Dec 28, 2007  |  By: GREG MARZULLO  | COMMENTS     

It’s been a grim year for gay cinema, at least in terms of making it into the multiplexes. Very little came down the pike that was especially groundbreaking for the mainstream (“I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” doesn’t even come close), and in many ways, gay issues have been driven back into the indie art films.

I’ve gotten a little more stringent in my own personal criteria for what I prefer to review in this column. Having a gay actor (who plays straight) or a gay director telling an essentially non-gay story is no longer enough — I’m more interested in seeing how gay lives are presented by filmmakers, indie and mainstream alike.

There were some notable films this year that fell into that nebulous “gay interest” category. Gay director Todd Haynes’ episodic Bob Dylan ode, “I’m Not There” garnered a lot of buzz, not the least of which is a hoped-for Oscar nod for Cate Blanchett’s gender-bending turn as the singer. The same actress also headlined “Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” which received mixed reviews but was a diva-worshipper’s fantasy. For another type of diva, the hot-and-cold Edith Piaf biopic “La Vie En Rose” was a treat because of Marion Cotillard’s exquisite performance as the legendary Sparrow. Let’s not forget Tim Burton’s “Sweeney Todd,” which just opened recently, and is a sad disappointment.

Finally, “Hairspray” also belongs with the other films in this category. Without someone like Divine or Harvey Fierstein anchoring the drag role of Edna Turnblad (despite a top-notch performance by John Travolta), the movie drifted more into campy fun than subversive queer or trash cinema.

FILM FESTIVALS, LIMITED releases and DVDs remained the go-to spots for queer cinema. Eytan Fox’s “The Bubble” received lots of play and critical praise this year. A Romeo-and-Juliet story about the love between an Israeli and a Palestinian, the film was loved by many, but I had mixed feelings. For my review, which criticized what I saw as an easy ending, I got a significant amount of feedback asserting that the ending was a perfect representation of Jewish-Palestinian relations.

Probably one of my favorite films of the past year, which did receive a limited release, was “The Life of Reilly,” a video record of Charles Nelson Reilly’s one-man show, “Save It For the Stage.” Before and after becoming known as a game-show staple and caricature, Reilly was an award-winning actor and director, and it’s easy to see why. His engaging performance is full of subtlety, moving from wry humor to wistful longing and even occasional moments of heartbreak.

“Super Amigos,” a documentary seen at Philadelphia’s gay film festival as well as the AFI’s Silverdocs Festival, in Silver Spring, Md., was one of the year’s bright spots. Following a handful of Mexican men who dress up in the campy, superhero-like costumes of Mexican wrestlers, they take on social justice issues, including housing inequity, environmentalism and homophobia. “Super Gay,” a man whose partner was killed in a homophobic attack, makes appearances all over the city, promoting a pro-gay stance on the radio and comforting a mother robbed of her son by a hate crime.

A popular film with a decent release this year was “Boy Culture,” directed by Q. Allan Brocka. Based on the same-titled book by Matthew Rettenmund, the story follows X, a hooker with an eventual heart of gold, who finds his way to love and a healthy relationship.

DVDs this year gave audiences the chance to see some classic gay films. “Mikaël” is a silent German film that’s a fascinating history lesson on gays in early cinema, as is Jean Genet’s erotic and aching “Chant D’amour.” Genet’s 1950 film, in particular, is a groundbreaking piece, even by today’s standards, showing gay sexuality in a way that would make the MPAA blush and leave modern gay viewers thrilled at seeing themselves depicted so honestly. If only Hollywood could do the same.