Movie Review- Better Than Chocolate is the Best!

Oh god, goddess, whatever you want to swear by, I'm so fucking happy I thought to check out this gem of a movie! It is officially my favorite lesbo movie, and I don't say that lightly. I can't really sum up the plot, but I'll try- Maggie, a nineteen year old lesbian working at an LGBT bookstore, has to allow her mother and brother to move in until they can find a home. However, her mom has no clue she's gay, and wants to run her life because she can't control her own. Let's just say, things get really messy, but it resolves itself just as messily.

And I loved it all! I didn't step back and examine it once for plot, character or anything. I was completely entranced and along for the ride. I kept thinking, "man, I think my mom would really love this movie!" but then there'd be more sex and I knew I'd have to keep it to myself. My mom can handle a lot of things, but I think multiple lesbian sex scenes might bother her a little... Anyway, how has this skipped my radar?

Yes, they deal with common LGBT issues. Trans acceptance, transitions, coming out, censorship, and hate all get focused on, but not once does it feel heavy handed. There's not even a trace of preachiness. This is just the characters' lives, who they are and what they deal with, and how they handle everything. The editing is fast and clever, moving the plot along without feeling forced (a common mistake). The writing- especially the mother, Lila- is so incredibly natural. In fact, the entire movie has a nice, organic ring to it. It made me laugh out loud, often, and the bad (terrible) things that happen? When they do happen, you can feel that it's going to be okay, eventually.

Something that just caught my attention- none of the storylines got more attention than the other. Lila's transition from wife to divorcee, her friendship with Judy, Judy and Francis's relationship, Maggie and Kim's romance- it's all treated with equal importance. I was invested in all of them, and I wanted them to be happy and okay with each other in the end.The characters are believable, and even though Maggie, being a young lesbian, could have very easily been a whiny angsty one (like Anna of "Itty Bitty"), she ends up being strong and very likable. And yes, angsty lesbians are everywhere in media because they're everywhere in reality- hell, I'm one, and I know several- but that doesn't mean we want to watch it. I don't like watching angsty lesbos on tv because I am one. I want to watch strong funny girls because I want to be them.

This movie handles the whole angst and LGBT thing wonderfully, by avoiding the angst. They're gay, and dealing with those issues- but there's no angst. They aren't ignoring the problems that arise, or pretending those problems don't exist, but they aren't creating them or inviting either (*cough* "Itty Bitty" I'm looking at you). There isn't a single moment where the character looks at the moody sky and seriously thinks about how difficult it is being gay, or how confusing life is or whatever- the take things like normal people and have to absorb everything quickly, because life doesn't allow for moody montages. It's the treatment of LGBT issues I needed to see, and the treatment I want to give in my own work.

Speaking of issues, I'm working on the library thing. I can't fix the persistent theft of every positive LGBT book, and to strike back might affect people who haven't done anything, but I can replace the books. Every time they go missing, I'm buying new ones. If I can, I'm going to start a fund to replace every stolen book in that library. It happens a lot, not just to LGBT causes. Book theft sucks, and when these are the only sources for confused kids like I used to be, it could kill. So I'm going to try and fix it. Who wants to help?