In past years, the Oscars have come under fire for being too white with the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag trending to blast the organisation for its lack of diversity. This year people are saying it’s too white, too male and too straight.
#OscarSoWhite became a headlining story in 2015.
This year, it seems is the LGBT+ community’s time to shout about how undiverse the nominations are, along with how male and white the nominations appear to be.
Across Twitter people have been blasting the Oscars for the lack of LGBT+ (or more specifically how cis and heteronormative the award nominations are in 2020.
“Boycotting”
Fans of the show have sworn off this year’s show, with some suggesting that the organisation hadn’t learned from previous years.
I guess the Oscars haven't learned any lessons from their past decisions. I'm boycotting this year's #OscarsSoStraight
However, Antonio Banderas is up for Leading Actor for his performance in Pain And Glory. And Rocketman receives one nomination for Best Original Song.
No Nomination for Rocketman
Taron Egerton as Elton John in Rocketman from Paramount Pictures.
One of the biggest omissions from this year’s “big category” nominations was the widely acclaimed Rocketman, starring Taron Egerton.
The Dorian Award from the Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics has shortlisted 6 LGBT+ films for its awards including, Booksmart, End of the Century, Pain and Glory, Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Rocketman.
This episode for me had a lot of the same highs and flaws as episode one. Ru and her queens (this time including the lovely Jinkx Monsoon) were a joy and the storyline set at the Pittsburgh club itself would have been enough for me.
The show’s best moments are in the club where Ruby meets with old friends and a frenemy. Their history, culminating in the most hilariously bizarre performance of ‘Proud Mary’ ever, moving into their subsequent making up was lovely and something that deserved more attention. It had that lovely sense of: “we may fight, but when you are down or in trouble I will protect you” that is so strong in drag family.
Sadly most of the episode revolved around AJ screaming and demanding.
Her part is very odd. So far, once again, she just does nothing but insult Ruby and the other queens, she is still stealing things and at one point even threatens poor Ruby into taking her to Texas. Then when she is called out or Ruby asks questions she starts to act the victim, poor girl she has been through so much …
But apparently this is acceptable and Ruby goes out of her way to please the little madame. Most people do. AJ is supposed to be this very special being for some reason and everyone treat her with such delicacy.
A long part of the episode was all about AJ’s gender identity. She dresses and acts like a boy because, she claims, people “leave boys alone”.
Sorry but what? This was a shocker to me. Claiming boys do not get abused or experience other forms of violence in any way is just not on. It is especially odd that this comes from the maker of Drag Race where the contestants often discuss all the terrible things they experienced as a child/teen. This often includes abuse.
What is worse is that even though the show and Ru wanted to make this lovely statement of not putting gender in boxes and living life as you are, it is not a good message for female to male transgenders.
It kind of states that any girl wanting to be a boy is damaged or probably had no good female role models. We are told that AJ has never seen any other example of womanhood than a hooker and a stripper. She has a mobile, access to the internet but no, that is all she knows. Okay, girl.
Thankfully Ruby spends the rest of the episode educating her, almost willing AJ to become a girl again to the point of performing a show in her honour all about how important being a women is.
The thing is, Netflix has so many strong feminist shows, it would have been great if this show could have focused on the strong LGBTQ+ message instead for a change. Why could AJ not simply identify as a boy? Such a wasted opportunity.
With all this going on you’d almost forget that Ruby is still in great danger: her criminal ex revealed to be called Damien and his boss Lady Danger are hot on their tracks. Seeing the hell Ruby is going through seems to soften AJ somewhat near the end of the episode. Hope this lasts.
Then one very important question that needs asking: why has Ruby never digitalised her Oprah tapes?
As a Drag Race and RuPaul fan, the thought of a comedy-drama starring Ru and so many of her girls sounded like a dream.
Sadly Episode 1 isn’t giving me entirely what I was looking for.
Yes, Ru is fabulous, as always, and the first half of the episode was brilliant: Ru as Ruby Red performing at the club, her reading of the owner in front of so many incredible Drag Race alumni including Bianca Del Rio. The scenes with Michael Leon Wooley who plays her fierce best friend. These were all great, with just that mixture of camp, drama and comedy you’d expect from a show like this.
