A book and three movies...
I read a book and watched a couple of movies over the past week that seemed to have the similar theme of falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship. Well, two similar themes if you count the fact that the stories centered around lesbian relationships. I thought it odd that I would read and watched four works with this theme in such a short amount of time.
The book that I read was Landing by Emma Donoghue. You might be familiar with Donoghue through her other books Hood, Slammerkin, The Sealed Letter, or the more recent Room.
Amazon's Review:
Acclaimed Irish author Emma Donoghue's fifth novel, Landing, is a story about how far people will step outside their comfort zones to be with the ones they love. Told through the eyes of Sile O'Shaughnessy, a cosmopolitan Irish flight attendant, and Jude Turner, a sheltered museum archivist from Ireland, Ontario, Landing is a touching, if not somewhat repetitive exploration of what we are, and are not, willing to give up for love.
From the moment Jude and Sile first meet aboard a transatlantic flight, the chemistry between them is undeniable. After a rushed coffee at Heathrow, each woman returns to her own life, yet they are unable to shake the butterflies of that initial encounter. What follows is a long-distance exchange of passionate e-mails, letters, phone calls, and visits, most of which leave Sile and Jude feeling both exhilarated and despondent after each goodbye. Surrounding each heroine is a circle of friends and family members whose romantic struggles and successes highlight the pleasure and pain that often come with falling in love.
Landing is a quick read, and it's easy to become absorbed in this engaging long-distance relationship. Donoghue is skilled at brining out the humanity in each woman, so the sacrifices they both must make to keep their relationship alive never seem forced. And while we may grow tired of the constant late night missives and teary-eyed goodbyes, we find ourselves rooting for this couple, and hoping they will go the distance.
My thoughts (definite spoilers):
I wanted to really like this novel and in places I really did. I like the way Donoghue writes. The writing in Room is obviously better, but that doesn't mean Landing is badly written. When the two meet, Sile (pronounced 'Sheila' if I read it right in the book) is the one in the relationship, albeit an unsatisfying one. It soon becomes clear to the reader, to Jude and Sile's friends, and finally to Jude and Sile's themselves that their innocent correspondence is not innocent at all and that they are in fact in love. When Jude finally confesses her love to Sile, Sile leaves Kathleen (her girlfriend of five years). Kathleen is treated with compassion by the writer and by Sile and Jude themselves, for which I was grateful. There was no attempt to paint her as the evil villain keeping our lovers apart. It is made clear that the relationship has run its course for Sile and that while Kathleen is ok with this arrangement (they haven't had sex in three years) Sile is not. It seems Sile has already mourned the relationship and moved on, while Kathleen falls into a depression.
I don't think people should stay in unhappy relationships, especially sexless ones. I don't think it was wrong of Sile to leave Kathleen. My problem was that Sile should have been strong enough to do it years ago and NOT because she fell in love with Jude. Or, rather because Jude fell in love with her. Because until that time Sile is happy to let life go on as is. My problem wasn't so much the cheating (not physical, but emotional cheating is just as bad) it was that I didn't like Sile and Jude very much. I didn't like the choices they made for themselves, or more accurately the way they allowed those choices to run their lives rather than take control of their lives. I stopped reading in the middle because of this. Maybe the characters become less annoying in the second half of the novel...but I guess I'll never know. :)
The Four Faced Liar
Product Description:
The Four-Faced Liar, a comedy about drama, tells the story of a group of New York 20-somethings. Bridget is a hip, womanizing lesbian who lives with her guy pal Trip. One night they meet straight-laced New York newbies Greg and Molly at their favorite hangout, The Four-Faced Liar. Molly is a bit appalled by free-spirited Bridget but she's also attracted to her, and in time, the friends lives are hilariously complicated when the two women fall in love.
