In Swedish filmmaker Levan Akin’s intimate tour-de-force, a young man comes to terms with his sexuality amid the hyper-masculine world of traditional Georgian dance. Shut out by a home country that stubbornly refuses to honor its great women filmmakers, the film itself stands ablaze in defiance of - and in glaring contradiction to - the dominance of men. While the romance is undoubtedly the heart of “Portrait,” Sciamma also seamlessly infuses the film with evidence of women’s limited options, or rather, the endlessly creative ways they learned to skirt the rules. The setting is a damp and nearly empty manor house on an island in Brittany, the part of France that bears the closest resemblance to England.Ī British austerity permeates the film’s first act, all cold shoulders and sidelong glances between the women, but Sciamma delivers the French passion by the film’s fiery conclusion - and then some. There are only four characters in the film, all women: A painter, her elusive subject, her mother, and their maid. Never fear - Celine Sciamma’s luscious tour-de-force will return to theaters in February, arriving as the perfect Valentine’s Day event for the discerning cinephile.
“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”īy now you’ve likely heard enough about “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” even if you missed its one-week theatrical run. 'Song of the South': 12 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial MovieĮach year brings more varied and inspiring queer films, one just has to know where to look.
#Best romantic gay movies of 2016 series
'House of the Dragon': Everything You Need to Know About HBO's Upcoming Series The 35 Best LGBTQ Movies of the 21st Century Smaller, independent films are garnering interest on the worldwide stage as streaming sites make content more accessible. What’s more, Hollywood is beginning to understand that LGBTQ filmmakers are the best shepherds to bring queer stories to life. More and more filmmakers are not only embracing queer characters and storylines, but learning from criticism about the difference between tokenizing “representation” and authentic and textured storytelling. Oscars or not, there is still so much to celebrate in queer cinema. Celine Sciamma’s stunning masterpiece “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” was passed over as France’s Oscar submission in favor of Ladj Ly’s “Les Miserables,” and Levan Akin’s powerful coming-of-age story “And Then We Danced” was recently left off the short list for Best International Feature. That’s not a reflection of the many excellent LGBTQ films released this year, of which there are a variety. Alas, barring any big surprises, the streak may be broken at next year’s ceremony. “Carol” in 2016, “Moonlight” in 2017, “Call Me by Your Name” and “A Fantastic Woman” in 2018, “The Favourite” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” in 2019. Over the course of the last four years, there has been at least one queer film in the Oscar race each year.