The story moves along nicely: Ruby Red has been in the drag business for decades and has finally saved up enough money to start a club of her own. She dreams of making life better for her drag sisters.
This by itself would be an amazing show. The characters introduced so far work and Ruby thinking up ways to earn money to get her club after all with help from her drag friends would be a great series.
Sadly it’s when AJ arrives that the story goes off the rails. So far it is unclear why her character is needed as it takes the flow out of the story. AJ’s background story is written as very tragic, but the way Izzy G performs it does not evoke any sympathy. In fact, so far all she does is shout and annoy.
She also steals from Ruby and utters homophobic slurs. Not really clear to see why Ruby would be so caring towards her in return. Perhaps the idea is that we will see AJ grow and change as the series moves along. I hope that some of this change will be sooner rather than later as right now her scenes are difficult to watch.
Sadly, the man she thought loved her and would help her build her dream turns out to be a con who steals all her money and her dreams. This leads into a hilarious scene in the police office and a lovely scene of her best friend encouraging her to try again.
The story ends with Ruby leaving for a road trip to earn back some of her money while the police are working on her case that may turn out bigger and more dangerous than she had imagined.
Despite the minor niggle, the story has a big heart and a clear message: RuPaul’s message – it is okay to be you, it is okay to love yourself, you matter.
There is warmth and a strange comfort that is rare in TV shows these days and with promises of big performances, more Drag Race stars and adventure I am looking forward to what happens next.
The FBI investigation of actress Jean Seberg is told in the new film Seberg.
Kristen Stewart, who plays Seberg, is fine in this film of Seberg’s life which was filled with glamour and controversy. Director
Benedict Andrews, who directs with little enthusiasm, and the writers focus on the years in Seberg’s life when she was being investigated for her ties to the Black Panther party in the 1960’s. This is told through the fictional eyes of FBI investigator Jack Solomon (a very good Jack O’connell). Seberg, an American born in 1938, was most famous for her performance in Jean-Luc Godard’s 1960 film Breathless which immortalized her as an icon of French New Wave cinema, donated lots of money and time to the Black Panther Party. She also had an extramarital affair with Black activist Hakim Jamal (Anthony Mackie), which led to a baby being born prematurely, due, according to Seberg, the stress of the FBI investigation, and her rocky marriage to her husband Romain Gary (Yvan Attal).
Solomon, ever increasingly, gets more involved in the case, taking him away from his frustrated wife Linette (Margaret Qualley). Vincent Vaughan plays his partner, who knows not to get too close to the case. But we really don’t get to understand why Seberg wanted to support the Black Panthers. She was sympathetic and wanted them to have opportunities? And if so why?
Seberg died at the age of 40 in Paris, with police ruling her death a probable suicide, after having disappeared for ten days. Her life was anything but boring, yet Seberg doesn’t quite get to the heart of who she was and why she was involved.
Her life was fascinating and glamorous, but her story needs to be told again.
Taron Egerton as Elton John in Rocketman from Paramount Pictures.
The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, comprised of 260 mainly US journalists covering film and television, has named its nominees for 2019’s finest movies, performances and more across a host of mainstream and LGBTQ-focused categories.
“International” films lead the pack: South Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite—the left-field hit satire comparing the lives of the rich and the poor—and the French lesbian romance Portrait of a Lady on Fire each counts 6 nominations, while director Pedro Almodovar’s semi-autobiographical opus Pain and Glory has 5 nods. Those films join Hustlers, Little Women and director Quentin Tarantino’s florid alternate-reality trip Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood on the group’s eclectic, diverse Film of the Year short list.
For Director of the Year, Bong competes with the likes of Sam Mendes, helmer of the stunning World War I epic 1917, and Women director Greta Gerwig, a previous Dorian winner in the category for Lady Bird.
Renée Zellweger (Judy), Lupita Nyong’o (Us) and Alfre Woodard (Clemency) add excitement to the award season race with their nominations for Film Performance of the Year—Actress nominations, while fresh faces Florence Pugh (Little Women) and Zhao Shuzen (The Farewell) perk up the respective Supporting category. As for the Actor categories, they’re peppered with notable surnames: Banderas, Driver and Sandler; Pitt, Pesci and Pacino.
