It’s very indicative of the direction mankind is headed in when we’re so focused and intent on keeping two people from happiness and loving one another, be they man and man, or woman and woman. When you skip that bible bullshit, homosexuality is actually a natural part of life, and not something that suddenly popped up in the sixties.
“She Likes Girls” is a series of short films exploring the world of lesbianism from the fantastic, the realistic, and the philosophical and takes off from the acclaimed formula of “If These Walls Could Talk.” The focus of “She Likes Girls” is mainly to celebrate lesbianism in its beauty, and rely not too dominantly on heavy handed preaching to express its world of lesbianism as an aspect of life that should be accepted. And, like every hot blooded guy, I feel lesbianism should be examined, praised, and encouraged. Especially during Mardi Gras.
Various female directors display their own variations and raw talent with short films based around lesbianism, and it’s a rather wonderful gallery at that. The fantasy “The Piper” is an entertaining and sweet tale about a housewife who is seduced by the song of the mystical female piper who helps her come to grips with a realization; director Robinson successfully uses the fantasy as a metaphor for a sterner theme.
“The Uninvited” is an awfully funny and creepy movie directed by Louise Runge, about two women who fall for one another after a young girl finds herself in the house of her neighbor and saves her life, and discover the meeting may not have been so coincidental after all. “Sarang Song” is probably the weakest of the bunch, unsure what message it’s exactly trying to convey. Rather than use the lesbian theme as a catalyst, it instead takes a back seat to over the top performances, a pretty bland story, and an overall blurry moral.
The best of the bunch, “This Boy,” directed by Amy Burt, is about a young girl named Kit who is a surefire Tomboy, short hair, pants and all who seeks to grab a picture of her school crush Holly, and imagines, through her favorite music, the fateful day she confesses her feelings for her. In the vein of “But I’m a Cheerleader,” Burt’s coming of age romance comedy is a cute story of Kit’s impossible infatuation with another girl, in the face of her mother’s urge to obtain Kit’s “normality.”
“Shugar Shank,” by Meredyth Wilson is a sweet rock and roll romance about a Tomboy’s sheer love for her reluctant band mate, and her urge to choose between devoting attention to her unrequited love, and her family. Kestrin Pantera is great as Matt, a girl who wants the attention of her friend, yet fails to realize her little brother’s hunger for her attention and guidance.
The final film, “Cose Bella,” by Fiona Mackenzie, is a film that sadly fetishes its main characters more than it does portray them as human. Two awfully gorgeous women try to deny that the fling they had one summer is actually something much more than they want to admit. Sadly, there’s not much in the way of story here, only a really fantastic sex scene, and barely any story. But there’s a fantastic sex scene. Either way, the story is simplistic. Girl likes girl, girl realizes she loves girl, and they have sex.
Yes, not all of the films are wins, but “She Likes Girls” is nonetheless an entertaining short film compilation celebrating the lesbian lifestyle, and it’s worth the watch for anyone seeking some originality.
