Filth Is My Life!!!!

Saturday June 26th
7:00 p.m.
Movie begins @ 7:30 p.m.

FanboyQ DVD Reviews

Here we are again, gentle readers – another edition of FanboyQ’s DVD reviews. This month I’d like to look at a modern classic that definitely needs some revisiting. It’s hard to believe The Talented Mr. Ripley is already more than a decade old. This is a film that despite its continued popularity in book form among gay audiences I feel was never really embraced by the same said viewers. I have heard the argument that Tom Ripley wasn’t really gay, just a sociopath. I’ve heard the argument that this was just another misuse of the homosexual in cinema, a malicious other-worldly entity invading the happiness of normal ‘straight’ people. And believe me; I understand both arguments but counter with this: The Talented Mr. Ripley must be watched with the same queer eye that has turned films like The Wizard of Oz and Calamity Jane into gay classics.

In the series of novels by bisexual author Patricia Highsmith, Tom Ripley is never out and out outed (hee-hee) but the hints are definitely there in all five books and particularly broad. Director and screenwriter Anthony Minghella uses a similar approach in his 1999 masterpiece, but the expansion of the character of Peter Smith-Kingsley – who is quite openly gay though the word is never word is never used) suggests Ripley is absolutely gay, but closeted due to the time period. The differences between novel and film don’t end there. The book version of Ripley is a villain from the beginning, making a living in New York City with minor crimes of forgery and impersonation. Matt Damon’s film version is given a more innocent background: he’s a struggling musician who white-lies himself into an arrangement with shipping magnate Herbert Greenleaf. These two key divergences are what set The Talented Mr. Ripley apart from other film versions of the series and make it of particular interest to gay audiences.

Matt Damon’s Tom Ripley is the quintessential queer boy outsider, with some of the same characteristics that make Judy Garland and Joan Crawford so endearing to queer viewers. You can almost feel his need to belong, desperate and clawing. You empathize and excuse his ability to convincingly ‘pass’ amid the other characters – who among us hasn’t butched or femmed themselves up at one time or another – fearful at being discovered as the ‘other’. Even as the movie progresses and Ripley becomes increasingly violent in an effort to keep the lifestyle that his beloved Dickie Greenleaf enjoys, as an audience member you find yourself grasping on to Tom’s humanity. And this is where Anthony Minghella’s brilliance really shines through – he takes you to the edge of your ability to forgive Ripley’s actions, then suddenly presents you with a violently tender moment – rather than be mortified at Tom your heart bleeds for him.

This is also one of the first times American audiences got a good hard look at Jude Law – and apparently they liked what they saw. Law’s Dickie Greenleaf, the charismatic and spoiled deutersgonist, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars that year – although the film was largely ignored by the Academy otherwise. Yet again, Minghella’s expert direction really makes the character shine; at first Dickie is only spoken of, then our first glimpse is a longhsot through binoculars. When the Tom and Dickie finally come together into the same frame, they are both in bathing suits and a very clear picture is formed: Dickie is bronzed and healthily muscled, with a charming and confident smile and golden curls – Tom is pasty and thin (Matt Damon lost 30 pounds for the role) with thick glasses and flat mousy hair – Dickie is lounging comfortably in the radiant Italian sun – Tom is awkwardly hopping across the beach because of the hot sand. Dickie is everything Tom wishes he were. Everything about him is coveted – his money, his looks, and his love. I got the impression from Jude Law’s magnificent performance that Dickie is just as aware as Tom of the chemistry between them, and to his detriment uses that to get what he wants and needs from Ripley, namely that his hedonistic lifestyle is worthy of being desired and that his father is wrong about what he should be doing with his life.

So this movie already has a brilliant director and screenwriter, gorgeous cinematography, two powerhouse lead performances, and a hauntingly beautiful score – what more could you possibly ask for? Well I guess a fantastic supporting cast SHOULD be too much to expect but you’re going to get them anyway. I’m not normally a fan of Gwenyth Paltrow but even SHE is superlative as Dickie’s girlfriend Marge Sherwood. In fact, this is the ONLY performance of hers that I feel is worthy of that shiny gold statue she has.

