\Though less than 10% of the more than 100 films at this year's Chicago International Film Festival, Oct. 6-20, have upfront GLBT content, at least two of them are 'must sees' for film lovers of all persuasions. First up is Transamerica, in which Desperate Housewives Emmy winner Felicity Huffman stars as a male-to-female transgender person connecting with the teenage son she never knew about. The second is That Man: Peter Berlin, a documentary about the 1970s gay poster pin-up boy and inspiration for erotic artist Tom of Finland and photographers Andy Warhol and Robert Mapplethorpe.
The Thursday, Oct. 6 opening night presentation at the Chicago Theatre will honor Susan Sarandon with the festival's prestigious Golden Hugo award for career achievement. Sarandon, a longtime friend of the GLBT community and AIDS activist, most memorably played the virginal tease turned sexpot Janet in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and was the recipient of vampire Catherine Deneuve's erotic attentions in the lesbian classic The Hunger. Later Sarandon spoke with insight and humor about the making of the film in the documentary The Celluloid Closet. She appears in Elizabethtown, the opening night film of the festival. The latest from writer-director Cameron Crowe, the black comedy stars Orlando Bloom ( Sarandon plays his mother ) and Kirsten Dunst. The film was badly received at the Toronto Film Festival, where studio executives announced it was a work in progress. CFF founder and artistic director Michael Kutza, alluding to the poor word of mouth, told Amy Matheny and myself on Sunday's Windy City Radio show that Crowe had trimmed 20 minutes from the movie and it is now terrific.
Kutza also hinted that we might see a surprise appearance by Steve Martin at the fest, who is represented by Shopgirl, the comedy made from his bestselling novel that stars Claire Danes. Other highlights include Richard Gere in The Bee Season, a family drama that co-stars Juliette Binoche and Kate Bosworth. It's the follow-up to The Deep End from gay co-directors Scott McGhee and David Siegel. The Weather Man, the closing night film on Thursday, Oct. 20, is getting its world premiere at the festival. It's a drama starring Nicolas Cage as a Chicago-based TV weatherman going through a painful divorce. Hope Davis co-stars. The film was directed by Gore Verbienski ( Pirates of the Caribbean and The Ring ) and believe it or not, it was shot here ( and NOT in Toronto ) . Terrific buzz on the film—and the hope of some awards—convinced Paramount to pull the movie from an earlier release date and bring it out now.
As Kutza noted, these and other high-profile American films will hopefully convince cineasts of all stripes to explore the multitude of terrific international releases on the fest's schedule. Most of the films will screen at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema or the AMC River East 21. Here's a mini-review of my two 'must sees' and listings of the other GLBT-related films:
Transamerica
Writer-director Duncan Tucker makes his feature film debut with this complex character piece in which Felicity Huffman of Desperate Housewives fame plays Bree, a male-to-female transgender person who's a week away from her surgery in Los Angeles when she discovers that she has a teenage son living in New York working as a gay hustler. Pretending to be a 'missionary lady,' Bree bails out Toby and eventually agrees to drive him cross country back to L.A. so Toby ( Kevin Zegers ) can meet his 'father.' Along the way, as Bree's secrets are slowly revealed, the two come to accept one another.
Huffman's performance is absolutely mesmerizing and fascinating and her willingness to plunge deeply into this troubled man/woman is thrilling. Though the clumsy road trip framing device and the 'colorful' characters that the two run into ( including Bree's obnoxious family ) are strictly run-of-the-mill, Huffman's star turn stands the film on its head. Huffman took Best Actress at the Tribecca Film Festival and don't be surprised if Oscar comes calling as well.
AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois, Monday, 10-10 ( 9 p.m. )
Landmark's Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark, Tuesday, 10/11 ( 9:15 p.m. )
That Man: Peter Berlin
There's probably not a gay man alive today that came of age during the 1970s who can't describe for you 'that photo' of 'that boy' Peter Berlin. I've forgotten the name of the first bar where I saw it ( it might have been the Bistro or Carol's ) , but not that image of Berlin in his skintight pants, prominent protuberance and Dutch-boy haircut. Often described ( rightfully as we find out in the documentary ) as the 'Garbo of gay porn,' Berlin was a self-created gay male fantasy that is still incredibly potent. Literally, the living embodiment of a Tom of Finland drawing ( later Berlin commissioned the artist to actually do several sketches of him ) , the German-born sex God took his own photos, took control of the two porn movies he shot, and blithely walked around San Francisco day and night in his get up, amused at all the head turning and drooling.
This probing documentary by first-time director Jim Tushinski, who stumbled across Berlin living downstairs from a friend, tries to get to the bottom of the Berlin myth ( with some success ) and is an entertaining and very sexy romp that includes on-camera appearances by John Waters, Armistead Maupin, a very funny and insightful artist Robert W. Richards, and That Man himself.
Berlin, now with white hair and around 60 but still able to pour himself into those infamous pants, is like a male Nina Simone—unable to resist the camera one moment, uninterested and dismissive the next. By the time one of the interviewees suggests that the pants belong in the Smithsonian, you'll find yourself agreeing. It makes perfect sense that this human embodiment of Narcissus would describe many of the striking events and people in his life as 'boring.' Windy City Times is co-sponsoring the opening-night screening of this hot little documentary.
AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois, Wednesday, 10-12 ( 9:15 p.m. ) , Thursday, 10-13 ( 9 p.m. ) , Friday, 10-14 ( 5 p.m. )
The other GLBT-related titles at the fest include:
1. Be With Me. Set in the urban sprawl of Singapore, the film follows the course of three relationships including a teenage lesbian couple. Beautifully photographed with an evocative music score.
2. The Masseur is the story of Iliac, a young Asian man who works in a gay massage parlor by night and deals with the sudden death of his alcoholic father by day. The film includes a deeply moving scene in which Iliac alternately is shown bringing a customer to climax and dressing his father's corpse for his funeral.
3. A Year Without Love is a South American film about a gay poet struggling with AIDS who transcends his pain by delving into the world of S&M and recording his experiences in his diary. Based on a true story.
4. Garpastum is set in Russia during WWI. It's the story of two carefree brothers who spend their days playing soccer and chasing girls. But when Nikolai and Andry are separated when Nikolai joins the Army, things are never the same. I'm not sure what the gay content is here, and the film wasn't available for screening at press time, but the fest's media reps tell me it has GLBT content.
Complete information on tickets, show times, special events are available by calling 312-332-FILM or online at the Web site www.chicagofilmfestival.com
