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Reviews
The Gymnast (2006)
A dash of "Personal Best", a sprinkling of "When Night is Falling", a dollop of "Desert Hearts".
Sounds pretty good? Mmmm, maybe not.
"The Gymnast" is, fundamentally, a story of a woman's journey to self. Soon it becomes apparent that the film misses its potential and falls into the Lifetime Movie of the Week genre. Like many others of the breed, it has comfortable elements: the self-involved/disinterested husband; the gregarious shoot-from-the-hip best friend; the not-quite out of the closet beautiful lesbian. If you don't expect it to be more than this, the film delivers. Performances are gentle and non-confrontational, the music soothing and sentimental (though on occasion a bit intrusive, another generic pitfall), the cinematography sensual and flattering.
One cannot escape the beauty of the the athleticism and this is where the film captivates. For those who dreaded P.E. class, watching the fusion of pure artistry and physical prowess is an enchanting view of a world both alien and fascinating, like watching breathtakingly beautiful sculptures come to life and fly about the heavens.
(Here be spoilers.)
Where it may lose you is where it should be at its best: the plot. Holes, gaps and downright lapses may cause verbal outbursts in some viewers. The deus ex machina removal of the third member of the ensemble; the downright gratuitous cell phone photo; the best friend gets drunk and says too much to the one person who can make the dream come true moments just show where the screenwriter falls into banal contrivance. Most blatant is the unbelievable 180 degree turnaround of the husband, with no authentic moment of revelation that would inspire his behavior, This flip of the switch to add dramatic conflict is a narrative belly flop.
Make no mistake, there are moments of genuine delight in this story. A trip to Koreatown showcases the chemistry that clearly exists between the two leads and is unique in that it focuses on their cultural differences rather than sexual ones. The truth behind many a woman's late night soak in the tub has not been told this artfully before. The coming out to the parents moment is unmistakably truthful. And as many have stated, the credit sequence is a gratifying dismount.
But those flashes of gratification are not enough to add up to a wholly satisfying film, particularly if you are a looking for the next "Desert Hearts". For a gay audience, it misses opportunities and clearly avoids others that allow the best of the straight woman/gay-themed films to remain memorable long after viewing. The elements that began with "Personal Best" and made "Desert Hearts" iconic films and move the genre forward are so clearly missing here that it is, at times, a little heartbreaking. But it is just those missing essentials that are the very things which will allow "The Gymnast" to play in heavy rotation on Logo and be added to the Netfilx queue because without them the film won't ruffle anyone's feathers. To a gay viewer, these omissions stand out like a pierced nipple.
Jam & Jerusalem (2006)
Sweet, charming but NOT a sitcom
When this appears on U.S. TV, it will be compared to "The Golden Girls." It is my fondest wish that NO ONE take such a comparison seriously. J&J is NOT a sitcom, thank Jennifer Saunders.
It is a sweet, charming, funny slice of life in a West Country village filled with eccentric, idiosyncratic folks. There is no one there I don't like and many I would love to know.
It has so far been a complete delight, filled with Jennifer's trademark wit, a delicious cast, beautiful locations and wonderful music. No laugh tracks, no dumbed-down humor here. It has an almost Robert Altman-like quality with overlapping dialogue and wonderful set pieces (episode five has several, my favorite being the pony trials). U.S. viewers might not get some of the references but for those of us who grew up in large towns and now live big cities, it is a temptation to chuck it all and move in with these people.
British TV is noteworthy for not padding episodes with exposition and back story which is a refreshing change. You'll pick everything up, trust me.
While Jennifer plays a small role as perpetually nettled Caroline Martin, it is Sue Johnston's show. I loved her work in "Waking the Dead" and am delighted that she gets to show off her comic side. The rest of the cast is really solid, particularly Sally Phillips as Tash, (you haven't lived until you've seen her UK Valley-girl/hippie/stoner routine), and Dawn French's Rosie takes turns making me laugh and breaking my heart. Pauline McLynn plays Sue's best mate and has totally won me over.
The only weak spot might be Joanna Lumley's Delilah Stagg. It's pretty clear that Delilah is a somewhat re-worked version of the aged Patsy Stone from "Ab Fab." She seems to turn up, do a bit of business each episode and disappear. Not sure where Jennifer's going with Delilah, but who knows maybe that's the point.
Really first class TV. Can't wait for Series 2. Get busy ladies.
(Each episode runs a full 30 minutes.)