That's why I didn't give this 1 star. The cinematography is nice to look at. I'm always searching for a decent lesbian film and 9/10 I don't find one. Camp Belvidere is a good example of that let down. I love that Astrid Orvalles is a creative soul. She's a writer, director and actor. The concept for this short film was promising - one character coming of age, another character - a self-loathing lesbian trying to quietly navigate through the 50's. First, I think Molly Way was miscast. No matter how her character was written, she's a total wrecking ball and busts through her scenes - it's too much. Astrid Orvalles is almost completely wooden in this short - except for the love scene - she seems comfortable and comes to life when her character is giving in to her desires. I was pleasantly surprised by that, actually. The second the sex ends, though - she's back to being flat. She would have done better (my opinion) if her co-star was a better fit. The dialogue is unimpressive and paints no pictures for us - it feels sophomoric. Yes, less is more sometimes - but this short needed some life infused into it and the dialogue didn't do that. I rented this on Prime - didn't finish it until the rental was about to expire (because I didn't want to waste my money - that's how little it moved me). I felt like I was watching actors reciting lines - other than the sex scene - I never felt like I was catching a genuine glimpse into someone else's life. Bit of a pet peeve of mine when the main characters can't pull you into their world. I'm guessing the good reviews are because Astrid Orvalles is gorgeous and because the film is nicely shot - it doesn't look like it was filmed with a cell phone in 2009, like a lot of indy/low budget lesbian flicks look. If you want a decent lesbian storyline with decent acting - go watch Kiss Me (in Swedish with English subtitles). I felt like I was watching REAL people - not actors. Bonus: the sex scenes are very realistic. Watch Fire by Deepa Mehta. Emotional storyline - great actors, writing and directing. It's in Hindi with English subtitles. It's more subtle with sexual content - the beauty is in the affection and kisses from 2 women in a culture that fervently rejects that lifestyle. Novitiate by Maggie Betts is amazingly done - I recommend that. If you're looking for more RomCom/dramedy type lesbian movies then go for Chutney Popcorn, Alto, Imagine Me & You. Don't forget Bound! A crime thriller that's sexy, hilarious and tense when it needs to be. Camp Belvidere will remain a lesbian film I'll only ever watch once. Pretty amazing because my bar isn't incredibly high when it comes to lesbian movies.
Review of Camp Belvidere