Among the professional LGBTQ journalists group’s trademark categories, Booksmart and The Last Black Man in San Francisco are among the contenders for Unsung Film of the Year, while Cats and the cheeky, crazy-popular murder mystery Knives Out duke it out for Campy Flick of the Year
With the Society’s recent move to spin off its television categories with a separate ceremony starting this August, the Dorians’ TV categories came with a somewhat truncated eligibility window of January 1 through November 1.
HBO’s acerbic rich-family soap Succession, Netflix’s searing and female-centric mystery Unbelievable and last year’s multi-winner Pose, all up for TV Drama of the Year, with Hulu’s high-school friendship spoof PEN15 and Comedy Central’s tart The Other Two making nice-surprise showings in the comedy arena. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, star-creator of the also-nominated comedy Fleabag star-creator, is up for three Dorians, including TV Performance of the Year—Actress and Wilde Wit of the Year.
All Dorian Award Winners, including the recipient of the Society’s annual Timeless career-achievement award, will be revealed Wednesday, January 8.
As previously announced, Olivia Wilde, the first-time director of Booksmart, will be receiving a special honor at the group’s Dorian Awards Winners Toast, which will be held on Sunday, February 2, in Los Angeles, before football fever kicks in. The invitation-only event will include a raise of the glass to Wilde, named GALECA’s Wilde Artist of the Year. It bears noting that the acclaimed Booksmart’s stars, Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever, each hold a Dorian nomination for GALECA’s “We’re Wilde About You!” Rising Star award.
GALECA, a member of CGEM: Critics Groups for Equality in Media, aims to generate camaraderie and solidarity in an unsettling media environment, champion constructive film and television criticism and elevate the craft of entertainment journalism. Via panels, screenings and our annual Dorian Awards, GALECA also strives to remind at-risk youth, bullies and bigots that the world looks to the Q eye for leads on great, unique movies and TV. And how would the world fare without knowing what’s campy?
FULL LIST OF 11TH DORIAN AWARDS NOMINATIONS
(Note: Categories with six or more contenders involve a tie)
Film of the Year
Hustlers
Little Women
Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood
Pain and Glory
Parasite
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Director of the Year
Pedro Almodovar, Pain and Glory
Greta Gerwig, Little Women
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Sam Mendes, 1917
Celine Sciamma, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Film Performance of the Year — Actress
Awkwafina, The Farewell
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Lupita Nyong’o, Us
Alfre Woodard, Clemency
Renée Zellweger, Judy
Film Performance of the Year — Actor
Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Taron Egerton, Rocketman
Film Performance of the Year — Supporting Actress Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Florence Pugh, Little Women
Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Margot Robbie, Bombshell
Zhao Shuzhen, The Farewell
Film Performance of the Year — Supporting Actor Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood
Song Kang-ho, Parasite
LGBTQ Film of the Year
Booksmart
End of the Century
Pain and Glory
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Rocketman
Foreign Language Film of the Year
The Atlantics
Pain and Glory
Parasite
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
The Farewell
Screenplay of the Year Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
Bong Joon-ho, Han Jin-won, Parasite
Greta Gerwig, Little Women
Céline Sciamma, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Rian Johnson, Knives Out
Documentary of the Year American Factory
Apollo 11
For Sama
Honeyland
One Child Nation
LGBTQ Documentary of the Year
Circus of Books
Gay Chorus Deep South
The Gospel of Eureka
5B
Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street
Visually Striking Film of the Year Midsommar
1917
The Lighthouse
Parasite
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Unsung Film of the Year
Booksmart
Her Smell
Gloria Bell
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Waves
Campy Flick of the Year
Cats
Greta
Knives Out
Ma
Serenity
TV Drama of the Year
Chernobyl
Euphoria
Pose
Succession
Unbelievable
TV Comedy of the Year
Fleabag
The Other Two
PEN15
Russian Doll
Schitt’s Creek
TV Performance of the Year — Actor
Bill Hader, Barry
Dan Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Jharrel Jerome, When They See Us
Billy Porter, Pose