My Thoughts (definite spoilers):
I liked this movie. I thought it was a good representation of the stupid mistakes/decisions we make in our early to mid-twenties in an attempt to navigate love and relationships. The Bridget character is not at all attractive at first, but I think this is because we are meant to see her as Molly sees her and as Molly gets to know her and begins to start to like her Bridget becomes more attractive to her and thus to the viewer. I did enjoy watching Molly and Bridget fall in love. It soon becomes clear that though Molly is engaged to Greg and Bridget wants to seemingly never fall in love, they are meant to be together. I liked both Molly and Bridget (though not at first...her character really was kind of vile at the start of the movie). Molly does cheat on Greg during the course of the movie and there is definite angst before the "happy ending." I would watch this movie again. I did think Molly's friend Trip was a douche and towards the end I didn't really understand why they were friends.
Elena Undone
Product Description:
From Nicole Conn, director of the lesbian classic CLAIRE OF THE MOON. Elegant and refined Elena (Necar Zadegan, TV s 24, The Event) is a devoted wife to her pastor husband, mother to her teenage son, and daughter to her traditional Indian family. When she meets lesbian writer Peyton (ravishingly beautiful Traci Dinwiddie, TV s Supernatural ) Elena is confronted with intense, unexpected feelings for a woman and their relationship evolves into a passionate romance. Charming, funny and poignant as well as smoldering and sensual!
I was expecting Claire of the Moon, part 2 and was a little afraid of the Maggie character showing up in this movie too. But, thankfully, that never happened. This movie was actually enjoyable. The actresses were committed to their parts and had chemistry together. I enjoyed watching them together. As the description says, Elena is married when she meets Peyton. They are attracted from their first meeting and I enjoyed the slow build up to their acceptance of that attraction and their first kiss. The love scenes were well done and the production values aren't horrible for a lesbian film. As Elena is married to a pastor, there is the expected angst towards the end of the movie. Speaking of the ending, it felt a little rushed to me. Did they run out of money? There is however that "happy ending" that everyone likes to see at the end of lesbian films and so it is ultimately a satisfying movie. I wouldn't say this movie made me think too much, but it was nonetheless a very enjoyable movie. I would watch this again.
Room In Rome (Habitacion En Roma)
Product Description:
One room. Two women. Infinite possibilities.
Like the erotic classic Last Tango In Paris, the new drama Room In Rome is a controversial, boundary-breaking film about two women who bare their bodies and their souls during one memorable night in a hotel in Rome. Writer-director Julio Medem (the international smash hit Sex & Lucia) returns with this provocative tale of Alba and Natasha. Two strangers meet, tentatively flirt and then head to Alba s hotel room where they exchange life stories amidst passionate bouts of love-making.
The stunning actresses Elena Anaya (Pedro Almodovar s Talk To Her, Sex & Lucia) and Natasha Yarovenko (Diary Of A Nymphomaniac) unflinchingly expose their deepest desires: the two women grow increasingly honest emotionally the closer they get physically. Certain to be a landmark in cinematic sexuality, Room in Rome is a serious and sexy foray into uncharted territory.
My Thoughts (definite spoilers):
Ok, I have to preface this by saying that in no way is this going to be an unbiased review because I absolutely fell in love with this movie. If I could marry it, I would. I watched it on Netflix's "Instant Play" option on my computer on Saturday and was completely blown away. I went out and bought the DVD yesterday (Sunday) and watched it again. Then, I immediately watched it again. So, after three viewings did I like it less? No, actually, I feel the need to watch it again. The last time I felt like this was when I finished reading Malinda Lo's Ash (the prequel Huntress comes out April 5th :) ).
