Blog, Interrupted.

that queer critic is taking a hiatus from the film critic part of my identity in order to focus more fully on the disabled and mentally ill part. Watch this space for ramblings from within a psychiatric ward.

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that queer critic is (pick one):

1. on a perilous journey from which we can learn much when he or she returns;

2. possessed by (pick one):

a) the gods,

b) God (that is, a prophet),

c) some bad spirits, demons, or devils,

d) the Devil;

3. a witch;

4. bewitched (variant of 2);

5. bad, and must be isolated and punished;

6. ill, and must be isolated and treated by (pick one):

a) purging and leeches,

b) removing the uterus if the person has one,

c) electric shock to the brain,

d) cold sheets wrapped tight around the body,

e) Thorazine or Stelazine;

7. ill, and must spend the next seven years talking about it;

8. a victim of society’s low tolerance for deviant behavior;

9. sane in an insane world;

10. on a perilous journey from which he or she may never return.

– All credit to the brilliant Susanna Kaysen whose memoir of time on a psychiatric ward you can read here for free but which I reccomend you buy if you have the means. this queer critic advocates supporting artists if you have the means (and your local bookstore -not Amazon).

Their Finest (2017) ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

For anyone who has ever worked in the creative arts, for anyone who has done amdram, for artists, for poets, for musicians, and for anyone who has ever doubted their craft – this film within a film is for you.

The Thick of It meets Extras but with all the charm of Call The Midwife, this story is set in the melting pot of early feminism during WWII. With young soldiers away at war, women are getting more opportunity than ever to step forward and fill roles usually reserved for men. We follow novice screenwriter Catrin Cole (Gemma Arterton) as she finds herself involved in creating a feature-length propaganda film, a project caught between a film company and the Ministry of Information. Initially hired simply to write the “slop” – women’s dialog – her potential is spotted by co-worker Tom Buckley (Sam Claflin) and she becomes intimately involved with the task at hand — to create not only a successful film, but also to build morale in a time where morale is sorely needed.
This film is beautifully and understatedly meta: a film about making a film, with moments of laughter and resonance for anyone who has ever worked backstage at a show, film or theatre. Bill Nighy embodies this beautifully: he is an actor playing an actor playing various characters, with all elements nesting perfectly into one another. With the faintest of echoes of Bill Mack in Love Actually, his character Ambrose Hilliard is an ageing thespian, looking to keep his career alive as he approaches his golden years. I thoroughly enjoyed his exceptional performance and ability to progress the story from farcical to heartwrenching in moments, peaking with a beautiful musical number that moved myself and others in the audience to tears.
All in all an excellent, explicitly feminist film exploring creativity, humanity and all of the processes that go towards them. As Tom Buckley says, to make a good film, “You’ve got to make a film that’s worth the hour and a half it takes to watch it.” By that standard I can say with certainty that Gabby Chiapi and Lone Scherfig have outdone that. This film of theirs is truly fine.

PS. There’s also a really well written lesbian so turn your gay-dars on.

 

***Potential Spoilers in Content Note***

 

 

 

 

CN: war, bombing, on screen vom*ting, corpses (non-graphic), corpse (graphic), body identification scene, sex scene, in flagrante, mourning, grief

Unforgettable (2017) 💩

I can only imagine whoever was responsible for naming this movie was well versed in irony. If I had paid money for my ticket I would have been angry. As it was, I was just bored. This film has about as much depth as your average coathanger.
I would warn for spoilers, but the only thing that could spoil this movie is actually having to sit through the whole thing.

Groovy Beer Dude leaves White Bitch for Cool Black San Fran Chick. White Bitch is a White Bitch. Groovy Dude is like “Hey, guys, stay groovy” Cool Chick rings the Horror Movie Best Friend Trope which robotically repeats the only phrase it knows: “Chill-Out–It’s-Probably-No-Big-Deal” White Bitch is a Bitch. Cool Chick loses cool. White Bitch now starring in White Bitch 2: This Time With Horses. Something something Facebook hijack something Catfish something something ex-stalker something something inappropriate fucking. Cool Chick uses Best Friend Trope as cop-out plot device to discover that White Bitch is actually a Bona Fide Crazy White Bitch (or is she?). Cool Chick kills a dude (or was it White Bitch??!) Groovy Beer Dude stays groovy throughout. We play Pin The Crazy On The Bitches for 45 minutes. It’s a battle between Had A Stalker and Is Rich And Repressed – who will win?

Who even cares. 0/5

CN: victim blaming, shaming of eating disorders, jumpscares (2), sex, hate sex, hyper-controlling parental behaviour, knives, alcohol use (mild), nudity (seconds long), masturbation (implied), Violence Against Women, physical fight, blood,