Jeremy Strong, Succession
TV Performance of the Year — Actress Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll
Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek
Mj Rodriguez, Pose
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag
Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon
LGBTQ TV Show of the Year
Euphoria
The Other Two
Pose
Schitt’s Creek
Tales of the City
Unsung TV Show of the Year
Gentleman Jack
On Becoming a God in Central Florida
The Other Two
PEN15
Years and Years
TV Current Affairs Show of the Year
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
The Rachel Maddow Show
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Leaving Neverland
TV Musical Performance of the Year
Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, “Shallow,” The 91st Academy Awards
Lizzo, “Truth Hurts,” VMAs 2019
Megan Mullally, “The Man That Got Way,” Will & Grace
Annie Murphy, “A Little Bit Alexis,” Schitt’s Creek
Michelle Williams, “Who’s Got the Pain?,” Fosse/Verdon
Campy TV Show of the Year
American Horror Story 1984
Big Little Lies
RuPaul’s Drag Race
The Politician
Riverdale
The “We’re Wilde About You!” Rising Star Award
Roman Griffin Davis
Kaitlyn Dever
Beanie Feldstein
Florence Pugh
Hunter Schafer
Wilde Wit of the Year
(Honoring a performer, writer or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse)
Dan Levy
Billy Porter
Randy Rainbow
Taika Waititi
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Wilde Artist of the Decade (Special Accolade)
Lady Gaga
Greta Gerwig
Ryan Murphy
Billy Porter
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
The Nutcracker needs little introduction, and tells the story of Clara who is whisked away to a magical land by the Nutcracker Prince to celebrate the defeat of the Rat King. This traditional ballet retains virtually all of its charm and Tchaikovsky’s instantly recognisable score remains a musical treat.
Saint Petersburg Classic Ballet return with their annual tour of classic pieces, presented very much in the archetypal style of traditional ballet, with tutu’s and tights aplenty, a static set of rather plain backdrops, a virtually non-existent use of props and a dance space which allowed the performance to flood the stage with a bevy of dancers.
Aside from the fixed grins, slightly loose synchronicity and a few heavy footfalls, the quality of performance in this tour seems to be much better than previous ones, with the cast putting in their all and some nimble and impressive dancing nestled amongst the rather safe choreography. It is not the most luxurious production you will see, but it remains functional and allows for the focus to be on the performances and music.
With an easily followed narrative and the second act consisting primarily of short set pieces, the ballet progresses at a pleasing pace, making it a great starting place for ballet novices and families with younger children.
Overall, the show is a pleasant and undemanding evening at the theatre, which remains firmly rooted in the traditional style. There is nothing innovative, ground-breaking or new in this production, but if you are seeking a very traditionally performed, accessible ballet in the classic style, then the St Petersburg Classic Ballet could well be just what you are looking for.
★★★★ | Guys And Dolls – Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
In an attempt to gather enough money to organise an illegal craps game, racketeer Nathan Detroit enters into a wager with gambler Sky Masterton that he can’t convince a girl to accompany him on a gambling trip to Havana. The catch? The girl in question is Sarah Brown, a religious and upstanding member of the Salvation Army, whose only interest in men like Masterton is in trying to convince them to leave behind their life of sin. So whilst Nathan Detroit does everything he can to avoid marrying his long suffering fiancé Miss Adelaide, Sky Masterton unexpectedly falls in love with the Sarah, as he tries to win the bet.
Robert Hastie’s revival is punchy, pacey and perky and zips along at a cracking pace. With an ingenious set design of sliding panels which slot together to form the backdrop of prohibition era New York, and zoot suits which are as sharp as the script, Sheffield Theatres production of this classic musical is utterly delightful.
Kadiff Kirwan oozes charisma as Sky Masterton and Martin Marquez brings a cheeky charm to the stage as Nathan Detroit. But whilst the ‘guys’ were great, the stage belonged very much to the ‘dolls’. Natalie Casey, as the lovelorn Miss Adelaide, beautifully balances comedy and sadness whilst giving a masterclass in musical theatre; and Alex Young brings warmth, humanity and female independence to the role of Sarah Brown.
