After having several people recommend this movie to me, I finally decided to give it a try when I saw it on cable. I'm glad that I did, but I definitely found fault in some areas. The film is about Jessica Stein, a woman who is fed up with the dating scene and therefore decides to reluctantly approach a relationship with another woman, Heather, after reading her personal ad in the paper.
*Possible Spoilers*
This is another in a series of films where the characters are impossibly beautiful, smart and charming but cannot find anyone suitable to date. Admittedly, an excuse is made for Jessica in that she is a perfectionist and therefore cannot be happy until she `lets loose a little.' She also has an incredible apartment and the corresponding accoutrements that go along with having a fabulous existence in New York. I bring these material details up because they are just the beginning of several circumstances that just seem to happen too quickly and easily. The most glaring is when Jessica's mother just happens to know that she is dating a woman, and in the very next scene, Jessica's brother's wedding, suddenly the entire party is abuzz with this news and sitting around the table adoringly asking questions of `the lesbians'. Realizing that this is supposed to be a comedy, I tried not to look too deeply into this, but I felt about as put off by this display as I did by the entire film `Chasing Amy', only this time the lesbian was not `reformed' - it is hinted that Jessica may not indeed be a lesbian at all.
Having said these things, I did enjoy the film on some levels. I thought the acting was very natural and the dialogue was generally clever. I also think the filmmakers were right in not having a lot of character development because the basis of the movie was this one relationship, and therefore any expansion of supporting characters would have been unnecessary. I also like the evolution of Jessica's character, one who starts out like a 21st century Annie Hall and ends up being more comfortable in her own skin despite the fact that everything doesn't work out as one may expect. I found the ending to be very satisfactory because it cemented the conclusions that I came to earlier in the film - which is a welcome surprise because it usually does not end up that way for me; I am usually disappointed when things are wrapped up too neatly.
I know that this film was largely embraced by the gay community, and while I can understand that, despite its independent production, the relationship was very much `Hollywood-ized' in my opinion. However, having `marinated' the film, it is quite clear to me that it was not just about being a lesbian, but more in `finding oneself', as cliché as that term is. Overall, I consider it to be an enjoyable film as long as you do not turn too critical an eye to it.
--Shelly
*Possible Spoilers*
This is another in a series of films where the characters are impossibly beautiful, smart and charming but cannot find anyone suitable to date. Admittedly, an excuse is made for Jessica in that she is a perfectionist and therefore cannot be happy until she `lets loose a little.' She also has an incredible apartment and the corresponding accoutrements that go along with having a fabulous existence in New York. I bring these material details up because they are just the beginning of several circumstances that just seem to happen too quickly and easily. The most glaring is when Jessica's mother just happens to know that she is dating a woman, and in the very next scene, Jessica's brother's wedding, suddenly the entire party is abuzz with this news and sitting around the table adoringly asking questions of `the lesbians'. Realizing that this is supposed to be a comedy, I tried not to look too deeply into this, but I felt about as put off by this display as I did by the entire film `Chasing Amy', only this time the lesbian was not `reformed' - it is hinted that Jessica may not indeed be a lesbian at all.
Having said these things, I did enjoy the film on some levels. I thought the acting was very natural and the dialogue was generally clever. I also think the filmmakers were right in not having a lot of character development because the basis of the movie was this one relationship, and therefore any expansion of supporting characters would have been unnecessary. I also like the evolution of Jessica's character, one who starts out like a 21st century Annie Hall and ends up being more comfortable in her own skin despite the fact that everything doesn't work out as one may expect. I found the ending to be very satisfactory because it cemented the conclusions that I came to earlier in the film - which is a welcome surprise because it usually does not end up that way for me; I am usually disappointed when things are wrapped up too neatly.
I know that this film was largely embraced by the gay community, and while I can understand that, despite its independent production, the relationship was very much `Hollywood-ized' in my opinion. However, having `marinated' the film, it is quite clear to me that it was not just about being a lesbian, but more in `finding oneself', as cliché as that term is. Overall, I consider it to be an enjoyable film as long as you do not turn too critical an eye to it.
--Shelly