Queer film critiques: Better Than Chocolate

Content note: This analysis includes mentions of biphobia and transphobic violence.

Thank you for visiting my personal new monthly queer film analysis! Strap on for a few of your fave oldies and newborn baby dyke movies on scene.

Each movie’s merit shall be assessed via a demanding technique I developed: i am going to examine each film concerning whether it’s much better or worse compared to the infamous 1990s lesbian film



Better Than Chocolate,



guided by Anne Wheeler.

Thus, I realized I would better start with evaluating whether



Much Better Than Chocolate



is superior to



A Lot Better Than Chocolate.

Image: Trimark Pictures, 1999

T

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


of the West End Girls.

Trust me: place that song on ASAP.

The orifice overall performance is slashed with shots of Maggie making the place being harassed by two guys outfitted as skinheads. As things are appearing some furry, a colourfully painted van screeches along the alleyway and a soft butch jumps from driving. The skinheads appear afraid of the colorful van additionally the smooth butch, so they scatter.

Maggie thanks the woman smooth butch saviour and continues strolling house, that is a bookstore known as 10 % Books – see what they did here? – decorated with rainbow flags.

In bookstore is actually Francis, exactly who we 1st came across from the overall performance. Francis is the owner of the spot and, in a number of really smooth scene-setting dialogue, allows us to know she actually is permitting Maggie to keep in the chair until she finds her own apartment.

We also find out that Maggie has not come out to her mum, who is coming to community a day later to remain with Maggie.

Through some daring digital camera work, we observe as Maggie goes selecting somewhere to call home. She places on a one-month sublet in a truly iconic warehouse.

B

ack in the bookstore, we learn that customs are supporting some books if you are ‘pornographic’, like the subject



Butches in Chain



s.

BRB, gonna Google this 1.

We additionally fulfill Kali, whom takes on the the main predatory bisexual. I would have liked to imagine circumstances would have changed on this front chances are, regrettably that shit trope however exists.

After residence searching, Maggie’s strolling down the street, and would you she see? The one and only the gentle butch, just who we soon discover is named Kim.

While the colourfully van may have been a tip, we learn that Kim’s an artist. She’s presently decorating portraits, so of course she really does Maggie’s.

Maybe not going to lay, the intimate biochemistry between the two is actually *fire emoji*.

At this point, In addition desire to pause simply to note that Kim is actually wearing a strip together cargo short pants.

Maggie and Kim return to Kim’s location – the van – and set around, chatting and flirting.

There is a montage of vehicles heading last. The music is really ‘niche lesbian 1990s singer-songwriter’ that Shazam could not actually think it is in my situation.

Simply once they eventually go to get together after spending hours talking (probably about their trauma), would not you are sure that… the van gets towed.

#VanLyfe

Kim can’t afford the towing cost, so that they return to the warehouse Maggie’s subletting. Then begins the world in fact it is permanently imprinted on mind of any queer over 30: they paint one another’s naked figures and roll around on a canvas provocatively.

It is actually a maximum minute in 90s lesbian cinema.

When I have actually


noted elsewhere


, lesbian cinema enjoys a wet theme each time intercourse is going on on display. And therefore, real in order to create, after running provocatively in the material, obtained gender in shower.

L

ater, Maggie’s mum and brother arrive. Many people are awks, but that does not prevent Kim from definitely buying the blue-singlet-soft-butch appearance.

In a really strange change of events, later that night they show Maggie’s bro sneaking abreast of their and Kim having sex. Nevertheless, they keep having sex, and Kim says to Maggie that she actually is “an animal”.

Weird.

The very next day, we precisely meet the next person from opening overall performance: Judy. She has the bookstore, thrilled because her parents are buying their a condo.

This is the very first get in touch with Judy has received together moms and dads since she came out as trans.


Judy features it detrimental to Francis, but Francis is an uncomfortable butch about it.

Kim and Maggie make an art piece. They put many of these queer books in liquid and freeze it in a large ice block for the reason that customs censoring them.

I have to lament this poor company choice; Francis must offer those publications!

A

t some point, Maggie’s mum makes a really unfortunate message about how exactly she will not have the sex she wants, but that several things much better, like chocolate.

Fortunately, she finds out a vibrator eventually and finds out to relish her bod.

S



ome time passes by, plus it looks Maggie and Kim have merely upright U-Hauled.

In one single scene, they fuck into the toilet of Cat’s Ass while a range accumulates. Whenever they leave the restroom, they have a round of applause.

Honestly, this is certainly queer culture.

As a part notice, absolutely an incredibly poor land line including Maggie’s 17-year-old bro and Kali. Nope to this whole storyline range.

Judy sings a song about not-being a fucking drag king; she actually is a trans girl. Later on that night, Judy experiences transphobic assault, but Maggie and Kim burst in and stop the assault, pushing the attacker to apologise to Judy.

At some time, Maggie and Kim battle because Maggie will not appear to her family, and Kim leaves.

Although next min, in protest associated with censored publications, Maggie stands for the window for the bookshop nude, aided by the words “obscene lesbian” and “pervert” across her body; a bold move after not being released mere hours before.

Suddenly, the skinheads return and toss drilling Molotovs from the bookshop.

The café next door for some reason has an open gas line??? So every little thing explodes???

The next thing you know, Kim comes back while a Sarah McLachlan song performs within the history.

Judy and Francis get-together.

Maggie writes a manuscript about this all called



Better Than Chocolate



.

Fin.

S

o, okay. This movie is terrible.

Absolutely some excessively dubious material around consent. Each and every figure is apparently white. There is not truly a plot range.

But in older times, this to be real one of the few flicks we had, together with simple fact that it tried to deal with transphobia is excellent. Seriously flawed, but great. Unfortuitously, Judy ended up being starred by a cis-man, and that’s hopefully something quickly stops going on permanently.

The film really does in addition try to handle the issue of queer censorship. It really is type difficult follow and in the end tends to make no sense, but hey, would youn’t love some lesbian performance artwork?

In addition, let’s be actual: that ’90s lesbian singer-songwriter’ soundtrack actually hit house with some nice recollections of very long car journeys belting out Ani DiFranco.

All in all, this movie found all my objectives as well as for that we rate it:

competitive with




Much Better Than Chocolate

.

Jess Ison is an aficionado of queer media and really likes every poor lesbian movie ever produced. Inside her pro life she actually is a researcher at Los Angeles Trobe University. She life along with her dog on Wurundjeri secure. Find the lady on




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