There is some dazzling choreography which the cast (and the audience) delight in, and the big numbers, including ‘Luck be A Lady’ and ‘Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat’, don’t disappoint at all. For a show written some 70 years ago, there is something about this production which feels really fresh and vivacious. Thoroughly enjoyable and tremendous fun, Guys And Dolls is the perfect antidote to the dark winter evenings and is everything you would want from a feel-good classic musical.
If you watch 13 Reasons Why you’ll know it’s a tough watch. I don’t know any other drama, let alone a supposed teen drama, that manages to squeeze in so many hard-hitting subjects but which rarely get so little air-time.
It’s hard to forget that in a world with “big news” like Donald Trump, Brexit and now, Conservative-majority rule for the UK for the foreseeable future, that’s it’s the smaller stories, the personal stories that really rule our lives and these are the stories that make 13 Reasons Why a hard, gruelling but necessary watch.
I nearly tapped out of season 3. I just couldn’t follow jumps between timelines (i think there are three maybe four… I’m a little foggy on that) and the introduction of a new character, Ani, was a little jarring. In fact, I watched the first two episodes and switched it off and left it for a few weeks.
But it lingered there. In the recesses of my mind. I wanted to know.
The season focuses on rebuilding lives after so much is destroyed in the previous 2 series and it packs a punch, it also contains some of the most emotional, heart-breaking acting I’ve ever seen on screen. Not from the main characters Clay (Dylan Minette) and Ani (Grace Saif), although they both pull in a solid performance, the real powerhouse deliveries come from rape survivors, Jessica (Alisha Boe) and Tyler (Devin Druid). Devin is good, actually beyond good. I think we’re looking at one of his generation’s finest actors.
13 Reasons Why season three is a slow cook drama, it takes around 4 or 5 episodes to really get going, but when it does, oh man does it hurt.
Stick with it. Don’t close it down because it’s too difficult to watch or too harrowing to hear. Let’s, as Jessica says, hear these stories.
If there is one thing that is sure to herald Christmas out there in theatre land it is the arrival of the traditional panto, and whilst many may immediately turn to thoughts of screaming children and D-list celebrities, there is a surprising amount of fun to be had at your local theatre this festive season.
Whilst this review will be of Cinderella at Sheffield Theatres, it would probably extrapolate to theatres up and down the country. As South Pacific so ably put it, “There is Nothing Like A Dame”, and this year’s offering sees the return of panto dame, Damian Williams (Benidorm Live!) camping his way across the stage as Donaldina, one of the ugly sisters, ably partner by Matt Daines as Melina the other (somewhat) uglier one. This alone should start you thinking that the jokes here are not just for the kids, as a whole host of political figures come in for a ribbing – but none quite hit the topical shock value as much as one gag involving a prince sweating; and there’s the groaner jokes, the laugh out loud jokes and the saucy ones which fly straight over the kids heads nestled amongst the furore.
Joanne Clifton plays on her Strictly status as the fairy godmother. TV’s Mister Maker (looking surprisingly like Robbie Williams) keeps the kids happy, and even Paul O’Grady makes a surprise appearance as fairy. Need we say more? Still not convinced? How about throwing in a young Zac Efron looking Prince Charming and a handful of handsome backing dancers to add to the camptastic value of it all?
There is a host of musical numbers scattered around the production, this year including songs from other musicals such as The Greatest Showman and Everybody’s Talking about Jamie; whilst a smattering of pop songs (Ed Sheeran, Adele and Beyoncé) all add to the fun. We’d be lying if we said that there wasn’t any screaming kids at the show, but, hey, that is all part of it; and if you let yourself get carried away in the spirit of things, you’ll soon be shouting out, groaning, booing, singing and laughing out loud along with the best of them.
It’s loud, bold, crass and kitsch, and it is difficult to know who enjoyed themselves more – my 11 year old nephew, or me; but either way, we had an absolute blast, leaving the theatre with a massive grin, with sides aching from laughter and with the firm opinion that panto is not just for kids.
