Mar 26, 2014
Quality lesbian movies often feel like they’re hard to come by, and this is true for the most part, especially if you’ve browsed the LGBT selection on Netflix. The low budgets, tired storylines and overacting leave most of us bored out of our brains but still dying to see ourselves represented in movies. We keep waiting for more movies like Kiss Myg, Blue Is The Warmest Colour or The Kids Are All Right to come along but these movies are once a year if that.
Thankfully, this year, there is a big lesbian movie coming out that actually has a great script, amazing performances and sets that don’t look like they’re made of cardboard. It’s called Concussion and it’s written by first-time director and writer, Stacie Passon, and it was featured in this year’s BFI Flare festival for LGBTQ films
The incredible Robin Weigert plays Abby, a bored, sexually-frustrated housewife who begins to have a double life, away from her wife and kids, as a high-priced hooker. Her marraige to divorce lawyer, Kate (Julie Fain Lawrence) is doing fine except in the bedroom where Kate has lost her sex-drive, leaving Abby constantly working out at the gym and immersing herself in rennovating a New York apartment. Their case of one-sided lesbian bed death (yes, we hate this phrase too) is the only imbalance between the couple but Abby realises that she needs this kind of attention and decides to take control of her sexuality again.
Watching Abby navigate her sexual experiences with other women while maintaining a healthy and loving marriage with her wife is ultimately really satisfying. Yes, sex with other women isn’t the most honorable thing a character can do but, at least it’s real and human and what that character felt she needed to do. Can we say the same for other leading lesbian ladies?
The film has a great script with well-rounded yet flawed characters, a clean, crisp aesthetic style and will be able to speak to a lot of women, both gay and straight, who’ve ever even considered straying from their partners. Cheating doesn’t automatically make you a villain and that there are a lot of ways to be happy. Also, not one of the lesbian characters ends up with a guy at some point; a welcome change!
Emily is the Community Manager of Dattch as well a part-time film reviewer and full-time cookie monster. She can’t walk in heels, is a cross-breed of Essex girl and Londoner and makes cupcakes like nobody’s business. Find further nonsense from Emily on Twitter @moulder5000
