LGBTQ Cinema: Femme Films to Binge

Two new films were recently released on streaming platforms, and they couldn’t be more different from each other. One is a stark, deadly serious drama about a lesbian couple facing a crisis, while the other is a rollicking comedy. Both are available via video-on-demand wherever you rent movies.

Two of Us introduces us to a lovely, older, lesbian couple living in France. Madeleine (Martine Chevallier) and Nina (Barbara Sukowa) have been together for many years, something that Madeleine’s grown children know nothing about. The two women live across the hall from each other in an apartment building, and both apartments serve as their love nests. To Madeleine’s children, Nina is simply the lady across the hall.

They love each other dearly. Both women are retired, and they’re planning on selling their apartments so they can move to Rome together, the city where they first met. But then, Madeleine suffers a debilitating stroke which leaves her temporarily paralyzed and unable to speak. 

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Two of Us illustrates what so many LGBTQ couples, in particular older couples, so often have to go through. As soon as she is taken ill, Madeleine’s children hire a live in nurse, and Nina is effectively cut out of the picture. But, the two women’s love for each other, their desire to be together, has not diminished, and a desperate Nina pushes hard in her efforts to “help out” so she can be near her beloved. At one point she even breaks into Madeleine’s apartment and sneaks into bed with her. The nurse, and Madeleine’s daughter, who have no idea that the women are a couple, are none-too-happy with Nina’s behavior.

Both Sukowa and Chevallier are superb in their roles. Sukowa is particularly good, playing Nina’s desperation with an intensity that is heartbreaking. But it’s Chevallier who has the more difficult role. Once Madeleine has had the stroke, the actress is left with little more than her eyes with which to convey her character’s emotions. She rises to the challenge beautifully. It’s been said that the eyes are the window to the soul, and Chevallier lets the audience peek deeply into Madeleine’s soul. It’s a gut-wrenching and unforgettable performance. 

Two of Us is a stark, quiet, and profoundly moving drama with a lot to say. The two leads display a good chemistry with each other which makes their love story absolutely believable. And, it’s nice to see two, older women in love. Most films tell stories of young love; it’s very rare that we get to see older characters so deeply in love with each other. It’s a refreshing change of pace. 

Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is a decidedly different type of film than Two of Us. A goofy, screwball comedy, Barb and Star feels like a very long Saturday Night Live skit, and no wonder. The film was co-written by and co-stars SNL alumna Kristen Wiig, who co-produced and co-wrote the film with Will Ferrell, another SNL alumnus. The SNL connections works in the film’s favor. The plot may be ridiculously implausible, yet everything moves at a fast pace, and the film is lighthearted, frothy fun.

Barb (Annie Mumolo) and Star (Wiig) is the story of two somewhat dizzy women who go on vacation to Vista Del Mar, an upscale resort town in Florida. There they become involved with the handsome Edgar (Jamie Dornan), who, unbeknown to them, is working for a madwoman who’s planning on killing everyone in town. Her method of killing is of course absurd: she plans to unleash a huge swarm of killer mosquitos on the town. But then Jamie gets involved with our bubbly heroines and begins to rethink his involvement in the diabolical scheme.

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That, in a nutshell, is the film’s plot. It’s not very deep, but it’s an entertaining film. Everything moves at a quick pace and the cast plays the story for broad comedy. Wiig and Mumolo work very well together–like her co-star, Mumolo is no stranger to comedy. She was nominated for an Oscar for co-writing the screenplay to the hit 2011 laugh getter Bridesmaids. 

Dornan is a hunk who’s very pleasing to look at. Best known for his starring role in the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise, the actor proves himself to be quite adept at slapstick. The film does run on a little too long, so the comedy starts to wear a bit thin towards the end, but for the most part, Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar offers viewers a riotous good time. It’s been a rough year, and we need to laugh these days, too.

*Two of Us photos courtesy of Magnolia Pictures, Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar photo by Cate Cameron.