Sunday, March 20, 2011

Quick and dirty review: ELENA UNDONE

I'd heard A LOT about this movie before it even hit the festival circuit. This was, of course, due to the much hyped "longest kiss in the history of cinema", which was used for publicity and quite a good PR job, really. However, when I saw part of this much hyped kiss on YouTube... well, I felt... not all that much!



For me, it rarely works to just have women jump on each other and start kissing. I mean, I don't exactly mind - I am, after all, only human AND gay. And for the purpose of an intense short film (or even a music video), it can work just fine to see an intense kiss very quickly, but personally, I need to experience the love and the passion evolve, before I witness the result of this.

And all the little things leading up to this are just as great: the brushing of hands, by accident, the longing gazes that can't be broken. You know, all that sappy romantic and passionate stuff. I suppose the two keywords here are: Love and passion! It makes it a thousand times more intense, and is the reason why Naomily was such a success - and why it is so insanely missed by me and many, MANY others - and the same goes for "Loving Annabelle" and "Imagine Me & You". I love them both and the latter is one of my absolute favorite movies!

But, as per usual, I'm getting off track. Because my point is that while the initial clip from the kissing scene didn't do much for me, then the trailer started pulling at the heart (and passion) strings, so I decided that I needed to watch this movie sooner rather than later - or actually, Wifey helped make this decision, since we both got the warm and fuzzy "I NEED MORE!" feeling from watching the trailer:



So we ordered the movie on good ol' fashioned DVD, and received it a few days later. We watched it that very same night, and... WOW! While the first clip of the kiss was "meh", and the trailer was "Oooh", then the movie was simply WOW.

The full story of the movie finally delivered all the missing pieces, and you get that evolution of the relationship, which means the looong kiss is suddenly working wonders and makes perfect sense. You understand that they don't want to stop. You recognize that feeling of not wanting to stop. In part, perhaps, it's the fear that if you stop for even a second, maybe reason will take over and it will end completely.

No matter what you think you know about this movie, you should... no, you NEED to do yourself the favor of watching this movie.

Enjoy,
- GG

Friday, March 4, 2011

It's okay if you're not gay

Yes, I am finally back. I've had so very many things to say, but not enough time to share those things - at least not as in depth as I'd like to. And I'm really not good at doing things half-assed.
Anyway, here I am, still gay (but of course) and that's okay. But it's also okay if you're NOT gay. See, I've been accused of thinking everybody's gay. You've probably been met with the line "Oh, you people..." because really, it not about YOU, and you might as well realize that at any given time, the things you say and do, reflect on all gay people. Anyway, the line is "Oh, you people think everyone is gay!" And if you haven't heard it yet, then just wait for it. It will happen. A couple of years ago, this is definitely the words you would've heard, if you'd dare imply that Portia de Rossi was gay - and we all know how Mrs. DeGeneres identifies now, don't we?! Yes, I am feeling smug about that one. Very!

But really, I don't think everyone is gay. Not at all. However, I would like to shoot this back "Oh, you straight people, think no one is gay!" And this is something that has bothered me for a while and now I have a very current example where this is extremely evident: Pretty Little Liars!

Oh, I LOVE the show... Really, I'm addicted to it! Just like millions of other people. And like the rest of "my people", I love seeing a gay character, Emily Fields (the girl resting on the red velvet chaise with the most seductive smile in the picture below, played by the gorgeous Shay Mitchell), completely out and proud and so very sure of who she is.

This is amazing and a very new thing in television. Particularly in teen shows. And where the girl is drop dead gorgeous. I mean, not a single episode has gone by - since she came out and said she was gay - where she hasn't said this out loud again and/or kissed a girl. There is no doubt that this girl is gay, because she has no doubt that she's gay. And I love it!


But if you look at the comments regarding who Emily should be with - i.e. when the producers ask this question in the official Facebook group and give the choices Paige or Maya - then the name "Toby" continues to come up. Umm, hallo, she's GAY! And yes, we, the gay people, want Spencer to find a nice girl as well, and we joke (and hope and dream) about this, but we don't seriously think or believe this is an actual option. People DO however seem to think Toby (a guy) is a possible love interest for Emily (a gay girl). Why is that? To quote a recent episode of US Skins "What don't you get about being a lesbian?" You would think that even if the words aren't sinking in, then the actions should. And there's been quite a bit of action - enjoy:

Even the producers know people still think of Emily as an "open sexuality" girl, so they include Toby as an option when asking who the viewers want to see Emily with. This irked me at first, but then I realized they just want to know how many are hanging on to this idea of Toby and Emily. And I understand, respect and accept that. Hell, I want to know the answer to that one as well.

 My point - and once again, I do have one - is simply this: Why is it that being gay is all too often perceived as a temporary feeling, a fleeting emotion or "a phase"? But being straight, on the other hand, is considered the constant. The sexuality that we are all born with and so this is the starting point and therefor also the place you return to when you're done experimenting. People can marry a person of the same-sex and still, you hear their sexuality questioned. Fine, being with someone of the same sex might not make the person gay, but it certainly DOES mean they're not straight. A person married to someone of the opposite sex however, is always perceived as being straight. But really, they might as well be bisexual, if we go by the standard applied to same-sex couples.

If you're of the belief that we all have a fluid sexuality and are essentially bisexual at birth and have this as the origin, then that's fine by me. I can certainly accept this notion though I have found my place in the spectrum and know that I have "floated" to the gay end of the sexuality pool. And look, right next to me is Emily Fields... kissing a girl and saying "I'm gay". And that makes me proud!

Also, the vast majority of people taking ABCfamily's poll on Emily's love interest is agreeing with me. And that just thrills me to pieces:

Have a great weekend! :o)
- GG