LGBTQ – The Queens of Geekdom

The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy (2000)

The shortest distance between friends isn’t always a straight line.

Rating 15
Length 1h36
Release 11.05.2001
Director Greg Berlanti
About A group of gay men struggle to navigate relationships and life in West Hollywood. However, a new member joins the gang, putting a strain on their relationship with each other.
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: ITV X
Trailer:

The Good

What a cast.

This is not your typical LGBTQ movie. At a time when any mention of being gay would often go hand in hand with a parable about the AIDS crisis, coming out, or the connection to drug cultures, this film gives what I would say is still ahead of its time today; a film about gay relationships, friendships and community.
Its daringly mundane in its story, giving us the ‘turning 30’ theme and how the romantic proverbial clocks are ticking on a group of friends.
It’s heartwarming, it’s refreshing and I want these men in my life.

Timothy Olyphant leads this film in such a beautiful way. I’ve seen him in very few films and always playing a main antagonist or a background character so I am quite happy to see how well he holds his own as a Chris Pine-eque lead, questioning what he wants out of life, love and a relationship.

The Bad

I’m not a fan of Dean Cain of late and find his face smarmy and punchable. I honestly was expecting him to be a homophobic antagonist when I saw his name, so mildly surprised at hearing he took this role against his agent’s wishes.

“told you we should have drugged him and jerked him off.” Don’t know about anyone else, but not a fan of causal rape threats in a conversation over lunch.

They made my man a bad guy. Not even a run of the mill bad guy, he corrupts one of the youngest and most positive men of the group. We don’t get a resolution to it either, so the audience never know if he genuinely cared.

The Ugly

Niagara Falls.
The last act is emotional and with bring forth all the tears; from the heartbreaking to the joyful. It will have you reduced in one swift moment and those tears will fall right up until the credits.

Final Thoughts

This is what Singles (1992) wanted to be. It’s an uplifting, ahead-of-its-time film about friends looking for love, who just so happen to be gay.

Bottoms (2023) Film Review

You don’t care about feminism. Your favorite show is Entourage!

Rating 15
Length 1h32
Release 03.11.2023
Director Emma Seligman
About Unpopular best friends PJ and Josie start a high school fight club to meet girls and lose their virginity. They soon find themselves in over their heads when the most popular students start beating each other up in the name of self-defense.
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
Trailer:

The Good

Ruby Cruz, Kit of the Willow tv show, shows another layer to her acting in her vulnerable, humorous, outlier. While I would give anything for season 2 and 3 of Willow, I’m happy to see Cruz in something. There’s something familiar and androgynous about the role of Hazel. Almost like the love child of Buffy’s Oz, Stranger Things’ Robin and Ghostbuster’s Egon.

This film is bat shit crazy in the best way. It’s funny, delves into real issues and goes to the extreme when needed. The final act is so unhinged that you have no choice but to go with it.
This is Booksmart, meets Jawbreaker by way of Jennifer’s Body and Metal Lords. I could list more because the setting and the story is ultimately familiar, yet there’s a unique and fringe quality that gives this an edge.

Alo Edebiri is proving there will be life after The Bear. Awkward but leader-worthy is currently her niche, and much like the Emmy winning show, she plays it really well.

The music is on point. It’s up there with Clueless and 10 Things I Hate About You for soundtracks you’ll want to listen to.

The Bad

The trope of building something up from a lie.
It’s a little tired because as soon as it starts, there’s only one way it can end. I really just wish there’s a way of having this film without that plot thread, or a subversion of our expectation upon the reveal.

The Ugly

The adults in the film totally suck. They’re terrible teachers, parents…. hell they’re terrible adults. As rubbish as they are though, it allows for everything to take place. Just prepare to hate all the adults and just roll with it. The minute you start questioning anything, the whole pack of cards fall down.

Final Thoughts

A brilliant, bat shit crazy movie that will not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Next Goal Wins (2023) Film Review

Rating 12
Length 1h44
Release 26.12.2023
Director Taika Waititi
About With the 2014 World Cup qualifiers approaching, down-on-his-luck coach Thomas Rongen tries to turn the American Samoa soccer team into winners.
Moon: Full moon during the “nightcap” scene
Where to Watch: Still in cinemas
Trailer:

The Good

Yes, it’s a little plot by numbers, as underdog stories go. But that’s what makes them so good. Plus, you have to give it at least a bit of a pass; it’s based on a true story.

I adore the humour. I always have. It’s that odd, make a declaration that seems to be an absolute, then list the exceptions. Of which there tends to be many. For example “America Samoa skin is impenetrable. Unless you have something sharp. Scissors, a knife, a pin. You know anything that has a really sharp point.”
It’s like a Waititi Dad joke and I adore it, especially when you pair it with the dead pan accent of Waititi; or most of the cast of Next Goal Wins.

Kaimana is incredible as transitioning player Jaiyah. I was concerned that the topic of having a trans woman on the team was going to be approached in a heavy handed manner, particularly when one of the first scenes has Fassbender’s Rongen deadname her, repeatedly.
However, what develops is a beautiful education of the coach, and perhaps the audience too, and one of my favourite relationships of the film almost becomes the focus of the film. I would have loved to have seen a little more, but given that this is a football film I’m going to let go.

The Bad

At first I thought perhaps it was the accent, but it is actually that fucking fake assed beard that Fassbender is made to wear for the opening act. Maybe it’s the blondness of it that really makes it look fake, but I really could have done without it and I was very grateful for it’s departure upon his arrival to the island.

