This year was a mixed year for gay cinema.Triumphs large and small for Our People were hampered by political and social reverses outside the movie house, and the recession definitely hit the independent movie business with the lion's share of boutique studios—the indies that often launch the most compelling queer fare—being absorbed by their studios or dissipated altogether. Artiztical Entertainment, one of the few distributors specializing in queer movies, didn't survive the financial fallout and declared bankruptcy, while TLA, Strand Releasing and Wolfe are still hanging in there.
Several LGBT-themed movies that, in previous years, might have gotten at least a week's run at the Landmark Century, the Music Box or one of the other indie theatres in town skipped bookings in Chicago altogether. Though festival audiences saw Eleven Minutes, the documentary about former Project Runway fashion contestant Jay McCarroll, the film didn't get a theatrical booking here. Nor did we get to see Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller bathing together in The Edge of Love or "Friday Night Lights" star Zach Gilford sleep with both Emmy Rossum and Ashley Springer in the provocatively titled Dare. One of the reasons, as I and other local queer film critics told audiences when questioned about this at our Queer Film Society Q&As, seems to be a lack of support by Chicago audiences for LGBT cinema. Perhaps queer moviegoing audiences have been burned by a series of dreadful to not-great twink fests over the years or maybe, in fact, that's exactly what they want.
Whatever the cause, when even a major award-winning, high-profile release like Milk has trouble at the box office, what kind of numbers can producers expect for low-budget queer movies without the benefit of money for splashy marketing campaigns? So consider this yet another exhortation to head out to theatres and support the current crop of queer-tinged movies—A Single Man and Precious, for starters—especially if you'd like to see more films about Our People show up in theaters around town in 2010. Let's hope that several festival favorites from this year—Ky Dickens' Fish Out of Water, Ron Pajack's Queerborn & Perversion, Tina Mabry's Mississippi Damned and other unsung movies—find distributors before heading the DVD route.
Okay, enough of the soapbox. This year also had a lot of good queer-themed films that did make it to Chicago theatres—so let's get to them. I'd like to point out—as I do every year—that these "Best of" lists are completely subjective. Mine tends to shift around with repeat viewings and reconsiderations. And with that, here's my list of the 10 Best LGBT Movies of 2009 ( in preferential order ) :
1. A Single Man: Based on iconic queer writer Christopher Isherwood's 1964 novel, Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode and Nicholas Hoult look and act sensationally in this stylish and moving retro drama about a college professor coping with the death of his lover. Clothing designer-turned-film director Tom Ford co-wrote, directed, produced and financed the film.
2. Valentino: The Last Emperor: Vanity Fair correspondent-turned-film director Matt Tyrnauer made this entertaining and deeply observed documentary debut about the last collection of Italian couture designer Valentino and his business/life partner Giancarlo Giammetti.
3. Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire: Bisexual author Sapphire's novel about a twice-pregnant 16-year-old obese African-American teenager in Harlem in 1987 is compellingly brought to the screen by self-described "part homo, part Euro, part ghetto" director-producer Lee Daniels. Paula Patton plays Miss Rain, the firm but loving teacher who helps Precious spread her wings—and just happens to be a lesbian.
4. Outrage: Oscar-nominated documentarian Kirby Dick's movie goes after closeted conservatives in Washington politics with a track record of voting against Our People. For about 10 seconds after its release the conservative media helped it gain traction while the mainstream media once again ignored its eye-opening claims. It arrives on DVD in January. See it.
5. Bruno: Opinions about Sacha Baron Cohen's Austrian fashionista character Bruno and his shock-inducing stunts had mixed results with both straight and gay audiences. Is Bruno too stereotypical to score points from the homophobes he encounters? Or just the opposite? I'm in the latter camp.
6. Every Little Step: Adam Del Deo and James D. Stern's fascinating and entertaining documentary about the history of Broadway's "A Chorus Line" as a revival is being cast included a biography of the gay talent behind the scenes, most tellingly its brilliant director-choreographer, the late Michael Bennett.
7. Taking Woodstock: Oscar-winning Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee returned to queer characters with this endearing, based on a true story set in the sleepy hamlet that made history the weekend of the Woodstock festival in 1969. Everyone comes out—sexually, emotionally, etc.—in this ultimate coming-out story, a tribute to the "peace and love" generation that should have done better in theatres.
8. Grey Gardens: Out co-writer/director Michael Sucsy's film version for HBO of the incredible story of once-wealthy Big Edie and Little Edie Beale, a mother and daughter now living in squalor in their decaying East Hampton mansion provided Drew Barrymore with a career-altering role, Jessica Lange an Emmy award and Malcolm Gets with a delicious supporting part as Big Edie's gay piano accompanist. It should have been released in movie theaters.
9. Little Ashes: Twilight star Robert Pattinson and newcomer Spanish hottie Javier Beltran play the young painter Salvador Dali and writer/activist Federico Garcia Lorca who have an intense romance during their school days in this old fashioned, gorgeously mounted mood piece.
10. Hannah Free: Sharon Gless makes her feature debut in the title role about the decades long, up-and-down romance between a free spirit and her more cautious lover who ironically end up down the hall from each other in a nursing home at the end of their days. Windy City Media Group Publisher Tracy Baim was executive producer, and the movie was made by a mostly local—and lesbian—group of actors and filmmakers.
Going on an adventure:
For the second consecutive year, Camp Midnight will present the disaster movie The Poseidon Adventure on New Year's Eve.
"Passengers" are invited to embark at 11 p.m. for the camptacular Camp Midnight pre-show hosted by Captain Dick O'Day and staffed by the crew of Hell in a Handbag Productions.
The screening of the film will be timed so that theater patrons and their celluloid counterparts will celebrate midnight at the exact same time.
Admission includes a complimentary champagne toast and party favors. Advance tickets for select screenings are available via Brown Paper Tickets.
Check out my archived reviews at www.windycitytimes.com or www.knightatthemovies.com . Readers can leave feedback at the latter Web site.
