Attention ladies! At last you can leave all that Brokeback Mountain fuss momentarily in the dust between now and Oscar time as another lesbian-themed film is here to take its place. The attention the gay-themed Brokeback has received is not unexpected but regarding lesbians, there have been so many independent films for so long on the subject matter they easily blend into the mainstream. And romantic comedies in which audiences root for the girl to end up with the girl have been especially prevalent. Imagine Me & You, a sweet, heartfelt British dramedy from writer-director Ol ( short for 'Oliver' ) Parker, is a welcome addition to the roster.
On the day of her wedding, lovely Rachel is literally walking down the aisle when she unexpectedly locks eyes with her florist, Luce ( Lena Headey ) , a woman she has not seen until that moment. Rachel's overbearing mother has handled the arrangements for her wedding to the handsome, easygoing Heck ( Matthew Goode ) , so it's not a complete surprise that Rachel hasn't seen Luce before ( although it seems sort of far-fetched ) . Nor is it surprising that the two meet 'cute' a bit later in the day at the wedding reception over the punch bowl while a not-too-subtle but funny 'You Spin Me Round Like A Record' blares in the background. Lesbian icon Dusty Springfield's sultry 'Look of Love' comes next ( and I loved the imaginative use of the Turtles' 'Happy Together,' which plays over the credits as a lesbian anthem ) . It's also not a surprise that the two ladies are going to fight their inner voices like hell—love at first sight is one thing; to act on it just as you're getting married is quite another.
But what does surprise—and what is truly refreshing here ( and what sets the film apart and will hopefully help it get noticed ) —is that Rachel doesn't have a problem with the fact that it's a woman she's falling for ( and later, as the complications pile up, neither does anyone else ) . At the outset, Rachel doesn't seem to be particularly concerned about her growing attraction to a woman—it's just that the timing is so spectacularly bad and that she also doesn't want to hurt her brand-spanking new husband. As Goode plays him, Heck is a truly affable guy, a step up from the stuttering dunderheads that Hugh Grant specializes in ( although Goode resembles Grant somewhat as well ) . He's not the kind of man it would be easy to hurt.
As for Luce, we quickly glean that she's been hurt before. ( She responds to nagging from her mother to get a love life by saying, 'I have a like life.' ) Luce is content with her too-quaint-for-words florist shop. Naturally, however, she and Rachel are constantly thrown together through a series of comedic situations. But, slowly, as the two admit their true feelings, the comedy deepens into drama though a big finish, reminiscent of Notting Hill and many other British set romantic comedies, sorts everything out and there are some unexpected twists and turns along the way which liven the proceedings.
The career of the New Jersey-born Piper Perabo, who plays Rachel ( and who handles the British accent with ease ) , has been an interesting one. After a breakthrough performance as the shy singer/songwriter-turned-sexy bar-dancing waitress in Coyote Ugly ( a sort of cross between Flashdance and Fame ) , Perabo next took the lead—not in another empty-headed piece of eye candy but as a schoolgirl passionately involved with her female roommate at a boarding school in Lost & Delirious. A wonderful performance was overlooked by audiences and many of the films that have followed haven't been of much interest. She was the only one who registered in last year's dreadful The Cave ( which, ironically, also co-starred Headey ) but hopefully, with this delicately nuanced performance Perabo will regain the attention she deserves.
Imagine Me & You is surprising in another way that might seem unusual: straight, gay, or trisexual, you will find yourself rooting for these two ladies to wind up together. If this delightful film—perfect romantic fare coming just a few weeks before Valentine's Day—has anything in common with Brokeback Mountain, it is the inevitable truth that love knows no boundaries—especially those invented by society at large.
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The same can be said of Three of Hearts, an eye-opening documentary that follows the real life ménage a trois of Sam, Steven and Samantha over the course of eight blissful, sexy, playful and extremely complicated years. This fascinating film opens this Friday and plays for one week at Facets. Director Susan Kaplan befriended the threesome and became interested in the easygoing nature of the relationship between them and slowly won the hesitant trio over.
The film opens as Samantha has become pregnant and continues through the birth of two children and heartbreaking complications. Sam and Steven, gay lovers, we learn, decided to invite Samantha to join their relationship and it seems that, much to the surprise of friends and family, the trio is indeed creating the subtitle of the film: A Postmodern Family. All three, in their own ways, are striking and distinctive camera subjects. But with the passing years come unexpected challenges that will severely stretch the boundaries of the unusual relationship—all of which Kaplan, with her unfettered access to the three, records. It is a rare, insightful look into what might be considered a social experiment. www.facets.org
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Local Screening of Note:
Social activist Bernardine Dohrn hosts the Chicago premiere of Turning a Corner, a documentary that focuses on the plight of Chicagoans involved in the sex trade, their efforts to raise public awareness and suggested reforms. A pre-screening reception, art show and post-film panel discussion are also part of the program. Presented on Feb. 6 at Thorne Auditorium, 375 E. Chicago. The event, which is free to the public, is being sponsored by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Beyondmedia and Northwestern University School of Law, and kicks off at 5:30. Further information at ( 312 ) 435-4548 or www.chicagohomeless.org .
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