Cinderella is playing at Sheffield Theatres until 5th January 2020; but check out your local theatre website and see who starring near you.
A new musical loosely, very loosely, based on the classic Romeo & Juliet is raising the roof down (not literally) at the Shaftsbury Theatre.
& Juliet is the hottest and most unique musical to hit town this year. It takes bits and pieces from Romeo & Juliet and reshapes the story line, with excellent twists along the way, to give us a modern day, very modern day, love story that is unique, timely, explosive, and lots of fun.
Based around the songs of Max Martin (you might not know his name but you sure know his songs, pop classics such as ‘Baby One More Time,’ ‘I Kissed a Girl,’ ‘Roar,’ the list goes on and on – songs that were sung by superstars such as Brittany Spears, N’Sync, Jessie J, Ed Sheehan, the list goes on and on) are reinterpreted here in & Juliet.
There is lots going on in this show, but thanks to the music and lyrics by Martin and Friends (this is what the program states) and cleverly intertwined with a book by David West Read, and excellent direction by Luke Sheppard, we get William Shakespeare (a natural Oliver Tompsett) and his love Anne Hathaway (an extremely talented Cassidy Johnson) writing the plot of the show while we watch the show (clever!).
And the show within the show has Juliet Miriam-Teak Lee newly single after the death of Romeo. She also finds out Romeo had many many lovers.
But she is still not deterred in her quest to find romance and quickly meets Francois (Tim Mahendran), the son of very rich playboy Lance (a brilliant David Badella who steals every scene he is in). Lance is very keen to have his son marry the beautiful Juliet. But Francois has never really ever been with anyone before and at the same time meets the dashing May (Arun Blair-Mangat), a man who likes the friendship of women but romance with men. So it all gets a bit complicated, especially when Romeo (Jordan Luke Gage) shows up! What a mess!
From beginning to end & Juliet is high energy throughout, thanks to a cast who work very hard in scenes that are superbly choreographed to the nth degree (Jennifer Weber). And most of the songs in the show were major hits so you find yourself humming along – it’s like welcoming a new friend back into your life. But besides the music, it’s the cast who really bring this to life. Tompsett and Janson work so well together on stage, they really complement each other. Teak-Lee as Juliet can really belt out numbers, but it’s Badella as the dashing Lance so willing to give up his son in marriage to anyone who steals the show. His French accent, his facial expressions, and also his dance moves are just all so brilliant.
Give this man an Olivier now!
& Juliet will be the most fun you’ll have at the theatre this year. And with a potpourri of hit songs in the show, & Juliet is sure to last a long time.
& Juilet plays at the Shaftersbury Theatre until 30th May 2020, book tickets
Looking for the best LGBT+ / gay-themed films Amazon has to offer with your Prime account, look no further. Here’s a list of THEGAYUK’s favourites including some incredible biopics and dramas.
Updated: November 2019
Green book (Biopic)
To be gay in America in the early 1960s was not easy. But to also be black, and discriminated against on every level, was an entirely different thing, no matter how famous you were.
Green Book is a true story, and directed by a subdued Peter Farrelly (There’s Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber) it’s as slow as molasses on a hot day – but Mortensen lightens up the screen in every scene he is in – he’s fantastic and is the take away of this film. Ali, while good, seems a bit stiff throughout, and I don’t understand why he is winning all the awards (Richard E. Grant is so much better in Can You Ever Forgive Me.) Nevertheless, Green Book is a good study in race relations in America at that time when JFK was President and Marilyn Monroe was the star of the moment. (Tim Baros)
Blanchett is magnificent as Carol, who risks losing her daughter yet has strong feelings for a much younger woman. Mara is even more superb as Therese, her innocence and naivete in full display. Both actresses are excellent, yet it’s Mara who ups Blanchette in the acting arena. The movie basically revolves around Therese and her coming of age not just with her career but with her sexuality as well.
Chandler is also excellent as Carol’s husband – he’s got an ideal 1950’s look about him.
Carol, based on the novel The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith, was written at a time when it’s subject was considered scandalous, which Haynes truly captures. (Tim Baros)
Based on the real-life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, The Imitation Game portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain’s top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II.
