Best day over here in Ireland.
Meanwhile it seems St Patrick is on our side in the 6 Nations too seeing as we are looking to win against England, which if we do, we are the Grand Slam winners. It is still early but things are looking good so far.
Fingers crossed!
First Girl I Loved
It can’t be helped dear Readers, it can’t be helped! This is The HANDMAIDEN we are talking about here! Of course every other movie released in 2016 (Except 1) was over-shadowed by Ahgassi!
It can’t be helped!
So you will forgive me for completely over-looking this movie that came out in the same year, right? In fact I actually remember seeing this already as I was watching it this time. Seriously, 2016 was just not friendly to movies that were not the big two! Now of course the other one was not talked about here but anywhere else, hohoho. Two movies took over my life in 2016 that anything else just had no chance.
This is one of them!
Seeing what type of movie this is actually just goes to show how important those ‘two’ movies are to me. I mean this here is actually quite my cup of tea. It does not have a GOOD END but really, my Ten Commandments have only a few on it that actually have a GOOD END! I don’t care what type of END I get as long as the story there was worth it!
And dear Reader was this story here worth it! I mean when you look at it from the surface, it is something we have seen many times before in gay movies. That one most important reason that ships never make it – FEAR! Fear from society, fear from family and friends and fear from within oneself! But where most other movies that deny our couple a GOOD END, this one here put in the effort and delivered those causes for fear quite expertly.
Seriously, I don’t think there was a moment in this movie were I rolled my eyes at how cliché a decision was. Now this of course doesn’t mean that I could escape some negative feelings towards Sasha (Brianna) for the way she was treating Anne. Nope! There were moments there that I think were un-called for and really, Anne was just so lovable in her efforts and despite also being just as fragile and vulnerable as Sasha!
Really, Anne (Dylan) had the most on her plate because she came out in the end and I think that takes more effort and risk than to keep hiding and avoid. Now for sure her Mom was one in a dime so I guess the fact that she was behind her daughter did help Anne in pushing through everything but still, I think we can all agree that the most pain she felt was not from the ‘coming out’ side of things but rather from heartbreak.
That scene at school towards the end was just so powerfully emotional, put together with such masterly, acted so well from all parties that I just…I can’t…Ah there goes the tears again!
Everything was out on the table (well done Dick, you redeemed yourself in that scene) and it was a make or break for Sasha. Now of course when I said I felt a bit of anger towards Sasha, this was not the moment. Not at all. Those were earlier and the way she treated Anne then but here, I understood her position!
Everyone played their part so well. Despite Sasha’s Mom coming off as a complete Bitch, you totally understand her side, especially since Sasha supported her case with keeping quiet. Meanwhile Sasha was at a crossroad. She is a promising athletee, her family is obviously very homophobic and she has a lot of weight on her shoulders. You get a sense of this way early on when the two first meet for that school project at Sasha’s home. So she can’t just come out and say she is gay and in love with Anne!
Meanwhile on the other side of ring, Anne’s heart is on the line. This is it. The moment where all the pain Sasha has caused her since the dance would fly away once Sasha admitted that she loved Anne too. Right in front of everyone. Their parents, their teachers, their Dick. Surprisingly Anne’s Mom actually did not even know of any of this until that meeting so for her to come to Anne’s rescue despite the info dump really showcases her motherly love. But really, is it so different from Sasha’s Mom’s love? Anne’s Mom was in the dark about everything, she brought up Anne as a carefree spirit meanwhile Sasha was different.
Then there is the other side, the observer’s side with Dick. Dick knows that Anne loves Sasha, he took their photo of them together so he knows Sasha loves Anne too. He tries to tell everyone that Sasha loves Anne but she is denying it. He sees her denying her heart and sees his best friend Anne being torn to shreds because of it and the Adults that don’t understand the weight of it all. He tries but with Sasha not budging and her Mom being on fire in her support, well, things don’t go anywhere positive.
That moment where Anne’s Mom decided she had had enough and leaves with Anne, the moment where Anne looks back at Sasha one last time, begging her with her soul to say something, to say it, the desperation of hope and then you look at Sasha across the room, her eyes kind of (not sure if bad acting or great acting to seal her emotions from those present) filled with sorrow and cruel fate she can’t fight against, before she turns away from Anne, from true happiness, from her other half, because her life is more than just hers.
God, I am trying so hard not to cry right now just remembering everything!
So let’s switch gears instead. let’s talk about the good, in fact let’s go for the best…
THAT KISS!
Oh! My! God! That kiss should make everyone’s list, in the Top 10 for all time Best Kisses! That kiss was just so grand! I don’t even know how many times they separated for air before diving back in for more! The way their lips would stretch as if they too did not want to let go just yet as Anne and Sasha separated, the different angles, the lighting….perfection!
