A Feminine Movie With Balls

To Cholodenko’s credit, this could have easily become an “issue” movie instead of the beautifully character driven piece it is. After all, the main characters all snort up and innocent Syd enters that world. There is an overdose in it. But Cholodenko strays away from a “drugs are bad” speech by allowing Lucy to be positively influenced by Syd, wanting to become clean for the sake of what would be a more mutually supportive relationship.

And though the film includes lesbian characters, it isn’t trying to preach about narrow minds. There isn’t a judgment that one sexual preference is better than the other. The concentration stays focused on how these people affect one another, how a person can just spark the best in you. Though I am glad that Lucy was a lesbian, if the film had been based around heterosexuals it still would have been just as provocative.

Possibly the only annoying aspect to this well-crafted story is the extreme look at the magazine industry. From the moment Syd enters her office, you know exactly how the scenes will play out before they do. Her bosses will treat her horribly, and she’ll be passive until the end when she’s allowed to find her voice. In fact, I don’t know why there are two characters for editors because they sound exactly alike though of different sexes. Thankfully these scenes are short and spread out, as well as saved by Syd’s more subtle reactions.

It’s refreshing to see a feminine story played with grace while based on main characters that are flawed yet sympathetic. Some female directors try so hard to create an empowering vision of women because of the current filmmaking climate that they lose track of creating three-dimensionality. Actresses are always complaining in Hollywood that there are no strong female roles so the emphasis has been on creating strong women and not strong stories. It is because Cholodenko’s story is strong through its imperfect characters that make the final product impressively rewarding to watch.

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