Following is a list of films which are about us, or at least are of interest to us. They are all available for purchase at Reel.com. Click on the film title to see additional reviews, other similar films or to purchase. I will continue to add reviews and additional titles.
A lesbian history flick with interviews of Leslie Feinberg (transgender activist and author), Joan Nestle (femme author and activist) and Judy Grahn (butch poet and activist), among others. There is also a nice 50's butch/femme bar re-enactment featuring Leslie Feinberg (very sexy dancer) and a police raid. Also plenty of stuff on cross-dressing "women" in history. Unfortunately, this film is pretty Eurocentric in scope and makes the usual assumptions that "women" only cross-dressed and passed because they wanted the male privilege and opportunity to love "other women". None-the-less, this about the best femme-inclusive dyke history flick I've encountered, with plenty of trans content, especially if you take the narrative with a grain of salt. Recommended.
A similar documentary with a narrower scope: 50's-60's bar culture with a pulp novel twist. Interviews with the working class butches and femmes who lived the life. The film switches back and forth between a typical documentary format and an "enactment" of a bar scene.
The documentary part is good, with interviews, a voice-over and photographs - I particularly enjoyed seeing regular people, instead of just the few "famous" butches and femmes I'm familiar with. And I enjoyed seeing Ann Bannon, the author of Beebo Brinker, (probably my favorite lesbian pulp novel, with a great butch main character).
The enactment portion of the film was more problematic for me. It portrays a scared "femme" going to a bar for the first time and getting picked up on by the knowing bartender, who is a "butchy girl" at best. I much prefered the bar scene in Stolen Moments, but I guess this is more of a portrayal of a pulp novel than the reality of pre-Stonewall bar life. As such, it felt gimmicky and the acting left a lot to be desired. Fortunately, this was a very small portion of the whole film, leaving plenty for us to enjoy. Recommended.
Okay, can I just say: Gina Gershwin is not a real butch - I mean, since when did butch = surly sneering wimp? uh... Well, she doesn't have a shred of transgender to her, that's for damn sure. That said, this movie is hot! I think Jennifer Tilly did a great femme portrayal. Very sexy, very capable. (All right, a little desperate, but hey... she was in a tough situation!) And I think this was an amazing film, in that it was mainstream, sexy, and very lesbian. It was also well written, well acted, tense, gripping and highly suspenseful. (And there was a really cool gross bloody part too!) Even though it wasn't done quite right (in my opinion), it was nice to see an attempt at butch/femme portrayal in a mainstream flick. Recommended.
Documentary about lesbian filmmakers and films about lesbians. Interviews with Jennie Livingston, Cheryl Dunye, Monika Treut, Rose Troche, and others.
Romantic coming-of-age tale of two teen girls -- from different backgrounds, lifestyles -- who fall in love. I haven't seen this, but I remember reading that it was really sweet. Unfortunately, I also heard it didn't go too deep or too real on the intense nature of interacial relationships, particularly as they play out in the queer community. ::sigh:: So, what else is new?
I'm not gonna mention any names here, but there is a certain transguy (SO to a certain transensual femme) who makes a minutely brief appearance in this film. He likes to think he's a star now! (haha) Anyway, this film is a nostalgic look at San Francisco's oldest lesbian bar as it finally closes its doors. And it's supposed to be really great! I've been trying to get around to watching it for the longest darned time. I'll post a review when I get a chance to watch it myself!
Yentl was my first look at female to male cross dressing. I was 11 and fell in love with Barbra Steisand. I told myself it was okay because I pretended she was a boy... She makes a cute boy. Oye!
Anyway, this film is one of my all time favs, despite some underlying homophobia and the corruption of the original (very transgendered) tale of "Yentl, the Yeshiva Boy" into a Hollywood version that emphasizes a het love subplot and the "mission statement" that women aren't satisfied with traditional roles.
I know a lot of people panned this flick, and sometimes I get laughed at (especially by butches) when people find out how much I LOVE THIS MOVIE!! But come on, there is some really good music here. (Yes, I have the sound track. Did I mention that I'm obsessed?) And I really actually relate to the Yentl character - her passion for learning, her desire for more from life, her inability to fit the prescribed role of femininity. And of course, Barbra is so stunning - as a boy or girl.
Okay, so it's not a trans movie, persay. But for me, it was a major big deal in my life. Someday I'll tell you the story. For now, let's just leave it at this: my movie list could not be complete without this film.
Here are some other films you might enjoy that I haven't had a chance to review yet. If you click through you can read more about them on the Reel.com site.
Note: A portion of all purchases made through links from this page will help support the Transensual Femme website.