And let’s not forget Anne’s reaction after said kiss. Seriously, I am shocked she did not collapse on that dance floor once they were done! And Sasha, so Alpha as all hell >.<
What a Kiss!
And so after the jump, now you know why there will be so many kiss caps…it was magical!
Speaking of jump, time to do just that.
Ja…
See this ship dear Readers?
Well, if you don’t know about this new series ‘The Burden of Truth’ then stop and go watch the six episodes already out!
Well, that is if you have a condition that I have, where I sometimes ship the wrong couple and that in the end ends up making me care less about the actual couple when things get rolling!
And lo and behold, yes, I did it again this time! I totally fell for the wrong ship and I just got burned so hard that even if the real ship is actually cute, I don’t give a single tick about it!
No seriously, I don’t care at all for Luna/Molly (The ship in the opening caps)! Yes, I know the possibility of Luna/Joanna happening, given the development later on and the age thing between the character are slim but damn it, there was great potential there! Seriously, there were vibes everywhere and when Luna was outed as a lesbian I was so ready for some serious drama later on when things pick up steam and she falls for Joanna and then even more steam were they to go through with the secret given the gay route!
But once again I gave these shows more credibility than they are actually worth!
HA, an American Canadian show to tackle not only a lesbian relationship with the main character but one with a much younger partner who later ends up being her step sister?! Yeah, like that will ever happen!
But damn it, the magic was there! The threads were there! Had they gotten the guts, and I believe I am not the only one, Luna/Joanna had the potential to steal 2018, and the year has started off on a strong start already! But instead we got that beta ship in Molly/Joanna! No seriously, I can’t even equate how so uninterested I am in that ship. I really don’t think I am the only one too. I mean no one has suggested this ship to me yet and we are already on episode 6 with those two having had a great deal of good moments already!
Now, of course I know the implications here but then don’t go teasing like that! And worse still the secret was outed in just a single episode! They threw out the potential drama with Luna still developing feelings towards Joanna since she doesn’t know but Joanna knows then even more material for better drama down the road when Luna finds out they are related…
Everything was there and yet all gone to waste…Where are Asian Creators when you need them? And yet another show getting dumped for lack of guts. This is 2018, I am not going to take every single bread crumb thrown my way anymore!
Have a good day…
LAIKA ライカ
YES!
Another collaboration between Japan and another country?! You betcha I am so there for this! The last time we had a similar collab it was with France and as you remember we got ourselves a hidden gem in FLARE! I already know this is going to be good! I already know I am going to cry like a baby! I already know this movie is going to look absolutely stunning! And I also already know the chances of a Blu-ray of this are very slim…
Sigh
Just like FLARE, LAIKA is also titled after our main girl and in this case it is Laika, played by Miyajima Sae who went from a theatre actress to winning best Newcomer Award for this movie. Our other girl meanwhile is played by multi-talented Kseniya Alistratova – skilled in dance, piano, skating, skiing and so much more.
Also just like FLARE there seems to be promise of some real serious drama in this movie that is so desperately missing in most Hollywood movies but really, I guess that is why Indie Films like this one exist – To keep Art alive!
But really, those two words ‘TABOO’ and ‘LOVE’ already had me salivating at this movie so…
Any who, this just basically finished its cinema run so the wait for that DVD is going to be torturous! But you know how the saying goes – Good things come to those who…
I’ll be waiting!
Oh that’s just great! Another Crazy Lesbian cliché, like we haven’t gotten enough of those already! What is this, 2014!!?!
Oh wait…
Wait, wait, wait! Is that really Lucy Frikkin Griffiths and Cassidy Freeman acting in a ‘gay’ movie?! No way! I don’t believe it! I have seen the movie but I still don’t believe it!
And really if I am being honest, the first reason I even considered watching this (that crazy part turns me off so hard) is because of these two, especially Lucy! I don’t know what it is about her features but women with those features are my jam! Lucy, Rachel Weisz and Jennifer Connelly! Those three women have something in common about their features that every time I watch a movie they are in I can’t seem to get them out of my head!
What is it about them?!
Lucy plays Nora, our mysterious main character who moves back into her grandmother’s house after her passing and leaving it to her to help her get over her writer’s block. Over there she bumps into a traveller in our other woman Peyton, even more mysterious than Nora and turns out to be no so crazy, actually, not crazy at all! The movie came out in 2014! Which begs the question, what’s with the opening line then?!
Well, while Peyton may not be crazy, in the end anyway. Up until then she was presented as being crazy, she was taking pills for crying out loud and she had these moments that are a staple in crazy characters as they gradually lose their grasp on reality!
And not just her! Nora too had signs but hers were so well hidden, and I commend the movie for this – I was really fooled on that one. But she too had signs. Hell, the movie opens with her talking to a psychiatrist! The person who recommends her to go back to her grandmother’s house!
