Reeling: The Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival is the second oldest film festival of its kind in the US and prides itself on showcasing the best LGBT films and videos each and every year. From award-winning international feature films to social documentaries to experimental shorts (and, this year, music videos), Reeling has always presented a range of genres that demonstrate the rich diversity of work being produced. One of the most important cultural events for Chicagoans, it also attracts LGBT people from throughout the Midwest who consider the festival to be the highlight of their cinematic year.

Reeling 2008 presented 77 programs over 11 days from November 6-16. GLBTRT members John Bradford and Tracy Nectoux checked out 3 films together on Saturday, November 15.

• The New Twenty
  Directed by Chris Mason Johnson
  Los Angeles: Serious Productions, 2008, 92 minTN: The New Twenty is probably one of the best films devoted to the trials and tribulations of beautiful, self-absorbed, upper-middle-class young adults I’ve seen in a while. It hearkens my old-lady self back to St. Elmo’s Fire. And I mean that in a good way. This film is well-acted and directed. The story is compelling and I found myself hoping that everyone I cared about would have happy endings.

  But that’s the rub: Of the movie’s eight characters, I only really cared about two of them (just like with St. Elmo’s Fire). And—frustratingly enough—these are the characters who get the least attention. Or, to be fair, it’s their relationship that gets the shaft (and I don’t mean that in a good way).

  Because, see, The New Twenty doesn’t treat physical affection between its couples equally. This movie’s story is a quasi-love triangle between Julie, her angsty ex-boyfriend, and her new dickhead fiancé. And my two favorite characters? They’re the film’s gay couple: Julie’s adorable brother Tony and his new Professor/HIV+ boyfriend (Matt). However, while we get “grindy” sex scenes between Julie and dickhead (including nudity) and an achingly erotic moment between angsty ex-boyfriend and his one night stand, we never see even a single kiss between Tony and his professor. This is jarring and slightly insulting, especially at a lesbian & gay film festival. Having said that, while Tony and Matt are “sexless,” they do share the film’s most romantic moment. Indeed, they are the only stable, loving, mature relationship in the entire film.

  I recommend The New Twenty for its acting and interesting story, but—as I bitched to John for a good ten minutes after it was over—it really shouldn’t have been included in this festival’s lineup. 15+

  JB: There were two gay characters, out of the five principals, but they seemed peripheral to the plot. Tony, the gay brother of the female lead, found a love interest in a taciturn poz professor; Ben was a bearish amiable loser led on by friends and potential hook-ups alike. The real winning character, though, was the female lead, Julie, as she made her way through a series of love triangles to an independent life. This is a GLBT-accepting movie most libraries could stock without protest but it doesn’t challenge the viewer, either.

• 3Way
  Produced and directed by Mary Lou Belli, Robert Ben Garant, Courtney Rowe, Nancylee Myatt, Paige Bernhardt.
  Los Angeles: 3Way, 2008, 70 min

  JB: I was one of about a dozen men in the audience for this show but I was glad I went! Billed as the hottest lesbian comedy not on TV, this was a series of several hilarious sketch comedy webisodes about a straight, washed-up diva who invites a friend to move in, and the friend brings along her girlfriend, and the girlfriend has an oddball ex (who has a stalker) semi-permanently sleeping over. The episode I liked best was “The Dinah Monologues”, but the whole show was fantastic. There’s no nudity but lots of sexual situations and innuendo, so check out www.3waytv.tv before buying for your library. And watch for the forthcoming 3Way DVD!

  TN: This film—actually a type of sketch comedy—is extremely sexy and hysterically funny. The four comediennes (Maeve Quinlan, Jill Bennett, Cathy Shim, and Maile Flanagan) are excellent, and possess both impressive comic timing and obvious chemistry with each other. All four are gorgeous, hot, and brilliant performers. There are very few male actors in 3Way (maybe three?), but those who are included make excellent use of their short time on-screen.
  These women are true professional comediennes and the writing is irreverent, riotous, and smart. Considering the vapid crap that passes for “comedy” these days, it’s a shame their work is relatively unknown.

  3Way contains a 19-minute opener that deserves mention: “Human Potential” (written and directed by Christin Baker; Chicago: Tello, 2008). This sketch presents Alison’s first day on the job at a dysfunctional non-profit devoted to advancing athletic opportunities for young girls. Alison is gay and watching her maneuver through conversation after conversation devoted to her “single status” is both hilarious and surprisingly touching. You can watch Human Potential at www.tellofilms.com. 15+

• 3-Day Weekend
  Written and directed by Rob Williams.
  Los Angeles: Guest House Films, 2008, 84 min.

  JB: We finished our run at Piper’s Alley with this cross between Love! Valour! Compassion! and The Big Chill. Two gay couples head off to a cabin in the woods; each person brings along a gay single friend to spice things up. Clich’s abound, from the leather daddy and his boy to the loopy nude yoga coach to the grizzled hustler, and more–but this movie acknowledged the stereotypes and played off them to show the vulnerability and humanity of each character. The movie could have used a little more cutting and the ending was tepid. Some nudity but nothing blatant or gratuitous; libraries with established GLBT feature film collections would want this.

  TN: After the teasing I subjected John to during 3Way, he got to give me good payback during this film: I believe I was the only person with ovaries in the entire theater. 3-Day Weekend contains not one female character, not even, say, a waitress or nagging mother. Not one. But, honestly, I didn’t even realize this until the film was over. It’s just that enjoyable.

  Yes, yes, John is correct that it’s a Big Chill knock-off with noticeably clichéd characters. But, hey, clichés exist for reason, no? In Three-Day Weekend we have: the May/December romance; the hustler-with-a-heart-of-gold; the I-can’t-be-monogamous-no-no-never guy; the unapologetic-slut-who’ll-never-settle-down guy; the guy-who-was-bashed-and-disowned-but-didn’t-let-it-change-him, who then falls in love with:; the skinny-shy-bookish-lonely-non-poster-boy; and, finally, the perfect-but-getting-older-why-isn’t-he-loved? guy.

  And still, with all of these clichés, this movie worked for me. There wasn’t a single unlikable or one-dimensional character. Rob Williams managed to write characters and dialog that—if not transcendent of the clichés—at least work well within the structure of the story. Indeed, as John mentions, one of the most enjoyable scenes is one in which they have a discussion of the pros and cons of gay films “then and now,” which becomes surreal as you become aware that they’re also commenting on the very movie we’re watching (freaky!). The dialog is smart, interesting, and never boring.
  John is correct that the ending is lazy. His description, “tepid,” is spot on.

  This film has full frontal nudity (“nothing blatant,” John?? Is it just my imagination, or did I not see asses and dicks everywhere!?), but sex is treated responsibly and is never exploitative. I recommend Three-Day Weekend for 17+