Queenie in Love

I stumbled across this film in a hotel room whilst working in France, and was mediately drawn in by it. THe acting of the two lead characters is just great. I believed in them as characters. It was witty, but no comic or showy, it was real but not crude, it was honest but not indulgent.

The New York backdrop gave a real glimpse of what NY life is like, and you felt very much part of the action there.

A great little movie of clashing cultures, double lives and the power of relationships to transform a life.

See it in a hotel near you!

Queenie in Love is an independent American film directed, produced and written by Amos Kollek. It is rather strange that he is more famous among film enthusiasts in France and Germany than USA-a country where he has made all his films. All of his films are about people making sense of their meaningless lives in an indifferent urban environment. Serious viewers would find this film honest in its assessment of love as many of its prophecies are appearing to be true as we live in times wherein everybody is questioning whether love has any importance in an era marked by globalization and high technology. Queenie in Love is an important film in Amos Kollek's filmography as it goes beyond the idea of describing what it means to love and be in love as the film leading characters find out about the hollowness of their existences by making their positions clear about topics as diverse as loneliness, sexuality and tough lives of old people. In the entire film, Amos Kollek appears to be a filmmaker of serious vision as his writing reveals characters who not only are aware of their weaknesses but also work hard towards making their lives. For this reason, it is revealed that no character has been lampooned. Lastly, some viewers might find it hard to believe that the director chose to have a happy end in order to play it straight.

I find nothing more baffling than the "success" of Amos Kollek. I put success in quotations because it's in relative terms - Thankfully unknown in the US (and best known in his home country for being the son of someone), he appears to have developed a following in France and perhaps Germany as well.

They seem to find something endearing about his low-budget indie features that begin with 1997's SUE. A quick glance at Kollek's filmography makes one realize that he was, at that point, a B-movie filmmaker whose career was going nowhere when he decided to jump on the indie bandwagon about a half decade too late and take his own stab at no-budget "gritty" indie films set in New York. I actually happened to see his first film, 1985's GOODBYE, NEW YORK - a horrible stab at comedy that makes most Israeli films from the 80's look good in comparison (a feat in and of itself).

QUEENIE IN LOVE is horrendously written, incompetently filmed, and badly acted. The plot setup is a middle-aged man's fantasy (here's to you, Kollek) and the way it plays out is even worse. Kollek shows no understanding of the New York milieu he films in yet Europeans praise his films for their local authenticity.

Many things can be said about the slightly bizarre taste of the French. But at least Jerry Lewis had some deranged talent. And Mickey Rourke? Well, he's Mickey Rourke. But Amos Kollek? You have to be kidding me.

It's the kind of movie you take in and you're pleased to watched it because it's lovely acted and the directing is accurately in line with the story. It's also well-written and there are some good laughs round the corner. In fact Amos Kollek manages to dissolve the bitterness and that makes it all the more striking.

Eventually one of my friends called it pointless since the development is good but reaching an end more difficult. If you're an out-of-towner you may find the messed-up characters over the top. The humanity they stand for is quite universal but most remains personal in a way only single Jews in big US cities will feel touched.

A good movie for its film qualities but too personal a context for me to find it even better. When it comes to proselytism it's rather highbrow.