The Ugly

Niagara Falls warning – as with many underdog movies, this one will tug on your heartstrings and reaching for the tissues. You know, if you have a heart.

Final Thoughts

This is essentially Mighty Ducks does football, with Waititi’s brand of humour. I personally love it, but some might not.

The Birdcage (1996) Film Review

Rating 15
Length 1h48
Release 26.04.1996
Director Mike Nichols
About Gay lovers Armand and Albert disguise themselves as a heterosexual couple in order to meet and impress the conservative family of their son’s fiancee.
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
Trailer:

The Good

Robin Williams in one of his understated performances makes for a rather charming and contrasting role. Not only in terms of his own body of work, but the performance really stands out against the delightful flamboyance of both Nathan Lane and Hank Azaria. Knowing that Williams could have equally nailed the part of Albert and would have been the audiences expectation, makes the role of Armand all the more impactful being in the hands of Williams.

On the most part, the comedy really lands. Particularly when it comes to the Conservative Family and this is one time in which the audience knowing something characters don’t.
The comedy really ramps up when everything starts to fall apart and utilises all of the tropes that come with a set up based on lies.

I adored the resolve. How they protect Gene Hackman’s senator from the media is charming. It’s also the only way I would buy the acceptance from the family. Which dies make me wish that the outro had been held back and we got to experience a sequel.

The Bad

I love Hank Azaria, I really do. The performance is funny and I love almost all of it. The except being the accent. It’s too ‘crafted’ like many of his other ethnic accents in the Simpsons. It just needed toning down slightly to make it more authentic.

The son, Val, and his fiancé are absolute dicks. What they ask of Armand and Albert is heartbreaking and, certainly for me, doesn’t work. They need to really have already met, and love, Barbara. The decision to fictionalise the Goldman’s lives also really should have come from Armand and Albert. There’s no way a Senator’s daughter who seems as intelligent as Barbra would ever think she could get away with such lies, particularly when the media have just uncovered a scandal.
By making this change, Val doesn’t come across as so entitled and cruel.

The Ugly

There’s no doubt, this film is a trailblazer for the LGBTQ community. However, the plot doesn’t come across as an LGBTQ positive film. The majority of the plot is about putting Armand into the closet and teaching Albert “how to be a man” and doesn’t scream positivity.
Then there’s the use of the word “fag” repeatedly. I’m aware that some words we now consider slurs are used by an intended community in a positive way, and that words have different means depending on the country of use. However, I’m pretty certain by 1996, the word “fag” was considered more slur than not. The use did make me wonder about the creation of this film, it’s predcessor and the play they’re both based upon and whether anyone involved was part of the community. It feels like gay representation by straight creatives to me. It just meant this wasn’t the uplifting film I thought it was going to be.

Side Note

This film made me think about the recent call for all gay characters being played by gay actors and why this is a very bad idea.

Nathan Lane is openly gay. Now.
Back in 1996? Not so much. Although he was almost outed on Oprah while promoting this film.
By enforcing the rule above, means you’re forcing people to out themselves when they’re not comfortable to. It also means you’re writing off a performance like the one Nathan Lane gives in this film.

Final Thoughts

This film, however flawed, walked so the LGBTQ genre could run and it’s a must watch for anyone who loved the amazing talent that is Robin Williams.

Love, Simon- 12A

About
Simon Spier keeps a huge secret from his family, his friends, and all of his classmates: he’s gay. When that secret is threatened, Simon must face everyone and come to terms with his identity.

Trailer

The Good
Where to start?! It’s a wonderful cast, a charming love story with an Indie tone and a message for everyone. The humour is on point and comes at the right time to alleviate the heaviness that some of the plotlines could bring to the movie.

Both Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel are perfection as Simon’s parents. The weight of Jack’s (Duhamel) comments during Simon’s upbringing leave a broken man for part of the movie. It’s a refreshing change when he finally opens up and talks to his son.

Gah! We got Kid Flash. Who wouldn’t love seeing Keiynan Lonsdale outside of the Speedster CW show? It was wonderful seeing someone who is openly gay in real life play a supporting role within this movie.

The Bad
How is it, in this day and age, that this movie is considered ground breaking. That’s no reflection of the movie, but of society. This movie should not be ‘brave’ or ‘monumental’; this should be judged on its ability to stand up to other teen movies such as Perks of Being a Wallflower or even Mean Girls (It does, by the way). It’s just a shame that the movie is being lost because of the challenges it brings to social thinking.

I also struggled with Katherine Langford as best friend Leah. It’s not her fault, but I still see her as Hannah from 13 Reasons Why and I hate Hannah. I’m waiting for a role that will break the spell of her being a little typecast. Unfortunately, this wasn’t it.

The Ugly
Tears. Oh wow! I cried like a bitch. There are your typical teen moments that have an emotional tug, but there is just one scene involving Simon and his Mom that will melt even the coldest of hearts. The group behind me, who had very annoyingly talked all the way through the movie, had a bit of a discussion about wanting a mother like that.

I think there’s some truth to that. No matter who you are; if you’re a member of the LGBTQ community or just a supporter, you will certainly be able to empathise and agree that her stance is not liberal or LGBTQ specific. It’s something all parents should aspire to and something most (if not all) people want; acceptance and respect.