Add Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the vile Freddie Miles – the only character that can really see through Tom’s facade – and you’re really cooking with gas. And then there’s Cate Blanchett. Like a few others that bear her name, I really can’t think of a moment I haven’t loved the woman. Is there a role out there she can’t do? Unfortunately there really isn’t much to her role here – another character that was expanded for the film version – but with what she has to work with she does wonders. Her characterization of Meredith Logue, another wealthy socialite with something to gain from Dickie, is magnetic and she ultimately becomes essential to the arc of the film, which features a much different ending than the novel.

So whether you’ve never seen the film before or you saw it when it came out it’s another one of those classics I highly recommend to anyone with a love of gay cinema. And as an added bonus in these harsh economic times, its age has made it relatively easy to find and cheap when it’s found. When $29.99 is the standard price tag on most new releases a great flick for under $10 sounds awfully sweet.

Well, that’s it for me this month – be sure to check out FanboyQ’s DVD Reviews again next month – until then you can drop me a line at FanboyQ@gmail.com

Heavenly Creatures / I Kissed a Girl

OutCentral will be screening Heavenly Creatures Saturday January 23rd at 7:00 p.m. as part of the film series that yours truly is putting on called Queer Colored Glasses. The year long film series is a partnership between OutCentral Cultural Center and the Nashville Film Festival.

Queer-Colored Glasses: The Queer Experience Through Cinema

OutCentral Cultural Center and The Nashville Film Festival collaborate to present

Queer Colored Glasses: The Queer Experience Through Cinema

WHO: OutCentral Cultural Center in collaboration with Nashville Film Festival (NaFF)

WHAT: Queer Colored Glasses: The Queer Experience Through Cinema

WHEN: 4th Saturday of every month at 7:00 PM

WHERE: OutCentral Cultural Center 1709 Church Street (between Revive Café and Vibe. On the same block as OutLoud! and Blue Genes) Nashville, TN 37209

COST: $5 for members $8 for non-members. No one turned away for lack of funds.


CONTACT INFORMATION:

For Queer-Colored Glasses: The Queer Experience through Cinema:
FanboyQ@gmail.com


For OutCentral:
info@outcentral.org


OutCentral Cultural Center is proud to be partnering with The Nashville Film Festival for a twelve month, twelve film series entitled Queer-Colored Glasses: The Queer Experience through Cinema that will focus on filmmakers, actors, writers, stories and plots of particular interest to the “queer” spectator.

From the first flickering images that ever lit up a screen, cinema has been a place where queer voices have called out and demanded to be heard with varying degrees of success. From films made by LGBT filmmakers and performers to the particular phenomenon that gay people often “see” a film differently than their straight counterparts.

“Images of GLBTQ people on the big screen--both positive and negative--have had such a tremendous influence on our lives,” said Jim Hawk, Executive Director of OutCentral Cultural Center.

“Most of us can remember the first time we saw "one of us" on the screen. This series takes an important look at those images and how they effected our lives--and the lives of generations of GLBTQ people.”

Historically, most LGBT filmmakers were forced to work in relative secrecy about who they were, being mostly relegated to avant-garde and independent film circles. Thus, cinema is also the forum for the queer voice of the “other” – stories and characters that – while not necessarily gay – represent the outsider whose story queer audiences identify with.

"I am extremely excited about the partnership between the Nashville Film Festival and OutCentral,” said QCG Artistic Director Joshua Thomas.

“I believe one of the most important tools we in the gay community have for examining our past is in film theory. Gay audiences have historically experienced films differently than the rest of society. In examining the past through this collection of films, we'll have the unique opportunity to watch society's views on homosexuality change throughout the years."

With the enormous cultural and historic differences between films made in the 1930’s and those made in modern times the characteristics that gay culture use to signify homosexuality have also changed dramatically over the years. While present-day films are allowed to be relatively forthright about sexuality in their presentations older films were often forced to only hint at it in varied ways. Thus, many classic Hollywood performances, directors, actors and – in some cases – entire genres must be closely examined in order to hear the queer voice within them.

“NaFF is thrilled to partner with OutCentral to present a unique collection of voices from film history,” said NaFF Artistic Director Brian Owens.

"We believe that film represents a great opportunity for those unheard or seldom heard to present their stories in ways that create dialogue, understanding, and bind us all together as a greater community. We hope people will come and enjoy and talk about these films and what they mean to the GLBT community and community at large.”