Day: September 24, 2021

What makes a good gay film? We’re so used to the predictability of mainstream queer cinema featuring that tired sub-genre of the lesbian period drama (two more white women in petticoats yearning to hold hands by the beach – they might kiss!). Or, the abundance of more contemporary, over-exaggerated interpretations of campy gay men covered in glitter (who also do drag). Or, at worst, the tired yet long-standing ‘bury your gays’ pop culture trope, which has LGBTQ+ characters in film and TV dying or having unhappy endings at a disproportionate rate – a symptom of sensationalising queer trauma.

Marley Morrison’s feature writing and directorial debut follows none of those clichés. Sweetheart marks an authentic account of the murky, counterintuitive waters of the queer experience and eros in adolescence, following the 17-year-old AJ (Nell Barlow) as she pines for a space of independence and self-expression. AJ is dragged to a tacky British seaside resort for a family holiday, complete with the type of amateur entertainment acts and sunburnt British holidaymakers to turn a teenager’s worst nightmare into a reality. Bored and socially awkward, in her signature red aviator sunglasses, bucket hat and baggy clothes, AJ’s narration can be annoying/jarring at times, but it’s hard not to root for her.

Morrison isn’t interested in adding yet another coming out story to to the queer canon and instead explores AJ’s endeavour to be the fully realised version of her queer self. She becomes captivated by the dreamy figure of Isla (Ella-Rae Smith), a flirty yet impulsive 18-year-old lifeguard who works at the resort. Moments of discomfort, tenderness and eroticism become subject to predictability, with AJ’s angst-filled outbursts being a staple of the teen ‘dramedy’ genre.

Isla tells AJ: “It’s the best thing about being on holiday, right? You get to be whoever you want to be”. The chemistry between the two girls is palpable, and it’s refreshing to see a lesbian coming-of-age story that gives more of a focus to the characters’ intricacies and personal battles, rather than any overarching sexual tension. If Morrison strays from clichés, she certainly manages to capture the awkward dynamics of existing as a queer person in a heteronormative environment. Although we know that AJ doesn’t feel like she belongs, there’s no controversy surrounding her sexuality.

Sweetheart doesn’t rely on traumatic storylines and narratives of victimhood to make its audience care about AJ. Her journey isn’t straightforward in any way, but it’s instead relevant and reflective of the queer Gen Z experience. Sometimes there is no resolution. Things stay messy, and that’s okay.

What makes a good gay film? We’re so used to the predictability of mainstream queer cinema featuring that tired sub-genre of the lesbian period drama (two more white women in petticoats yearning to hold hands by the beach – they might kiss!). Or, the abundance of more contemporary, over-exaggerated interpretations of campy gay men covered in glitter (who also do drag). Or, at worst, the tired yet long-standing ‘bury your gays’ pop culture trope, which has LGBTQ+ characters in film and TV dying or having unhappy endings at a disproportionate rate – a symptom of sensationalising queer trauma.

Marley Morrison’s feature writing and directorial debut follows none of those clichés. Sweetheart marks an authentic account of the murky, counterintuitive waters of the queer experience and eros in adolescence, following the 17-year-old AJ (Nell Barlow) as she pines for a space of independence and self-expression. AJ is dragged to a tacky British seaside resort for a family holiday, complete with the type of amateur entertainment acts and sunburnt British holidaymakers to turn a teenager’s worst nightmare into a reality. Bored and socially awkward, in her signature red aviator sunglasses, bucket hat and baggy clothes, AJ’s narration can be annoying/jarring at times, but it’s hard not to root for her.

Morrison isn’t interested in adding yet another coming out story to to the queer canon and instead explores AJ’s endeavour to be the fully realised version of her queer self. She becomes captivated by the dreamy figure of Isla (Ella-Rae Smith), a flirty yet impulsive 18-year-old lifeguard who works at the resort. Moments of discomfort, tenderness and eroticism become subject to predictability, with AJ’s angst-filled outbursts being a staple of the teen ‘dramedy’ genre.

Isla tells AJ: “It’s the best thing about being on holiday, right? You get to be whoever you want to be”. The chemistry between the two girls is palpable, and it’s refreshing to see a lesbian coming-of-age story that gives more of a focus to the characters’ intricacies and personal battles, rather than any overarching sexual tension. If Morrison strays from clichés, she certainly manages to capture the awkward dynamics of existing as a queer person in a heteronormative environment. Although we know that AJ doesn’t feel like she belongs, there’s no controversy surrounding her sexuality.

Sweetheart doesn’t rely on traumatic storylines and narratives of victimhood to make its audience care about AJ. Her journey isn’t straightforward in any way, but it’s instead relevant and reflective of the queer Gen Z experience. Sometimes there is no resolution. Things stay messy, and that’s okay.

With the fall film festivals either wrapped up or soon to be, the ever-lengthening Oscar prognostication season has officially begun. With so many major titles still yet to be seen, there’s not much to bank on at present, with one significant exception: Kristen Stewart’s widely praised performance as Princess Diana in Pablo Larraín’s latest feature Spencer.

