Queer film critiques: A Lot Better Than Chocolate

Content note: This overview has mentions of biphobia and transphobic violence.

Thanks for visiting my personal brand-new monthly queer film analysis! Strap on for a few of one’s fave oldies and newborn baby dyke films regarding the scene.

Each movie’s merit will be examined via an arduous method I’ve designed: i am going to examine each movie on whether it’s better or even worse versus notorious 1990s lesbian film



Better Than Chocolate,



guided by Anne Wheeler.

So, I thought I’d much better start with examining whether



Much Better Than Chocolate



is superior to



Better Than Chocolate.

Image: Trimark Photos, 1999

T

the guy film opens up with a performance at a queer site called The Cat’s Ass. The three performers – Maggie, Judy and Francis – tend to be miming to the tune ‘Sexy’


because of the West End Ladies.

Trust me: put that tune on ASAP.

The opening performance is actually clipped with shots of Maggie making the site being harassed by two men outfitted as skinheads. Just as things are appearing some furry, a colourfully painted van screeches along the alleyway and a soft butch jumps out of driving. The skinheads appear afraid of the colourful van therefore the soft butch, so they scatter.

Maggie thanks the woman smooth butch saviour and goes on strolling house, that’s a bookstore labeled as 10 % Books – see just what they did truth be told there? – adorned with rainbow flags.

When you look at the bookstore is Francis, whom we initially met from the performance. Francis has the spot and, in certain extremely smooth scene-setting discussion, allows us to realize that she actually is letting Maggie to stay on the sofa until she finds her very own apartment.

We also uncover that Maggie has not come out to her mum, that is going to community the following day to remain with Maggie.

Through some daring camera work, we view as Maggie goes looking for a location to reside. She lands on a one-month sublet in a truly iconic facility.

B

ack within bookstore, we learn that practices tend to be supporting some publications to be ‘pornographic’, like the subject



Butches in Chain



s.

BRB, gonna Google that certain.

We additionally fulfill Kali, who plays the area of the predatory bisexual. I’d have appreciated to believe circumstances might have altered on this front side by now, but unfortunately that shit trope nonetheless is present.

After household searching, Maggie’s taking walks down the street, and would you she see? The one and only the comfortable butch, exactly who we soon learn is known as Kim.

Whilst colourfully van might have been a tip, we learn that Kim’s an artist. She’s at this time decorating portraits, thus without a doubt she really does Maggie’s.

Maybe not gonna rest, the sexual chemistry among them is *fire emoji*.

Now, In addition desire to pause just to remember that Kim is using a strip together freight shorts.

Maggie and Kim return to Kim’s destination – the van – and set about, talking and flirting.

There is a montage of autos going last. The songs is really ‘niche lesbian 1990s singer-songwriter’ that Shazam couldn’t also find it for my situation.

Simply once they ultimately check-out hook-up after spending hours chatting (probably regarding their injury), would not you are aware… the van will get towed.

#VanLyfe

Kim can not afford the towing cost, so they really get back to the factory Maggie’s subletting. Subsequently begins the world basically forever imprinted about mind of each queer over 30: they paint each other’s naked bodies and roll about on a canvas seductively.

It truly is a peak second in 90s lesbian cinema.

As I have actually


mentioned somewhere else


, lesbian cinema loves a wet motif whenever intercourse is going on on display. And therefore, true to form, after running seductively in the material, they will have intercourse inside shower.

L

ater, Maggie’s mum and brother come. Most people are awks, but that doesn’t end Kim from completely possessing the blue-singlet-soft-butch appearance.

In a really peculiar change of activities, afterwards that evening they reveal Maggie’s buddy coming on her and Kim sex. However, they hold having sexual intercourse, and Kim informs Maggie that she is “an animal”.

Crazy.

The following day, we properly meet the 3rd person from beginning overall performance: Judy. She has the bookstore, thrilled because the woman parents are buying the lady a flat.

Here is the very first contact Judy has already established along with her moms and dads since she was released as trans.


Judy provides it detrimental to Francis, but Francis is an awkward butch about it.

Kim and Maggie make a form of art part. They place a few of these queer publications in water and freeze it in a giant ice block as a result of traditions censoring them.

I need to lament this poor company decision; Francis must promote those publications!

A

t some time, Maggie’s mum can make a really unfortunate message about how precisely she’s going to not have the sex she wants, but that some things much better, like candy.

Luckily, she finds out a dildo eventually and discovers to enjoy her bod.

S



ome time passes by, therefore seems Maggie and Kim have just directly U-Hauled.

Within one scene, they fuck when you look at the bathroom from the Cat’s Ass while a range builds. Once they allow the bathroom, they have a round of applause.

Seriously, this is queer society.

As a side notice, there is an incredibly bad story range including Maggie’s 17-year-old uncle and Kali. Nope compared to that entire land range.

Judy sings a track about not a screwing pull queen; she actually is a trans lady. Later on that night, Judy encounters transphobic assault, but Maggie and Kim burst in and stop the attack, forcing the assailant to apologise to Judy.

At some point, Maggie and Kim battle because Maggie don’t come out to her family, and Kim leaves.

Nevertheless then moment, in protest from the censored books, Maggie stands from inside the screen with the bookshop naked, making use of words “obscene lesbian” and “pervert” across the woman body; a bold move after perhaps not being released mere hrs before.

All of a sudden, the skinheads return and throw screwing Molotovs on bookshop.

The café nearby somehow provides an open gasoline line??? So everything explodes???

The next thing you know, Kim comes home while a Sarah McLachlan track plays in background.

Judy and Francis gather.

Maggie produces a manuscript about any of it all labeled as



Better Than Chocolate



.

Fin.

S

o, okay. This film is actually poor.

There is some exceedingly debateable content around consent. Every character is apparently white. There is not truly a plot range.

But back in the day, this really was mostly of the movies we had, while the proven fact that it attempted to deal with transphobia is very good. Profoundly flawed, but great. Unfortuitously, Judy had been played by a cis-man, and that is ideally something which shortly puts a stop to happening forever.

The film really does in addition try to handle the matter of queer censorship. It is type of hard to follow and in the long run makes no sense, but hey, who willn’t love some lesbian performance art?

In addition, let us end up being actual: that ’90s lesbian singer-songwriter’ soundtrack truly struck home with some nice thoughts of very long road trips belting out Ani DiFranco.

In general, this movie met all my objectives and also for that we rate it:

competitive with




A Lot Better Than Chocolate

.

Jess Ison is actually an enthusiast of queer mass media and likes every poor lesbian movie ever made. Inside her specialist life this woman is a researcher at Los Angeles Trobe University. She life along with her dog on Wurundjeri area. Discover the girl on




Twitter




.