Seeing as you came to read this, and I pretty sire you are not new here, and if you are new here is the deal – All movies I share my thoughts on, their posts are filled with spoilers because I need to say things as they are! With that out of the way, this movie tries! It really tries! I mean, I was not expecting something even remotely close to what we got with this cast so really, I am happy but still, it only tried!
The story too we have seen before! The writer and director only managed to hide the threads a bit deeper than usual but it is always in the back of your mind – the twist! They keep pushing for the Peyton is crazy narrative until the very last moments so your brain is kind of stopped from grasping onto the inevitable twist but you still can feel it, if you are paying attention!
And that twist is that it is actually our main character Nora who is crazy! Rarely do you see main characters being the crazy ones, most especially in Lesbian movies! You just know that expendable secondary character will be the crazy one so that the writers have the excuse of erasing her from existence after striking fear in girls and women all over the world with the narrative that lesbians are crazy people!
I guess I should give them another point here since if you think of Nora as straight then that means the straight one was the crazy one this time? But was Peyton really a lesbian? I mean the real Peyton! Is she even still alive!?!
Lost? Well, let’s get back to the story! You find out in the twist, that happens like I said towards the very end, that Nora is crazy. Peyton was not here with her in her life at all. She was just a figment of her imagination! But it was hidden so well that I felt like clapping that they managed to fool me! At the end you see it – Nora who had her hair down, once Peyton disappears and we finally see Nora for what she is, she is wearing her hair exactly like how Peyton had had it just moments before she disappeared.
We then find out that Peyton was a woman who was in Nora’s childhood when she was still living with her Grandmother. Peyton was a either a teacher or a guide, I am not sure but she was only in Nora’s life when she was still young! So the Peyton we have been seeing with her all throughout the movie was not real!
So then, what does it all mean? What does Peyton’s advances towards Nora mean? If Nora is using her as comfort in her troubled adult life it means that Peyton did not do something bad to her as a child. Does it mean that Nora has had a crush on that woman from her childhood all this time?! Does it mean Nora is gay?!
But of course the fact that she re-flames with a guy from her childhood and they even have sex will have other dismiss that idea. At the very least they will think she was Bi! And maybe she is but she sure had more passion with Peyton than she did the Guy! I mean she watched one night as Peyton had some with a guy. Then she did not react at all when Peyton one morning came up being Nora’s flame and kissed him in front of Nora without the guy noticing that it was someone else! Then they have a fight and the jealousy card comes up and Peyton incredulously asks “You think I want him?!” to which Nora answers “I think you want me!”
Nay, Nora is super gay!
They really hard some cute moments too that I am sure there is lots of FanFiction of…if people did not hate the ‘trying’ part of this movie so much! I mean I understand why the community would not like this movie. Hell, even the kiss was in the ‘trying’ category! After the failed attempt of Peyton kissing Nora in the woods, Nora comes over to her room to apologise for before saying that she had never been with another woman (oohh)! Peyton silences her with a finger on a lip first then leaning in and kissing her…over the finger! And so, while it actually doesn’t look effective because their lips are totally touching, the mere fact that there is something between their lips is a turn off!
And while I too frowned a bit at that, I still took the two positive things away from that scene! The first thing is the fact that Nora came over to apologise! How many times have you seen a crush coming over to apologise for turning away from a kiss or reacting badly to it?! I most definitely have not! Usually it is the kisser that apologises. Either that or things turn real awkward real fast and some use that as fuel for drama and eventual ‘lesbian shut-down!
The other part is the actual kiss itself! The finger thing is actually cute and followed with the smile Nora gives after the kiss, but most importantly her reaction after where she trips on her descent down the stairs, those moments make up for the ‘trying’ to me!
Other cute moments include Peyton’s reaction to being allowed to be Nora’s roommate, the two going shopping, Peyton always being their for Nora as her knight, the woods scene, Peyton’s hugs and so much more!
Such great yuri moments but in the end…all just potential. Wasted potential!
But, I already said I am on a mission to be positive so I look at this as just a snapshot of Nora’s life! it doesn’t matter i they lasted for hours, months,years. The fact is that they happened! Ten years later things are different? Who cares, it is happening now! It has happened! it is and will always be, this moment in time that they are together!
What we see in the movie is a snapshot. We see that snapshot because it is unforgettable! It is the most important in Nora’s life and will always be.
I guess what I am trying to say ere is that…I will take it! I mean this is Lucy we are talking about here and it is a main character too. This is more than I expected so I appreciate the ‘trying’ here.
And really, this was 2014 – The Pre-Handmaiden era! Don’t Look Back gets a pass and I recommend it if you have not seen it yet!
百合 Fever 