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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 2007)
24 juSt.OUt OCTOBER 5. 200 7 Continued from Page 23 (Trevor Wright). A cute, depressed, gifted artist a year out of high school working as a short-order cook, Zach is weighed down almost to immobility by family baggage, forced to forgo an art career to play surrogate father for his dysfunctional family as well as for his slacker sister Jeanne’s (Tina Nina's Heavenly Delights No Regret Holmes) fatherless kid, Much of the appeal of No Regret is in the performances, particu Nina left her (male) fiancé at the altar and disappeared for three Cody. The only time he larly of Lee Young-Hoon, a terse, tormented soul who doesn’t suffer years. Now she’s back and determined to vindicate Dad by winning a feels free is when he’s “Best of the West Curry Competition” and saving the family restau fools—or anybody, really—gladly. But the film also gains from the exercising his artistry by rant. In addition to reconnecting with her family, feisty Nina meets details of life in the upscale whorehouse run by “Madame,” a belea tagging walls throughout guered queen who can barely control his rowdy boys. A surprisingly up with equally gorgeous Lisa (Laura Fraser). Although the chemistry his port town of San brutal development in the last third of the film arguably undermines between them is palpable, the film chooses to show them in shadow Pedro, south of Los this thoughtfully observed study of stalker-style love, but the emo when they kiss, or to cut quickly from such scenes. Bad director! Angeles. That is, until tions that drive these final scenes feel real and ultimately unsettling. Fortunately, there are other virtues to a film that clearly aspires to Shawn (Brad Rowe)— be the “feel-good Indian Scottish lesbian fixxlie movie of the year.” the gay older brother or those seeking some relief after the intensity of No Regret, Kate There’s the obligatory quirky queen best friend, Bobby (Ronny of Zach’s best friend, Clinton: 25th Anniversary Tour (6 p.m. Oct. 14 at Cinema 21) Gabe—reappears after Jhutti), all arched eyebrows and hauteur. Hearing this Indian sissy in ringlets speaking gaytalk in a Scottish brogue (“It’s been a long time, is a solid choice. Although she came out of the lesbian comedy tradi a long absence. Shawn is tion, and certainly has worked that territory with panache, it can’t be girlfriend!”) is one of the more amusing exercises in multiculturalism hunky and, best of all for said that she belongs entirely to us. Clinton’s comic persona—a bril Zach, who’s just broken in recent memory. liant blend of mock-primness (she’s a former English teacher) with up with his girlfriend and is struggling with his sexual identity, an out Perhaps the film’s most enticing aspect is its intermittent visual gay man. They reconnect, to the horror of Jeanne and the mocking tour of haute Indian cuisine. In drool-inducing close-ups worthy of outrageous cultural and political commentary, rendered ironically— has made her a major force in comedy in and out of the gay ghetto. surprise of the surf crowd they all run with. Bon Apétit, we see a fabulous array of Indian spices, foodstuffs and Writer/director Jonah Markovitch’s background is mostly as an art dishes being chopped, fried and baked. Even vegetarians might be This shortish film (65 minutes) is both a valentine to Clinton and director, so Shelter looks quite polished, with beautifully shot scenes tempted by shots of braised lamb smoked with cloves and cinnamon. a record of her anniversary concerts. While some of the valentine aspect of the blighted industrial landscape of San Pedro and the gorgeous All this prep and cooking is punctuated by Bollywood-style music; in gets tedious—Cris Williamson’s too-long interview and Lily Tomlin’s cxean waves just beyond it. But the film is well-directed, too, full of fact, the spirit of Bollywtxxl is never far from the film. In one startling forced and foolish rap tribute to Clinton could easily have been axed— dramatic tension (will the boys’ romance work?) and fine perform sequence, dead Dad reappears to toss multicolored confetti on a stone the concert ftxjtage is ances by the principals, especially Wright. There’s also an effective path that Nina is walking on, a lovely symbol of his approval of her often hilarious. Her class angle (Shawn is rich) that’s not overplayed. Eagle-eyed viewers plan to win the contest that meant so much to him. monologues have an might recall Holmes as the fucked-over fag hag in the gay coming-of- irresistible stream-of- age drama Edge of Seventeen and Rowe as the dream stud in Billy’s ina's Heavenly Delights is also a kind of travel show about Glasgow, consciousness feel Hollywood Screen Kiss, scruffier and in some ways sexier here, almost highlighting that city’s uniquely smoky industrial look. Other that incorporates 10 years later. Both give sharp, credible performances. films in the fest offer an equally intriguing peep at far comers of the various voices and Some viewers might complain about the lack of serious kissing (no world. Korea’s No Regret (9 p.m. Oct. 15 at Cinema 21 ), directed by so-brief-you-almost- tongue, kids!) between the boys in their sex scenes. Both are beautiful; gay auteur Hee-il Leesong, presents a memorably atmospheric Seoul, miss-it editorial why shouldn’t they get down and dirty, especially in an indie? There’s with its foggy streets and majestic steel-and-glass skyscrapers. But the inserts. barely even a butt shot here. This is an occupational hazard when film goes further into a realm that few Westerners probably know about: Thus we get, on straight men play gay; they simply ain’t be as free and enthusiastic about the “host bars” that dot the city, offering working-class male prostitutes her interest in get- such things as actual, practicing homosexuals. Then, too, this film was (including rough trade) to middle-class and wealthy clients in the guise I ting on the gay adop- made for the Here network, so perhaps they’re hedging their bets, of a karaoke bar. [ tion bandwagon: hoping to appeal to a wider crowd with more delicate sensibilities than The film opens with a shot of fetching Sumin (Lee Young-Hoon) “We were thinking the gay viewers Shelter was clearly made for. swimming naked in a pond near the orphanage he, now 18, must leave. of adopting a fertil- Arriving in Seoul, he tries factory work but winds up at a more lucrative I ized egg. What’s in Kate Clinton: 25th Anniversary Tour peaking of restrained kisses, Pratibha Parmar’s Nina’s Heavenly host bar servicing a variety of clients, not the least being an equally the omelet, honey? Delights (7 p.m. Oct. 19 at Cinema 21) suffers from a similar handsome young businessman, Jaemin (Han Lee). Much of the film is Oh no...." In a witty history of the tampon, she imagines fending off case of cinematic gay panic. This superficial but diverting drama cen a record of their tumultuous, sometimes violent relationship as Jaemin a harassing man on the street by expelling a tampon at him. In the ters on the return of prodigal daughter Nina (Shelley Conn) to her obsesses over Sumin to the point where he’s ready to deep-six his fami Continued on Page 26 Indian family in Glasgow, Scotland, upon her father’s death. It seems« ly business and impending marriage to be with the gorgeous rent hoy. 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