I didn't think I would like this movie. I didn't even really want to watch this movie. I mean, a movie where two beautiful women are naked for ninety percent of the film and the film is hyped as being about them having lots and lots of sex, which sounds great in theory but isn't that basically just porn? Why not just watch porn? Also, the movie was reviewed by some reviewers saying they felt it was basically soft core dressed up as art. Then there were the constant comments of the "ambiguous ending." I hate ambiguous endings. I like things cut and dry. They lived happily ever after. They never saw each other again. Life is full of ambiguity, I don't necessarily want to watch that in a movie. So, why in the world did I watch this movie? Because I couldn't resist the idea of beautiful women who are naked for ninety-percent of the movie and have lots and lots of sex. Obviously, the hype worked. ;)
The movie is simple and yet so very complex. The characters never leave the room so we only see them in that setting (except when we see them entering and leaving the hotel at the start and end of the film). Like the characters at the start of the film we think we are entering into what will be a mere one-night stand. Two strangers meet in a strange city, are attracted, spend the evening together drinking and flirting, and one finally gives in to the other's seduction and goes up to her hotel room. And, yes, they have sex. And, it is hot. But, the important parts come after the sex. Or, rather, between rounds. They talk. About themselves, about life, about love, about history. They start out telling each other stories based in some truth, so as to hide themselves from the other, unafraid to expose their bodies but emotionally completely covered up. As the movie progresses, and the connection between becomes more apparent, they begin to shed their emotional armor as well and slowly strip away the lies in each other's stories to reveal the truth beneath. This is when they fall in love and the more they fall in love the more intense their love-making becomes. They both have lives waiting for them (Alba's in Spain, and Natasha's in Russia) complete with partners and so the night becomes even more poignant as they realize that this night is really all they will ever have.
****Definite spoilers about the ending****
The ending is indeed ambiguous, and yet to me, not at all. They do go their separate ways, walking in opposite directions, but soon Natasha is seen running in Alba's direction, shouting "Look!" seemingly to show her something they talked about in a previous conversation. And, this to me is not that ambiguous at all. They say good bye, several times in the film but are always drawn back to each other. They will probably stay goodbye again, perhaps more than once, but they will be pulled back together and that is the ending that I saw.
****End spoilers about the ending****
Out of all the movies and the one book reviewed in this post, this is the one where I rooted for the characters, because this is the one where I felt the characters truly belonged together. There is love and there is true love (to reference The Princess Bride) and Room In Rome was about true love and perhaps that is why I am so drawn to this movie.
The book that I read was Landing by Emma Donoghue. You might be familiar with Donoghue through her other books Hood, Slammerkin, The Sealed Letter, or the more recent Room.
Amazon's Review:
Acclaimed Irish author Emma Donoghue's fifth novel, Landing, is a story about how far people will step outside their comfort zones to be with the ones they love. Told through the eyes of Sile O'Shaughnessy, a cosmopolitan Irish flight attendant, and Jude Turner, a sheltered museum archivist from Ireland, Ontario, Landing is a touching, if not somewhat repetitive exploration of what we are, and are not, willing to give up for love.
From the moment Jude and Sile first meet aboard a transatlantic flight, the chemistry between them is undeniable. After a rushed coffee at Heathrow, each woman returns to her own life, yet they are unable to shake the butterflies of that initial encounter. What follows is a long-distance exchange of passionate e-mails, letters, phone calls, and visits, most of which leave Sile and Jude feeling both exhilarated and despondent after each goodbye. Surrounding each heroine is a circle of friends and family members whose romantic struggles and successes highlight the pleasure and pain that often come with falling in love.
Landing is a quick read, and it's easy to become absorbed in this engaging long-distance relationship. Donoghue is skilled at brining out the humanity in each woman, so the sacrifices they both must make to keep their relationship alive never seem forced. And while we may grow tired of the constant late night missives and teary-eyed goodbyes, we find ourselves rooting for this couple, and hoping they will go the distance.