With such a fascinating story and a stellar cast (Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Mark Strong, Matthew Goode, Charles Dance) this is a film that is destined to be a major success. Already garnering critical acclaim, it’s not hard to see why.
The script, period detail and performances are all exemplary. Cumberbatch is pitch-perfect in his portrayal as Turing, portraying the strengths and vulnerabilities of a man with little social skills who is driven by his passion for his work and his intellect. He’s ably supported by Keira Knightley as the feisty Joan Clarke; a woman of great intellect who has to fight to the constraints of a society that devalues and oppresses women.
Mark Strong as a particularly dashing MI6 agent and Matthew Goode as a fellow code-breaker, are equally strong. (Chris Bridges)
Stonewall is a drama about a fictional young man caught up during the 1969 Stonewall riots. Danny Winters (Jeremy Irvine) is forced to leave behind friends and loved ones when he is kicked out of his parent’s home and flees to New York. Alone in Greenwich Village, homeless and destitute, he befriends Ray (Jonny Beauchamp) and a group of street kids who soon introduce him to the local watering hole The Stonewall Inn; however, this shady, mafia-run club is far from a safe-haven. As Danny and his friends experience discrimination, endure atrocities and are repeatedly harassed by the police, we see a rage begin to build.
This emotion runs through the entire community of young gays, lesbians, drag queens and trans people who populate the Stonewall Inn and erupts in a storm of anger.
With the toss of a single brick, a riot ensues and a crusade for equality is born. Directed by Roland Emmerich.
So, here’s the thing, I can be an old, hard cynical fart when I want to be – but occasionally, just occasionally along comes something that makes me weep like a baby. This film is one of those things.
What starts out as a simple story of love and acceptance quickly turns into one of bigotry and spite – leading to an unexpected ending. Based on a true story, this is one emotional roller-coaster.
A strong cast and crew make this one of the best films of its kind in a long time with Travis Fine doing a great job as director, writer and producer. (Chris Jones)
In filmmaker Jeffrey Schwartz’s very upbeat documentary into this unique entertainer and character, we learn that Divine had always dreamt of being a movie star since he was a kid who had been picked in and bullied at school as being both effeminate and fat. And he did deservedly become one and was just about to parlay his major underground success into the mainstream with a (non-drag) part in a nationally syndicated TV sitcom when he dropped down dead in Hollywood after a massive heart attack the very day before filming was due to start. He was just 42 years old. Manager, Bernard Jay poignantly claimed that as Divine was at the peak of his career, he had at least died happily.
Schwartz beautifully captures both the joyous nature of Divine’s flamboyant life and also the great sense of sheer enjoyment he had. He includes the completely tasteless clip from Eat Your Makeup in which Divine played Jacqueline Kennedy in a grotesquely amusing re-creation of the Kennedy assassination just two years after the event. But he also shows the scene from Multiple Maniacs where Divine’s character is raped by a giant lobster! A perfect epitaph. (Roger Walker-Dack)
Beautiful Something beautifully explores the need for us gay men to seek out romance and adventure in the hopes of finding something, anything, meaningful. Director and writer Joseph Graham successfully captures a night these men, nor us, won’t forget.
Four gay men, all with issues in their lives, experience a night of mystery and sex in the beautifully told Beautiful Something. (Tim Baros)
Thorpe’s somewhat light-hearted investigation starts with him accepting that he dislikes gay-sounding voices, especially his own and he wonders if with professional help it can, in fact, be changed.
A very pushy speech therapist has him working on his ‘nasality’ and long vowels to get a ‘go-too’ voice whatever that maybe. She, thank goodness, is not the only figure that Thorpe seeks advice from and his interviews with some legendary gay figures make both sound, and also hilarious, contributions to his quest. (Roger Walker-Dack)
For three weeks in the summer of 2012 filmmakers, Cory James Krueckeberg and Tom Gustafson (the producer/director behind the cute Mariachi Gringo and the gay cult film Were the World Mine) followed two guys all over New York with a camera and a script and nothing else.
