well strung

The title of Lisa Cholodenko’s High Art (1998) is a pun. Because it’s about an artist who does drugs. Get it? “High” art? This is the silliest thing about the film -- rest of it is pretty serious and difficult. I’m still a bit miffed though, because High Artwould have been a perfect name for a buddy road movie about the zany adventures of two stoners who’ve been hired to bring a priceless painting to an auction across the country in 48 hours. Instead, we get sad Ally Sheedy and the filmic equivalent of listening to the Mazzy Star cover of “Sweet Jane” on endless loop.

Lip Service follows the lives of six lesbian women living in Glasgow, Scotland. Already being hailed as the “British L Word,” the six-part drama has been described as “a bold new drama in contemporary Glasgow. Lip Service creator, Harriet Braun, says she hopes her latest drama is authentic to lesbian viewers and their lives.  Braun says it was important to her that the main lesbian characters Cat, Frankie, Lou and Tess, played by Laura Fraser, Ruta Gedmintas, Roxanne McKee and Fiona Button respectively, came across as authentic to a lesbian audience. Here's a recap of the first episode.

This was the year Sundance went back to being a solid film festival and more than a spot to schmooze and load up on gift bags. From Gay and Lesbian themed films to quirky features, Sundance had something for all movie lovers.