My thoughts (definite spoilers):
I wanted to really like this novel and in places I really did. I like the way Donoghue writes. The writing in Room is obviously better, but that doesn't mean Landing is badly written. When the two meet, Sile (pronounced 'Sheila' if I read it right in the book) is the one in the relationship, albeit an unsatisfying one. It soon becomes clear to the reader, to Jude and Sile's friends, and finally to Jude and Sile's themselves that their innocent correspondence is not innocent at all and that they are in fact in love. When Jude finally confesses her love to Sile, Sile leaves Kathleen (her girlfriend of five years). Kathleen is treated with compassion by the writer and by Sile and Jude themselves, for which I was grateful. There was no attempt to paint her as the evil villain keeping our lovers apart. It is made clear that the relationship has run its course for Sile and that while Kathleen is ok with this arrangement (they haven't had sex in three years) Sile is not. It seems Sile has already mourned the relationship and moved on, while Kathleen falls into a depression.
I don't think people should stay in unhappy relationships, especially sexless ones. I don't think it was wrong of Sile to leave Kathleen. My problem was that Sile should have been strong enough to do it years ago and NOT because she fell in love with Jude. Or, rather because Jude fell in love with her. Because until that time Sile is happy to let life go on as is. My problem wasn't so much the cheating (not physical, but emotional cheating is just as bad) it was that I didn't like Sile and Jude very much. I didn't like the choices they made for themselves, or more accurately the way they allowed those choices to run their lives rather than take control of their lives. I stopped reading in the middle because of this. Maybe the characters become less annoying in the second half of the novel...but I guess I'll never know. :)
The Four Faced Liar
Product Description:
The Four-Faced Liar, a comedy about drama, tells the story of a group of New York 20-somethings. Bridget is a hip, womanizing lesbian who lives with her guy pal Trip. One night they meet straight-laced New York newbies Greg and Molly at their favorite hangout, The Four-Faced Liar. Molly is a bit appalled by free-spirited Bridget but she's also attracted to her, and in time, the friends lives are hilariously complicated when the two women fall in love.
My Thoughts (definite spoilers):
I liked this movie. I thought it was a good representation of the stupid mistakes/decisions we make in our early to mid-twenties in an attempt to navigate love and relationships. The Bridget character is not at all attractive at first, but I think this is because we are meant to see her as Molly sees her and as Molly gets to know her and begins to start to like her Bridget becomes more attractive to her and thus to the viewer. I did enjoy watching Molly and Bridget fall in love. It soon becomes clear that though Molly is engaged to Greg and Bridget wants to seemingly never fall in love, they are meant to be together. I liked both Molly and Bridget (though not at first...her character really was kind of vile at the start of the movie). Molly does cheat on Greg during the course of the movie and there is definite angst before the "happy ending." I would watch this movie again. I did think Molly's friend Trip was a douche and towards the end I didn't really understand why they were friends.
Elena Undone
Product Description:
From Nicole Conn, director of the lesbian classic CLAIRE OF THE MOON. Elegant and refined Elena (Necar Zadegan, TV s 24, The Event) is a devoted wife to her pastor husband, mother to her teenage son, and daughter to her traditional Indian family. When she meets lesbian writer Peyton (ravishingly beautiful Traci Dinwiddie, TV s Supernatural ) Elena is confronted with intense, unexpected feelings for a woman and their relationship evolves into a passionate romance. Charming, funny and poignant as well as smoldering and sensual!
I was expecting Claire of the Moon, part 2 and was a little afraid of the Maggie character showing up in this movie too. But, thankfully, that never happened. This movie was actually enjoyable. The actresses were committed to their parts and had chemistry together. I enjoyed watching them together. As the description says, Elena is married when she meets Peyton. They are attracted from their first meeting and I enjoyed the slow build up to their acceptance of that attraction and their first kiss. The love scenes were well done and the production values aren't horrible for a lesbian film. As Elena is married to a pastor, there is the expected angst towards the end of the movie. Speaking of the ending, it felt a little rushed to me. Did they run out of money? There is however that "happy ending" that everyone likes to see at the end of lesbian films and so it is ultimately a satisfying movie. I wouldn't say this movie made me think too much, but it was nonetheless a very enjoyable movie. I would watch this again.
