FILM
LGBTQ Films to Watch in December
Close out the year with these queer fi lms
BY GARY M. KRAMER
December is all about
the holidays, but for
folks who want LGBTQ
stories that are not holiday
focused, there are a handful
of new (and old) fi lms to stream in
the fi nal month of the year.
One In a Thousand
The romantic drama “One in a
Thousand,” (on VOD November 30)
from Argentina, immerses viewers
in the world of Iris (Sofi a Cabrera),
a teenager who becomes enamored
with and pursues Renata (Ana Carolina
García). The young women
eventually meet on a bus and soon
start hanging out together. Iris,
however, has heard a rumor from
a friend that Renata is living with
HIV. How these two young women
navigate their relationship — Iris is
tentative — forms most of writer/
director Clarisa Navas’ meandering
fi lm. Although not much happens,
“One in a Thousand” is quite
compelling. There are interesting
subplots involving Iris’ gay cousins,
Darío (a scene-stealing Mauricio
Vila) and Ale (Luis Molina), who also
grapple with their sexuality. Watching
these youths care for each other
is gratifying. This low-key fi lm,
which is set in the projects, provides
a strong sense of place as it
depicts its LGBTQ characters with
humanity and compassion.
Tomboy
The Criterion Channel is focusing
on the “female gaze” this
month. Among the titles by and
Ana Carolina García and Sofi a Cabrera In “One In a Thousand.”
about LGBTQ fi lmmakers is “Tomboy,”
out director Céline Sciamma’s
absorbing character study about
Laure (Zoé Héran), a young girl
who passes herself off as Michaël,
after moving to a new home. “He”
befriends Lisa (Jeanne Disson) as
well as the neighborhood boys.
While Laure’s mother (Sophie Cattani)
is pleased at her daughter’s
female friendship, she is unaware
of Laure’s deception. Sciamma’s
observational approach to the drama
is refreshing; “Tomboy” never
judges the characters and Héran
gives a remarkable, natural performance
in the title role.
The Miseducation of
Cameron Post
The gaining of self-knowledge
is at the heart of “The Miseducation
of Cameron Post,” bisexual
fi lmmaker Desiree Akhavan’s bittersweet
adaptation of Emily M.
ARIZTICAL ENTERTAINMENT
Danforth’s novel about a teen forging
her independence in the face of
repression. Cameron (Chloë Grace
Moretz) is sent to God’s Promise, a
gay conversion therapy center after
being caught making out with Coley
(Quinn Shephard). Thrust into
a world she resists, Cameron copes
by bonding with two like-minded
teens. The strength of Akhavan’s
fi lm is that it presents its characters
authentically and sympathetically.
Silent Night
“Silent Night” may be set at
Christmas, but it is not exactly
cheerful fare. Four couples — including
lesbians Bella (Lucy Punch)
and Alex (Kirby Howell-Baptiste)
— gather together for the holiday
to eat, drink, and be merry, because
tomorrow they are all going
to die from a poison gas. The setup
allows the friends, most of whom
met at university, to reveal things
about their love lives, and their regrets.
They also tease each other,
dance together, and puncture egos
as tensions mount. The kids are
also quite foul-mouthed. The fi lm
starts off with some amusing banter,
but it gets more serious and
emotional over time. One key subplot
has Art not keen to take the
pill, which leads to some dramatic
and moral moments. “Silent Night”
is well played the entire cast, but
Davis is the standout.
Coalesce
“Coalesce,” (on VOD December
14) is writer/director Jessé Miceli’s
atmospheric feature debut set in
Cambodia. The fi lm tells three stories
of economic despair that ultimately
converge. Songsa (Songsa
Sek) is a shy, sensitive young boy
who heads to Phnom Penh to sell
clothes out of a tuk-tuk. Thy (Rithy
Rom) takes a job at a gay bar and
joins a motorcycle club. Phearum
(Phearun Eang) is a taxicab driver
with a wife and a huge debt. Each
character faces pressures by others
and experiences reversals of fortune
as they try to fulfi ll their dreams.
Playdurizm
Two fi lms by Turkish fi lmmakers
are also out December 14.
“Playdurizm” had Demir (director
Gem Deger) waking up with amnesia
in a brightly colored room with
balloons and a pet pig. It turns out
Andrew (Austin Chunn), an actor
Demir idolizes, and his girlfriend
Drew (Issy Stewart), live there —
and now Demir does too. Drew is
threatened by Demir’s attraction
to Andrew, a man who “fl ickers
like a bad TV.” What is really going
on here? Deger slowly reveals
how Demir’s fantasy collides with
reality as a trauma has catapulted
him into this too-good-to-be-true
situation. “Playdurizm” is ambitious
and stylish, but viewers will
either be fascinated or frustrated
by this wild fi lm.
Not Knowing
The engaging drama “Not Knowing”
has teenager Umut (Emir
Özden) being bullied by his water
polo teammates who think he is gay.
But Umut is not saying — because
he feels it is irrelevant. While he is
stressed out, his parents are struggling
with other issues. His father
Sinan (Yurdaer Okur) is grappling
with changes in his workplace, and
his mother Selma (Senan Kara) is
contesting a will. But it is Umut’s
future that becomes the focus. The
fi lm, written and directed by Leyla
Yilmaz, wisely allows Umut’s undeclared
sexual identity to be the
thing that reveals the true nature
— and morality — of the other characters
who either feel threatened by
or accepting of the fact that Umut
might be gay. As the story comes
to a head, Yilmaz delivers a quietly
powerful ending.
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