5FFF: Queer cinema

Midnight Cowboy
It’s been a month since I’ve logged anything for my Five Film Film Festival project, but I’m happy to be back and celebrating Pride Month!
What I really liked about this movie was the dialogue and the performances. Despite my general disdain for Jon Voight, I thought his portrayal of Joe Buck was great. Hoffman is equally compelling as Rizzo, though I think Voight is clearly the standout. What didn’t quite do it for me were the innumerable flashback montages. It all felt a little too stylized and “on the nose.” Just one, perfectly placed flashback montage would have been enough for me. I also think the whole movie could’ve been trimmed by about twenty minutes, but on the whole I enjoyed it.

Pink Flamingos
I try to refrain from giving negative ratings based on a single element of a film, but I felt that the animal cruelty depicted in the chicken scene was too offensive and unnecessary to warrant anything above 1/2 star. Granted, I also hated the excessive raunchiness and purposeless sleaze that permeates this entire film so I probably would’ve panned it anyways. Bottom line, this was not a pleasant watch. Only good part was the lady who talked about eggs.

Paris is Burning
Paris is Burning is a simple and beautiful documentary that serves as an invaluable reference for this pivotal time LGBT history. A balanced mixture of one-on-one interviews and raw footage, this film is a must-watch for anyone interested in queer cinema, documentary film, NYC history, or the 1980s.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch
One of the best original rock musicals I have ever seen for sure. Everything is just functioning on the highest level here— from the costumes and makeup to the music itself (I think "Origin of Love" should have been nominated for an Oscar). John Cameron Mitchell's direction is great, but his acting is fucking amazing. He can sing, he can act, and he can strut! This one of those rare examples where someone successfully writes, directs, and stars in their own film and deserves it. It's his story and he owns it.

Brokeback Mountain
So glad I finally got around to seeing this. Though I thought it was a tad long, it was hard not to be in awe of Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal for the entire the movie. This definitely stands out to me as one of most important movies of the 2000s, and now when I bitch about this losing Best Picture to Crash, it'll be because I loved this, not just because I hated Crash.,

---

What is 5 Film Film Festival (5FFF)?
In short, 5 Film Film Festival is an ongoing personal project to help me watch more classic films. For each mini “festival,” I will choose a random theme (be it a genre, actor, director, etc.) and curate five movies that fit that theme to watch for the first time. When I started this journey, I posted my brief, unpolished thoughts on Letterboxd. I like this more informal, less pretentious mode of watching older movies, so as I begin documenting the project here on the site, don’t expect a lot of in-depth analysis— every “review” will read more like a “first reaction.”
​
If you’re like me, and you have more than a few blind spots in your cinematic knowledge, then consider joining me on this lifelong endeavor. Watch along, recommend themes, and organize some mini festivals of your own!