I Can't Think Straight

The absolutely gorgeous Indian actress Lisa Ray (Vancouver critics named her Best Actress for Water) plays Tala, an upper class Jordanian of Palestinian origin, whose family lives in London, and who is about to get married.

She meets Leyla, played by Sheetal Sheth, the first Indian-American actress to appear in Maxim. She plays an Indian Muslim who also lives in London.

Clearly, the casting of the leads is meant to appeal to audiences that wouldn't normally watch a lesbian film, even one that is billed as a romantic comedy. They are both accomplished actresses, but they are also very attractive.

Not only do we get a film about becoming aware of one's sexual identity, but one about Arabs and Jews, Christians and Muslims, and, most importantly, family and acceptance.

Leyla tells her parents that she is gay. Her mother flips out, but her father is extremely supportive. Tala calls off, what is it her 5th, wedding, but does not immediately tell why. The family is used to her changing her mind at the last minute.

When she does, the maid (Nina Wadia) does a little dance, as the mother treats her so badly that she spits in her antacid when she brings it.

You knew how it was going to end, but the journey was a real pleasure.

It's PG-13, so there won't be any nudity, just kissing and touching.

I recently saw this movie screened at USC. Since I was going for extra credit in a gender studies class, I expected it to be awful. I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. The only issue I had with it was an awkward transition from Tala's engagement party to the first scene with Leyla. Overall, the movie was very entertaining, with well developed characters and plot, while at the same time dealing with the issues lesbians face in different cultures in a very effective manner. I strongly recommend this movie to anyone with an open mind and a sense of humor.

9/10.

Out of many movies made on the theme of lesbianism, this stands out as one of the best..

It compels the viewers to think what after all is so very wrong with lesbianism,, what is so unpardonable in companionship and romantic relation between two grown up ladies.. Isn't physical contact between a male and a female about mutual satisfaction and procreation.. The present day society does not look with cynicism the capable couples who choose adaption to procreation .. In fact the society now encourages it and praises it..

The issue of course may not be so simple.. The importance of social and religious values have to be respected.. But love, as everybody agrees, is much more than sex..

The more famed Lisa Ray as Tala is definitely gorgeous.. But Sheetal Seth as Leyla is much more impressive .. Acting by both is good.. Intimate scenes by the ladies are well filmed and not overdone .. The emotional scenes are great.. the religious issues can hardly be handled properly, in a limited movie that is mainly meant to emphasize the relevance of woman-woman relation.. Photography is good.. Dialogues could have been better..

A must see for all people who either advocate or resent such relation..

While I'm sure that the vast majority of male viewers of this film will have come to it because of how easy on the eye the two lead actresses are, but for me I came to it because I had heard that it was a quite charming little film about culture clashes and coming out. From the outset there is certainly a degree of charm that comes with the rather glossy sheen on the total production and certainly the performances are mostly geared towards "light" material rather than anything too complex. It also, having an autobiographical content, comes over as warmly sympathetic to the two protagonists – a feeling that it easily allows the viewer to share. However, none of this is enough to make it as good as it could have been, mainly because of the problems with the material.

The film is very short and this combines with some awful dialogue to make everything feel very superficial. While some of the scenes between Tala and Leyla are touching and intimate, some of them have all the subtly and realism of set-up dialogue in a p0rn film. Leyla is well done as more reserved and laid back but Tala is too forward and rushed, making everything happen suddenly without any indication that either of the two women are having any sort of inner though process at all. I was surprised because I had heard some good things about it but at times I was half expecting one of the characters to start saying things like "oh, my, look my shirt has come undone" and other clunky lines – truth be told it is sometimes not far from that.

This does really hurt the film but not alone – "helping" it alone is also a lack of real development in the characters and situations themselves. Everything is little more than words and I never got the sense of much below the surface – again surprising since the film is supposed to be based on the maker's real life experiences. Perhaps because of this, the performances tend towards being a bit wooden and really only manage to do more because of the performers themselves. Sheth is probably the stronger of the lead two because she has the most vulnerability to her character and is on the most interesting journey; she does this well. Ray is not so good. Her performance plays thinks too strong and confident and there is no discovery to her, no small steps and no real sign of anything going on below the surface. Together they make a very attractive couple but their performances and their dialogue limits their chemistry. The supporting cast are mostly pretty stiff and unconvincing, hurting the narrative but also fudging the occasional attempts at humour.

Overall I Can't Think Straight is a nice idea that is done with a certain amount of charm, but not enough to cover the problems with it. The lack of depth and complexity (even in basic ways) are what hurts it because it turns what could have been an interesting and touching film into one that is overwhelmingly superficial in its design and delivery. Still a nice film but could and could have been so much more.

This film is light hearted and visually appealing. Though the dialogue could have been better, it was a good attempt. Sadly, women from such cultures often pay a heavy price for being true to themselves. I didn't think the family's reactions were realistic. Some families disown their kids and even punish them with honor killings, even in the West.