A Garota

I actually liked this movie a lot. It was last feature (for me) at the Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. The singing by Claire Keim was also a surprise and I would like to hear more of her singing. The audience were impatient at the pace Worth seeing and there was a lot of nervous laughter in places but for those that understood what the story was trying to tell it was refreshingly different from all the other items in festival. Worth seeing especially for the lighting the colours and the lovely shots of the Seine.

I have absolutely never ever felt like leaving during a film I was watching in the cinema - bar this one. I couldn't stand the pacing up and down the Seine. This film is pretentious in its aim to appear arty and fails dismally in its eager to engage the audience (at least this viewer) with a thin lesbian story line of attraction and jealousy. The main characters remain cardboard figures, no real emotions at stake at any point. Very few directors have managed to create an erotic and sensual atmosphere between two women. I can think of only four: Patricia Rozema (When Night is Falling), Andy/Larry Wachowski (Bound), David Lynch (Mulholland Drive) and Lukas Moodyson (Show Me Love). But of course, it's a matter of taste - or perhaps I've been missing something?

9/9 7:00 pm THE GIRL (**1/2)

Sexy but thin lesbian love story. Male characters are silent which is very effective. The decidedly feminine pace is refreshingly unsettling. On hand for the Q & A after this world premiere were director Sande Zeig, producer Dolly Hall, writer Monique Wittig and actress Agathe de la Boulaye who told an amazing story about how a couple of drunken yahoos became completely lost when her butch yet slightly fem character emerged from her trailer. Agathe's performance was remarkably patient which was a nice change from the obsession usually depicted in these kinds of stories.

A strikingly bad movie. Poor plot, screenplay, acting, editing, etc. Even the sex scenes weren't very good; even though she is frequently squirming in bed with The Girl, you see nothing of the narrator below the shoulders (although The Girl is prominently displayed). You could say that the silence of the other characters was a plot device, but I suspect it was to save money (actors who speak have to be paid more). I saw it with a theater full of lesbians, and everyone was laughing at how stupid the lines and acting were.

Don't be fooled by the "USA" attribution, this is a typical French film - trying to put deep thoughts in a film with no plot development and one-dimensional characters. If you liked "Irma Vep", you'll love this.

I loved this movie. It is very artistic and honest. Ms. Zeig seems to want to express an understanding and deep love between two people - a "no matter what" kind of love. I think she does that with the painter and her muse. Although the singer seems a little new to acting natural at times, the chemistry between the two is evident.