I first saw and reviewed this movie in 2017, then this past week the title popped up while I was surfing the internet. I remember it had made an impression on me, so being curious as to how it would stand up I've just watched it a second time.
It was WAY better than I remembered! The words that come to mind are honest, raw and brave. I now see why it was chosen to premiere at TIFF!
I think a big part of the reason this movie doesn't have a higher rating is that initially the two main characters come across very poorly (which is probably why some people have trashed the acting). The movie opens with Dallas having checked-out sex then coldly dumping her girlfriend. She's a player and self-centered. At work Jasmine has no qualms about lying to get the job done. When the two meet at the bar Dallas is (in my books) off-puttingly aggressive. Jasmine, who's "straight" and engaged to a man, is eventually inticed into meeting Dallas for "just one drink." She sets boundaries which Dallas proceeds to trample all over. Jasmine allows herself to be seduced. A night of sex turns into a weekend of physical and emotional intimacy that shatters the carefully constructed walls our two leads have built around themselves. In my original review I complained about Dallas not have enough back story to allow me to feel empathy for her. I now think that I probably just missed some of what was said as Dallas mumbles a lot. I listened much more carefully this time around.
I called it a simple lesbian story before. Still true, but this one goes straight to the heart of the matter, whereas I feel most lesbian movies remain fairly superficial in this regard, mostly by checking off plot points that lead the viewer to believe the characters have fallen in love. This movie is much more visceral than that, likely due to the very explicit sex. It could have relegated this movie to the softcore bin, but instead it serves to validate the connection that forms between Dallas and Jasmine.
Once again I've been blown away by Natalie Krill's portrayal of a woman thrust into a maelstrom of emotions. She does the heaviest lifting here, but with this second viewing I have much greater appreciation for Erika Linder's portrayal of Dallas.
Hopefully this review helps you to go into this movie with an open mind.
It was WAY better than I remembered! The words that come to mind are honest, raw and brave. I now see why it was chosen to premiere at TIFF!
I think a big part of the reason this movie doesn't have a higher rating is that initially the two main characters come across very poorly (which is probably why some people have trashed the acting). The movie opens with Dallas having checked-out sex then coldly dumping her girlfriend. She's a player and self-centered. At work Jasmine has no qualms about lying to get the job done. When the two meet at the bar Dallas is (in my books) off-puttingly aggressive. Jasmine, who's "straight" and engaged to a man, is eventually inticed into meeting Dallas for "just one drink." She sets boundaries which Dallas proceeds to trample all over. Jasmine allows herself to be seduced. A night of sex turns into a weekend of physical and emotional intimacy that shatters the carefully constructed walls our two leads have built around themselves. In my original review I complained about Dallas not have enough back story to allow me to feel empathy for her. I now think that I probably just missed some of what was said as Dallas mumbles a lot. I listened much more carefully this time around.
I called it a simple lesbian story before. Still true, but this one goes straight to the heart of the matter, whereas I feel most lesbian movies remain fairly superficial in this regard, mostly by checking off plot points that lead the viewer to believe the characters have fallen in love. This movie is much more visceral than that, likely due to the very explicit sex. It could have relegated this movie to the softcore bin, but instead it serves to validate the connection that forms between Dallas and Jasmine.
Once again I've been blown away by Natalie Krill's portrayal of a woman thrust into a maelstrom of emotions. She does the heaviest lifting here, but with this second viewing I have much greater appreciation for Erika Linder's portrayal of Dallas.
Hopefully this review helps you to go into this movie with an open mind.