This really is guerrilla filmmaking at its best. No crew, a Kickstarter budget of $10K, one actor and one real-life go-go boy in an innovative hybrid of documentary, narrative and art film that is such a delight. Following hot on the heels of movies such as Weekend, Keep The Lights On and Hors Les Murs this wee drama is part of a very welcome new movement of edgy queer cinema. (Roger Walker-Dack)
P. David Ebersole’s documentary Hit So Hard tells the story of former Hole drummer Patty Schemel’s rise from working-class kid in Marysville, Washington to the drummer for one of the biggest grunge bands of the nineties.
Arguably because of its low budget, the film has a student-like feel to its production, although most technical faults are forgotten when viewers get the chance to see the never before seen tour footage that was shot by Schemel on Hi-8 while in the band.
Despite, its faults Hit So Hard is a time capsule of nineties nostalgia and ultimately it is the raw and deeply personal footage that makes this film a must-see for fans of Hole or Nirvana. (Domenico Sansalone)
This screwball comedy follows a young couple who discover a secret room filled with cash while house-sitting for celebrity friends who die under mysterious circumstances while overseas… but can they make a clean getaway with the money? Featuring an all-star cast of fan favourites, including Queer As Folk USA‘s Randy Harrison and Ugly Betty‘s Michael Urie.
When Tanner is accidentally outed in school, whilst the other boys in his class may resort to taunting and bullying him, the girls start to seriously compete for his attention.
It’s all very cute, has a few really good one-liner’s like the one on Mormon’s ‘they smile to your face, then Prop 8 you in the back,’ but it is a squeaky clean teen-movie that is meant to be for the young… or at least the young at heart. (Roger Walker-Dack)
It’s the late 1950s and ageing Hollywood director, James Whale, best known for his iconic Frankenstein films, is languishing in his Los Angeles house.
Whale is incapacitated by a series of strokes that have left him frail and prone to crippling headaches, dark moods and memory lapses. In spite of his infirmity, he hasn’t lost any of his impish ways with young men, persuading them to swim in his pool or pose naked for portraits. Old habits die hard. Unashamedly gay in an era of repression, Whale is a singular and striking personality. Enter pneumatically muscular new gardener, Clayton Boone who becomes the object of Whale’s lust and an unlikely player in the final drama of his life. Starring Ian McKellen (Chris Bridges)
The cinematic fascination with The Beat Generation continues regardless, following on the heels of Walter Salles’ take on Jack Kerouac’s On The Road, which the critics were quick to dismiss. We now have this new movie which, set in the mid-1940s, is essentially a prequel to the movement that was about to begin. It’s Lucian Carr’s story, a central figure in Allen Ginsberg’s coming out, and the wittiest member of their clique at university, who ended up killing his obsessed older ex-lover David Kammerer who just wouldn’t leave him alone. Starring Daniel Radcliffe. (Roger Walker-Dack)
Joe Meek was a pioneer of the 60’s music landscape. Joe Meek was a gay producer and songwriter, who wrote the hit “Telstar.”
Set in homophobic 60’s Britain, where to be gay was still illegal, the film delivers a powerful marker to how far the gay movement has come.
The casting for this film is very strong, Con O’Neill plays a magnificently, out of control Meek, delivering a truly brilliant performance of a tone-deaf musical genius. The film’s strengths are it’s brilliantly comic (albeit all true) characters and its thought-provoking end – the demise of Joe Meek. (Jake Hook)
Five stories are interlinked in this film by Kevin Elyot and Adrian Shergold. It centres on the life and experiences of gay men during a 36-hour period in the Clapham area of London.
Sean Penn, plays the central role of Harvey Milk and putting aside the hotly debated discussion of whether LGBT people should fill the roles of LGBT character’s in the films, Penn does a brilliant job.
No ham involved. A remarkably sensitive portrayal of this pioneer in a backwards, gay loathing, backstabbing system. Of course, there is a certain bit of eye candy – that being one Mr James Franco.
It is easy for us of a certain age, to forget or not to acknowledge those who went before in the equal rights cause and I say films like this need to be produced more and more, so that we never forget, how and why we are able to live in the western world freer than we’ve ever been able to. (Jake Hook)
