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Reviews
Happy Endings (2005)
One of the most honest films about humanity I've ever seen
I would expect nothing less from a Donn Roos/Lisa Kudrow collaboration than the wonderful film that Happy Endings is. The characters are real. There's no "good guy" or "bad guy" -- there are just honest portrayals of how everyone has issues, secrets, lies, dreams, doubts and agendas.
Kudrow is stellar as Mamie, a lost soul of a person who commands a simple dynamism. Maggie G is amazing, she totally "gets" who Jude is and wows us with a great performance. All of the acting is top-notch, as is the story, though I longed for more of a confrontation between Charley and Gil, but maybe that's a reflection of my own issues with cheating. Oh, and Jason Ritter is hella hot! Rent this, add this to your NetFlick queue, buy this used or new -- just see it!
Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (2004)
Like the Sequel, this Prequel Stands on Its Own (minor plot spoilers)
While most trilogies are comprised of films with similar feels and photography, the Ginger Snaps series features three very different films. This is an enjoyable change from the mold; the viewer gets to enjoy the continued adventures of characters s/her enjoys with the benefit of experiencing something new.
"Ginger Snaps Back" (GSB) was not only a clever way to keep the series going, it also gave the cast and crew the opportunity to combine the best elements of the two previous films. Personally, I liked "Ginger Snaps: Unleashed" better than the first film because of the underdog character of Brigitte drove the action of the film (I have a soft spot for second bananas). Brigitte also drives the main plot points of GSB, but we still see Ginger leading the action as the brash and sassy "red" sister who eventually comes to embrace her lycanthropy. This combination of dual-antagonists works well. Combine that with multiple references to the first two films and the introduction of a mythic component to the series, and GSB is a winner.
Some fans were disappointed about the fact that there were some mythic components to GSB. The first two films portray lycanthropy as a scientific/medical condition. What fans don't seem to realize is that GSB does this as well; the Hunter and the Seer merely speak of the legend of the wendigo that the white man brought with him from oversees. The added aspect of the legend of the "two sisters, one black and one red" is more of a meta component of the film -- that is not an attempt to explain lycanthropy, it's an attempt to explain the series -- a post modern move on the part of the writer.
Fans also complain that the sisters do not share the dark, death obsessed bond they have in the first film. Again, I disagree. Both sisters have secrets about their parents death and an extremely close bond. There darkness was accentuated in different ways from the first film; after all, there were no disposable cameras and slide shows in the 19th century.
My only complaint about GSB is that, at times, the dialog is rather anachronistic. Yet for the most part the cast does a believable job. Also, it was wise that the director chose not to go the route of 19th century-speaking; that would cut off the audience's main point of entry to the film.
Overall, GSB is a great ending to a great trilogy. For successful conclusions rarely wrap up a series, they often make you rethink the previous films and the canon or continuity of the characters.
Shiner (2004)
Strange, but significant to film and queer cinema nonetheless.
A friend of mine had rented "Shiner" only because the clerks at his local video store were talking about "how much of a bigot the director is," implying that homophobia was at the root of the film (apparently these folks never watched the special features on the DVD, which totally negates that opinion). My friend took the video home and reported to me his fascination with the film; at the same time, he felt aroused, repulsed, intrigued and frightened during and after the flick. He told me about the premise of the film, and felt somewhat ashamed for finding some of its darker content erotic.
A few weeks later, I picked up the film and had a similar experience. I was confused; in the queer movement were taught so much about power dynamics and organize ourselves to fight violence, but here was a dramatically different take on the subject. What ended my confusion was the interview with writer/director Christian Calson on the DVD. The line of his that grabbed me the most: "I didn't want to make another gay romantic comedy." Things suddenly made sense to me. So many queer, I mean, gay films (ahem) are merely homo-remakes of mainstream romantic comedies. As queers, our message got lost as we sought inclusion in a particular medium. So, in what might be the most post-modern move of a writer/director in film history, Christian Calson sought to queer gay cinema. (Yes, I'm using queer as a verb.) He later supports this argument by talking about a form of "post-gay liberation" in which gay leaders shouted "We're doctors! We're lawyers! We're teachers!" to the point our difference and diversity became invisible. "We're just like you" led to us becoming nothing, in a sense.
While the movie is disturbing at times, it's thoroughly engaging. The audience member feels like a voyeur, peeping into the lives of these three "couples." And through that voyeurism, we come to a closer understanding of the elements of violence and how it relates to queerness. From self-loathing to internalized homophobia, from bitter rage to being just plain f'ed up, "Shiner" takes us through a mini-gamut of how violence affects us all, in ways no PSA or "the More You Know" segment could ever hope to address.
I highly suggest that you pick up the DVD of the film and watch the special features, including the Calson interview and the commentary, which is a noteworthy production in its own right.