Loving Annabelle

After hearing the "buzz" surrounding this movie, I finally got my chance to see Loving Annabelle at its premiere in San Jose this weekend (hooray for my girlfriend for scoring tickets to the sold out show!) I've never written a review before but I really dig this movie, so I will do my best! My initial reaction after watching was....they finally got it right, more specifically, writer Katherine Brooks got it right.

I've never really been a fan of "lesbian" movies because I could never get into the story lines or characters; they've all seemed a bit over the top. The only movie I could actually relate to up until now was "All Over Me" If you haven't seen it...go rent it!! Loving Annabelle is such a straightforward love story that fortunately doesn't involve lesbian circus performers or travelin' hippie painters. It's an amazing, well-written story that I can relate to being the product of Catholic schooling. The best part...the super hot sex scene! Now, now yes it was HOT but I loved it because like the movie, it to was straightforward, passionate, necessary. Thank god there weren't any crazy camera angles, I mean lesbians have sex!! so thank you Katherine Brooks for not showing just a hand run up and down a body...that would have been sooo boring and unrealistic!! I give this movie 2 thumbs way up for giving me something I can relate to, for being such a straightforward story about love, letting go, putting happiness first, etc.

Now as an added bonus, since it was the premiere I was able to nervously chat with writer/director Katherine Brooks and the 2 leads (ALL HOT by the way) and they were all so super cool so it makes the movie that much more enjoyable

After having watched so many lesbian films and being utterly disappointed with the majority of them, it was a relief to sit through "Loving Annabelle." The story touches the heart and is an incredible intro for Katherine Brooks into what I hope will be a long, fruitful career as a Writer/Director for feature films. She takes a controversial subject and handles it well without compromising reality. I am grateful for her courage not to take the easy way out. It sets a standard I hope other film makers are willing to step up to.The excellent cast and direction make this a very memorable viewing experience.

The look of Loving Annabelle is very classic. The 35mm film looks glossy and the colors are crisp. The film LOOKS pretty. The story also has a classic 3-act structure and is very well-written. These traditional aspects are really interesting to note since the subject of the film is rather modern. The "unconventional" love story turns many notions on their heads: student-teacher sexual relations; the possible effects of a Catholic school upbringing or environment on an individual; and same-sex love, if anyone out there is still bigoted enough to take offense to that.

What I liked about the film was that it was character-driven, and not plot-driven. The emotional growth of the characters took center stage to the possibly sensational aspects. I felt carried along the storyline without any forced-ness or jumps in thought. The plot line was smooth, and had enough twists and turns to keep me from knowing what would happen next. I totally identified with the main characters and cared about them (individually) very deeply besides my interest in whether or not they would get together.

The look of the film, the quality of the story, and the TERRIFIC acting (both Annabelle and Simone are perfectly cast) give Loving Annabelle the depth and sheen of a much higher-budget film. (Though the emotional resonance of the story makes talking about budgets almost crass.) The music is also terrific. The soundtrack would be great to listen to as its own entity. This is the film that I've most enjoyed in a long time and have recommended it highly to anyone who will listen to me since I first saw it.

Loving Annabelle is so intense that it is real. The on screen chemistry between Erin Kelly and Diane Giadry is undeniable. Every glance, every touch is heart felt and passionate. You can not help who you fall in love with and this movie is a great love story. Phenomenal and sensual! It is hard to believe that Erin has been on this project for over four years, and Diane a mere three days before shooting. When you put your heart and mind into a script you become that character, when you kiss or dance or touch with that character you are becoming them. Erin and Diane became their characters and the intensity became great chemistry and passion. I have watched this movie several times and each time in draws me in closer. Love is powerful and when it hits you, you have no control.

This is an excellent lesbian film. The performances are really good, though the storyline could have used a bit more enhancement. I felt that it began too quickly and ended too abruptly. It seemed as though the interest between the teacher and student was just suddenly thrust upon us without enough development. Then I felt that there was not enough time developing their relationship before it ended. Still, it was a very beautiful and enjoyable movie. The cinematography is gorgeous and the soundtrack is superb. I highly recommend this film if you enjoyed "Summer of Love" or "All Over Me", as it reminded me a lot of these films.