GAY
FILM REVIEWS BY MICHAEL D. KLEMM
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GAY
FILM REVIEWS BY MICHAEL D. KLEMM
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Camp IFC films, 2003 Director/Screenplay: Starring: Daniel Letterle, Joana Chilcoat, Robin DeJesus Rated PG-13,
The L Word Showtime, 2004 Creator: Starring: Jennifer Beals, Laurel Holloman, Mia Kirschner, Eric Mabius, Karina Lombard, Katherine Moennig, Erin Daniels, Leisha Hailey, Pam Grier
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The
Show Must Go On
One of the problems with the movie Fame was the near absence of anybody gay attending the performing arts school. This ommision is rectified in Camp, a heart-warming film which celebrates all the "freaks" that get picked on in high school and gives them their moment in the spotlight. This is driven home immediately when we meet Michael, who is wearing a dress to his prom. He is denied admission and beaten up by jocks. It is only in a place like Camp Ovation where a gay teen like him can fit in.
My only real criticism would be that too much time is spent on the straight romance but I suppose this was to make it more appealing to a mainstream audience. Other than that, the kids are all naturals onscreen, and man can some of them sing! The score by Stephen Trask pales next to his music from Hedwig And The Angry Inch, but it sets the proper mood.
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One thing that Showtime knows how to do right is gay drama. The first three seasons of Queer as Folk were groundbreaking, as was their film about Private Barry Winchell's murder, Soldier's Girl. Now, Showtime has one for the ladies. It's called The L Word and it is terrific.
Jenny and Tim are the straight couple who live next door to Bette and Tina. Jenny is a gifted writer, hungry for experience, and she connects, on a literary level, with the glamorous Marina and then has an affair with her.
Yes, all of the women are beautiful and they have great careers, but that criticism rarely gets thrown at Sex and the City. As with QAF, straight viewers get a glimpse of the other side and maybe become more enlightened in the process. The pregnancy, starting with the search for a sperm donor, has been well handled so far, (even though I once wrote that I never wanted to see the dreaded turkey baster storyline ever again, this one has a fresh spin on it).
At press time, we were at the midpoint of the first season and so far the show has not disappointed. And - two weeks ago - there was a coincidental and very timely plot development. Reminiscent of Britney Speers' recent shenanigans, viewers were treated to Tim and Jenny's rushed wedding in an all-night chapel only to see Tim walk out a few hours later. Here is yet another example of how we gay people are not the ones who are making a mockery of "the sacred institution of marriage." I hope all of America was watching.
More
On Rose Troce: More On Laurel
Holloman: More On Daniel
Letterle: More on Erin Daniels:
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Camp
is a comedy-drama about teens, some gay, some straight, who attend a summer
camp to hone their musical and thespian skills. The cast includes Vlad,
a cute straight boy (and self-professed "attention junkie")
who romances a plain girl named Ellen. He befriends Michael who, of course,
has a huge crush on him. We also meet Jenna, a black girl whose jaw has
been wired shut by her father so she can lose weight. Histrionics are
provided by Jill, a bitchy prima donna who uses the adoring Fritzi as
a servant. An alcoholic teacher who is a washed-up Broadway composer rounds
out the main cast.
The
highlights for many viewers will be the musical performances and these
kids are a talented lot. Their stories are, for the most part, charming
and there are many moments that keep Camp
from becoming formulaic. An online DVD commentary website called Camp
an Afterschool Special and the obviously straight reviewer just
didn't get the point. How can anyone hate a movie where teens perform
songs like "The Ladies Who Lunch" from Sondheim's Company?
And how about seeing two black kids complain about how ridiculous they
look as rabbis in Fiddler on the Roof? My favorite scene was when
Vlad auditions by playing his guitar and singing The Rolling Stones' "Wild
Horses" and the faculty immediately identifies him as straight. Make
sure you watch the credits or you'll miss a hilarious bit from Who's
Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 
The
L Word
features a group of lesbian friends and the camaraderie between them.
Bette and Tina, together for seven years, are expecting a baby. Their
friends are the flirtatious Shane, a closeted tennis player named Dana,
a bisexual journalist named Alice, Bette's half-sister Kit, and Marina,
who runs the coffee shop they frequent each morning. 
Some
storylines may be familiar to longtime gay filmgoers but The
L Word is, like QAF, compelling television with
great characters and sustained story arcs. While nowhere near as explicit
and over-the-top as QAF can get, it is still very sexy and daring.
A great stable of talent has been assembled, including noted lesbian director
Bette
is a career woman who is finding it hard to balance her job with the pre-natal
needs of her partner. Dana has embarked on a wonderful relationship only
to have to hide it at the orders of her agent because she is "not
a superstar like Martina" yet on the tennis courts. Alice has a chart
on her wall that links everyone's sex life. And, of course, we have Jenny
who is torn between her fiance Tim and the exotic lesbian who she has
far more in common with.