Room In Rome (Habitacion En Roma)
Product Description:
One room. Two women. Infinite possibilities.
Like the erotic classic Last Tango In Paris, the new drama Room In Rome is a controversial, boundary-breaking film about two women who bare their bodies and their souls during one memorable night in a hotel in Rome. Writer-director Julio Medem (the international smash hit Sex & Lucia) returns with this provocative tale of Alba and Natasha. Two strangers meet, tentatively flirt and then head to Alba s hotel room where they exchange life stories amidst passionate bouts of love-making.
The stunning actresses Elena Anaya (Pedro Almodovar s Talk To Her, Sex & Lucia) and Natasha Yarovenko (Diary Of A Nymphomaniac) unflinchingly expose their deepest desires: the two women grow increasingly honest emotionally the closer they get physically. Certain to be a landmark in cinematic sexuality, Room in Rome is a serious and sexy foray into uncharted territory.
My Thoughts (definite spoilers):
Ok, I have to preface this by saying that in no way is this going to be an unbiased review because I absolutely fell in love with this movie. If I could marry it, I would. I watched it on Netflix's "Instant Play" option on my computer on Saturday and was completely blown away. I went out and bought the DVD yesterday (Sunday) and watched it again. Then, I immediately watched it again. So, after three viewings did I like it less? No, actually, I feel the need to watch it again. The last time I felt like this was when I finished reading Malinda Lo's Ash (the prequel Huntress comes out April 5th :) ).
I didn't think I would like this movie. I didn't even really want to watch this movie. I mean, a movie where two beautiful women are naked for ninety percent of the film and the film is hyped as being about them having lots and lots of sex, which sounds great in theory but isn't that basically just porn? Why not just watch porn? Also, the movie was reviewed by some reviewers saying they felt it was basically soft core dressed up as art. Then there were the constant comments of the "ambiguous ending." I hate ambiguous endings. I like things cut and dry. They lived happily ever after. They never saw each other again. Life is full of ambiguity, I don't necessarily want to watch that in a movie. So, why in the world did I watch this movie? Because I couldn't resist the idea of beautiful women who are naked for ninety-percent of the movie and have lots and lots of sex. Obviously, the hype worked. ;)
The movie is simple and yet so very complex. The characters never leave the room so we only see them in that setting (except when we see them entering and leaving the hotel at the start and end of the film). Like the characters at the start of the film we think we are entering into what will be a mere one-night stand. Two strangers meet in a strange city, are attracted, spend the evening together drinking and flirting, and one finally gives in to the other's seduction and goes up to her hotel room. And, yes, they have sex. And, it is hot. But, the important parts come after the sex. Or, rather, between rounds. They talk. About themselves, about life, about love, about history. They start out telling each other stories based in some truth, so as to hide themselves from the other, unafraid to expose their bodies but emotionally completely covered up. As the movie progresses, and the connection between becomes more apparent, they begin to shed their emotional armor as well and slowly strip away the lies in each other's stories to reveal the truth beneath. This is when they fall in love and the more they fall in love the more intense their love-making becomes. They both have lives waiting for them (Alba's in Spain, and Natasha's in Russia) complete with partners and so the night becomes even more poignant as they realize that this night is really all they will ever have.
****Definite spoilers about the ending****
The ending is indeed ambiguous, and yet to me, not at all. They do go their separate ways, walking in opposite directions, but soon Natasha is seen running in Alba's direction, shouting "Look!" seemingly to show her something they talked about in a previous conversation. And, this to me is not that ambiguous at all. They say good bye, several times in the film but are always drawn back to each other. They will probably stay goodbye again, perhaps more than once, but they will be pulled back together and that is the ending that I saw.
****End spoilers about the ending****
Out of all the movies and the one book reviewed in this post, this is the one where I rooted for the characters, because this is the one where I felt the characters truly belonged together. There is love and there is true love (to reference The Princess Bride) and Room In Rome was about true love and perhaps that is why I am so drawn to this movie.