Today, the general public got a taste of what’s positioned Stewart as a frontrunner with the full trailer for the upcoming film, which shows her Lady Di running the emotional gamut. Also, just plain running – a dash across the grounds of the Sandringham Estate, haute couture be damned, forms the climax of the clip below.

We join an unraveling Diana around Christmas in 1991, with her marriage to Prince Charles (Jack Farthing) in its death throes and media attention bearing down on her slight shoulders heavier than ever. Despite the support of her right-hand woman Maggie (Sally Hawkins), she’s apprehensive about severing ties with a powerful family, their influence wielded in a rather sinister manner by the Equerry Major Gregory (Timothy Spall).

In his review out of the premiere at the Venice Film Festival, man-on-the-scene David Jenkins wasn’t so taken with the film, describing the writing as “often witless and banal, leaving Larraín and the actors to heroically milk the drama from a string of interactions that are either overstuffed with ‘meaning,’ or just deathly dull.” He went on to add that “the film operates as if it has stumbled onto box-fresh insights, which in turn leaves you waiting to discover what the real take is. And it never comes.”

Even with the notices on the more mixed side of positive, Spencer has already commanded a lot of attention and asserted itself as a key piece of the year’s remaining movie calendar. Stewart has worked with world-renowned auteurs and earned critical esteem from even the most skeptical corners; an Oscar is the last cap-feather still eluding her, for who knows how much longer.

Spencer comes to cinemas in the UK and US on 5 November. 

With the fall film festivals either wrapped up or soon to be, the ever-lengthening Oscar prognostication season has officially begun. With so many major titles still yet to be seen, there’s not much to bank on at present, with one significant exception: Kristen Stewart’s widely praised performance as Princess Diana in Pablo Larraín’s latest feature Spencer.

Today, the general public got a taste of what’s positioned Stewart as a frontrunner with the full trailer for the upcoming film, which shows her Lady Di running the emotional gamut. Also, just plain running – a dash across the grounds of the Sandringham Estate, haute couture be damned, forms the climax of the clip below.

We join an unraveling Diana around Christmas in 1991, with her marriage to Prince Charles (Jack Farthing) in its death throes and media attention bearing down on her slight shoulders heavier than ever. Despite the support of her right-hand woman Maggie (Sally Hawkins), she’s apprehensive about severing ties with a powerful family, their influence wielded in a rather sinister manner by the Equerry Major Gregory (Timothy Spall).

In his review out of the premiere at the Venice Film Festival, man-on-the-scene David Jenkins wasn’t so taken with the film, describing the writing as “often witless and banal, leaving Larraín and the actors to heroically milk the drama from a string of interactions that are either overstuffed with ‘meaning,’ or just deathly dull.” He went on to add that “the film operates as if it has stumbled onto box-fresh insights, which in turn leaves you waiting to discover what the real take is. And it never comes.”

Even with the notices on the more mixed side of positive, Spencer has already commanded a lot of attention and asserted itself as a key piece of the year’s remaining movie calendar. Stewart has worked with world-renowned auteurs and earned critical esteem from even the most skeptical corners; an Oscar is the last cap-feather still eluding her, for who knows how much longer.

Spencer comes to cinemas in the UK and US on 5 November. 

With the fall film festivals either wrapped up or soon to be, the ever-lengthening Oscar prognostication season has officially begun. With so many major titles still yet to be seen, there’s not much to bank on at present, with one significant exception: Kristen Stewart’s widely praised performance as Princess Diana in Pablo Larraín’s latest feature Spencer.

Today, the general public got a taste of what’s positioned Stewart as a frontrunner with the full trailer for the upcoming film, which shows her Lady Di running the emotional gamut. Also, just plain running – a dash across the grounds of the Sandringham Estate, haute couture be damned, forms the climax of the clip below.

We join an unraveling Diana around Christmas in 1991, with her marriage to Prince Charles (Jack Farthing) in its death throes and media attention bearing down on her slight shoulders heavier than ever. Despite the support of her right-hand woman Maggie (Sally Hawkins), she’s apprehensive about severing ties with a powerful family, their influence wielded in a rather sinister manner by the Equerry Major Gregory (Timothy Spall).

In his review out of the premiere at the Venice Film Festival, man-on-the-scene David Jenkins wasn’t so taken with the film, describing the writing as “often witless and banal, leaving Larraín and the actors to heroically milk the drama from a string of interactions that are either overstuffed with ‘meaning,’ or just deathly dull.” He went on to add that “the film operates as if it has stumbled onto box-fresh insights, which in turn leaves you waiting to discover what the real take is. And it never comes.”

Even with the notices on the more mixed side of positive, Spencer has already commanded a lot of attention and asserted itself as a key piece of the year’s remaining movie calendar. Stewart has worked with world-renowned auteurs and earned critical esteem from even the most skeptical corners; an Oscar is the last cap-feather still eluding her, for who knows how much longer.

Spencer comes to cinemas in the UK and US on 5 November.