tough to hold up under that pressure. I imagine there will be much said. I just hope some of it is positive.”

Me as well. But even more than that, I just hope the movie is good. Because in the end what we want most from our art is it to be entertained. Tell me a good story. Make me think. Make me laugh. Take me outside of myself honestly. And we want the same from lesbian movies. Because, really, is it too much to ask for a good lesbian movie? I certainly hope not.

25 comments:

TheWeyrd1 said...

Hmmmm...looks interesting. I'll be looking for it to show up...somewhere. And it would take an eagle eye to see the beauty now that she's out from under all that dirt...heh...and grew her hair longer.

Anonymous said...

I'd watch that. Does look interesting - and Robin Weigert is talented enough to pull it off. She's been scarce since 'Deadwood' (underused in 'Life' - why wasn't there more 'Life!?')

It is a f*cking crying shame there aren't more, great lesbian movies. Even good ones. Sigh.

Colleen said...

The only way that trailer could look any better is if Kim Dickens showed up as one of her clients.

Laine Causey said...

While I am tempted to write a complete commentary on this post, I will resist and only counter a couple of your points.

I personally agree that "Bar Girls" was mostly aimless, but "Claire of the Moon" was a total story of unrequited love. Yes, it was a low budget effort, but most first time indie movies fit this category. Nicole Conn films are hardly a waste of time.

Perhaps it's a generational interpretation, but the "flavor" of your post seems to equate "good lesbian movie" to "more Lesbian sex". The theme of this film's trailer appears to be a twist on the lonely housewife looking for some new excitement and/or validation, and granted, in our community (I am Lesbian also) that may seem like a fresh concept, but more sex does not ensure a better story.

I think to be more specific about what any "good" movie is speaks to the depth or complexity of the story, and the abilities of the actors. When one of those components is missing, you may come away with that feeling of "wishing you could get that time back."

Bottom line is, while respecting your right to your opinion, I take exception with your characterization of "Lesbian movies". Your readership is far reaching, and many hang on your words as being completely on-point. That is why I cringed twice when I read such a judgmental comment as those movies being a waste of time. I wanted you to know that I, as one of those in your readership, disagree.

Shasta said...

That looks like an interesting movie! Robin Weigert is great.

Anonymous said...

The trailer really hooked me. Guaranteed conversation/flamewar starter. Robin Weigart should be a much bigger star. Cheek

Anonymous said...

I love that take on Sanctuary by The Cult.

Anonymous said...

Looking foward to seeing this not as a "lesbian movie" just as a movie. Also I love Robin's work. Agree with Anonymous - why wasn't there more Life?? Have no idea when or if this will be released here. I only got to see The Kids Are All Right in the last few days.

Anonymous said...

"There aren’t a lot of good lesbian movies."

No, there certainly are not. Good God, lesbians have been around since damn near the year dot, with the first (dreadful!) lesbian movies lurching their way onto our screens only a few short years after that. And *still* we are able to count the good ones on the fingers of one hand! Pathetic!

"A rich, middle-aged married lesbian suffers a concussion and then decides to become a prostitute for women."

As you do...

Dear God, please let me *never* suffer a middle aged concussion!!! My life is complicated enough without this sort of insanity! I mean, if she's supposed to be *rich* why doesn't she pay for the sex?!! Or did the concussion rob her of any and all discernment?!!

Darlings, I have, after countless years spent waiting in vain for that *classic lesbian movie beyond reproach* #, come to the depressing (some may say controversial?) conclusion that lesbian movie makers are (in the main) left rather wanting when it comes to crafting engaging lesbian story lines.

Seeing as it's 2012, and seeing as we've damn near got coming out stories coming out our damn ears, my heartfelt plea to lesbian movie makers everywhere is to ease up of on the lesbianism a tad, and instead concentrate more on telling a damn good story! If that proves too much for them, then they'll simply have to bung the likes of Sarah Waters more cash and tell them to write faster! And if Ms Waters and her chums refuse to cooperate, well they could always just buy the rights to a *good* straight (or even gay male!) story and change the leads to lesbians!

# Yes, yes, 'Imagine Me and You' and 'When Night is Falling' and a couple of others were very good, but IMHO they were hardly all time classics beyond reproach...

PD (Who does so dearly want to see that lesbian 'All About Eve' before she dies! What? Eve was a dyke??? Darlings, I think I know what I'll spending my evening doing! :) )

PS Laine Causey: "but "Claire of the Moon" was a total story of unrequited love"

That damn near made me want to kill myself! Each to their own darling, but from where I was sitting that movie was an absolute abomination!

Laine Causey: "But more sex does not ensure a better story."

Hell no! I don't think that's what Snarks was implying though darling?

Laine Causey: "Your readership is far reaching, and many hang on your words as being completely on-point."

I'd like to think Snarks' readership -heck any readership for that matter!- are capable of thinking for themselves... At least they ought to be!

Anonymous said...

PPS Eve a dyke? Asexual psychopath more like! ;)

Anonymous said...

psst... DEBS was Angela Robinson. I get it though, they do kinda look alike now that I think of it.

egghead said...

I've always wanted to be a lesbian prostitute. ;)

Always.

As it is for me, I can't think of the names of all the bad lesbian movies I've seen. I really did forget them. Yet I CAN remember the good ones (for me). Unfortunately, I tend to like the lightly macabre and desperately depressing, but terribly insightful. Guess which are those? And "Imagine Me and You" was gorgeous. (So it was none of the above.)

Anyway, thanks for the clues about this movie, Ms. Dot, it looks to be gorgeous too.

ukelelegaily said...

a. this film looks really great - lots of sexy, and lots of emoting.

b. am i the only person in the entire universe who rather enjoyed bar girls ???

Anonymous said...

I think it looks great. I also like Bar Girls. I worked with the sister of the blond in Claire of the Moon so I liked that movie too. LBD is pervasive so it will be good to have a movie with that as the premise.

kilik said...

Wow that was.WAY COOL THEN I THOUGHT.
Very interesting....
And i like the actresses ...

Yummy!

Heather said...

I can't view the trailer but, oh my god, please tell me Maggie Siff is playing a lesbian! All through Sons of Anarchy I have been quietly hoping she will make out with Katey Sagal...

booboox said...

Claire of the Moon had a nice storyline and I think tried hard...but the abysmal acting made it unwatchable!

I get, and can appreciate, that she had no budget so had to use her friends in the acting roles. I get, and can apprectiate, the effort. But I don't get, and don't appreciate, that for too long we'd been reduced to making and watching such drivel! Bleck.

We've had some better efforts lately though and this movie looks like a good one too.

Natalia Rivera said...

Oh hey, Maggie Siff! She was on Mad Men, played a department store heiress. I wish she was still on it.

Anonymous said...

I love Robin Weigert, but I'm not really interested. Plots similar to this seem to be very common these days in "edgy" indie flicks. Since when did the answer to a boring sex life become prostitute yourself? How does that even make sense?

Big Shamu said...

Where and when is it playing? Not much info out there.

Anonymous said...

I just got a concussion!!

All that changed was that I can't play rugby anymore though...

Anonymous said...

My ex set herself up as a lesbian prostitute in the 1990s. As you do...

Anonymous said...

Donna from the West Wing! Not doing anything particularly lesbian, though, but one can hope.

Anonymous said...

This looks - wow - super sexy! Please keep us posted on when it releases; the interwebs are mute on that point. Thanks!

lesbian scenes said...

Wow I've never even heard of "Concussion" before, and doing a google search brings me to medical sites. Thanks for the heads up (no pun intended)...