G&L Romance

A woman who loves opera finds herself playing a romantic version of musical chairs in this independent comedy from writer and director Maria Maggenti. Allegra (Elizabeth Reaser) is a writer who has been involved with Samantha (Julianne Nicholson) for some time, but Allegra just isn't willing to make a commitment. Eventually, Samantha decides she's had enough, and she not only leaves Allegra, she jumps to the other side of the gender divide and starts dating a man. While Allegra is none too pleased with Samantha's actions, she unwittingly finds herself following suit when she meets Philip (Justin Kirk), a college professor, at a party. After a few cocktails, Allegra and Philip end up in bed, and while Allegra is content to leave it as a one-night stand, Philip has different ideas, and goes so far as to dump his girlfriend to pursue a relationship with Allegra, even though she's made it clear to him she's not at all serious about him. At the same time, Allegra strikes up a new romance with Grace (Gretchen Mol), but she doesn't know all that much about Grace's previous lovers -- who happen to include Philip. Puccini for Beginners was screened in competition at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Two men in search of their soul mates discover that a little humor goes a long way in keeping love and attraction fresh in this romantic comedy starring Matthew Montgomery and Jeremy Lucas. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A warm and gentle human fable with a left-wing political undercurrent, the French-language picture Looking for Cheyenne concerns two women passionately in love with one another, and yet hopelessly separated. Journalist Cheyenne (Mila Dekker) is reeling -- not only from a split with one of the great loves of her life, high school science prof Sonia (Aurelia Petit), but from a recent and unexpected job loss -- the product of her company's decision to downsize. When she finds it next to impossible to land another job, Cheyenne eventually throws up her hands in disgust and drops out altogether. Refusing to live by society's constraints, and rejecting every government "handout" that comes down the pike, Cheyenne lives without running water, electricity, or groceries, preferring instead to live off of discarded vegetables that she discovers in trash cans and to light her residence with candles. Meanwhile, Sonia keeps her job, but enters into an affair with a freewheeling young man, Pierre. An anarchist who spends his time passing out flyers full of anarchist catchphrases and taglines, he readily admits to Sonia that he could care less about her pansexuality and is willing to accept her on her own terms. Sonia's affair represents an attempt to drown the sorrow out of her life, for she -- like Cheyenne -- is still destroyed and devastated by the recent breakup. As each woman grapples with a unique outlet for her sorrow, eccentric and endearing characters waltz in and out of their lives and form various romantic couplings; these include a wealthy middle-aged woman of a predatory nature (Guilaine Londez); a comely and naïve coed who decides to stage her own form of social rebellion (Eleonore Michelin); an affable and ebullient Russian (Miglen Mirtchev); and a man who believes in returning to the soil (Laurence Côte). Director Valerie Minetto thus weaves together a giant life tapestry composed of joys and sorrows, unexpected treasures, and resounding disappointments. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

An Asian-American woman and her mother both find their private lives are becoming a family matter in this romantic comedy-drama. Wilhelmina Pang (Michelle Krusiec) is a surgeon living in Manhattan whose mother (Joan Chen) is eager for her to settle down with a nice man and get married. What Ma doesn't know is that Wilhelmina happens to be a lesbian -- or rather, Ma prefers not to acknowledge it, since she once walked in on Wilhelmina and her girlfriend several years before. As it happens, Wilhelmina is looking for someone special in her life, and thinks she may have found her in Vivian (Lynn Chen), a beautiful dancer, but a fear of commitment and a desire to keep her medical career on track is making their relationship problematic. As Wilhelmina tries to get her love life in order, her mother's shifts into crisis mode. Ma, a 48-year-old widow, has just discovered she's pregnant, and her staunchly traditional father (Li Zhiyu) will not allow her back into the home they share until she's married someone respectable. Unwilling to name the father of her baby, Ma is forced to move in with Wilhelmina, and while enduring the emotional roller coaster of pregnancy she is being pressured by friends and relatives to marry Cho (Nathaniel Geng), a sweet but boring man she doesn't especially like. Saving Face was the first feature film from writer and director Alice Wu. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Sweet Home Alabama screenwriter C. Jay Cox directs the independent romance Latter Days. Christian (Wesley A. Ramsey) is a young gay party boy who lives in Southern California. When a group of good-looking Mormon missionary guys move into his apartment complex, he's determined to pick one up. He ends up falling for sweet, innocent Mormon Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss), who's secretly struggling with his sexuality. Aaron slowly falls for Christian, even though he thinks he's shallow. The romance causes problems in both worlds. Christian tries to develop a conscience and ends up meeting Keith (Erik Palladino), a man dying of AIDS. Aaron has the difficult job of coming out to his mom (Mary Kay Place) and to his fellow missionaries. He comes against harsh criticism from the blatantly homophobic Ryder (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Latter Days won awards at the Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and L.A. Outfest. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

A typical frat rat has a secret lurking in his closet in this gay-themed drama. John "Griff" Griffith (Daniel Chilson) is a student at a college in Southern California, where he lives with his friends in a fraternity house. Griff's frat brothers and his best friend Todd (Niklaus Lange) don't know that he has been having an affair with Pete Bradley (Don Handfield), another member of the frat who lives in an off-campus apartment. While Griff acts "straight" and talks about women with his beer-drinking frat brothers, his involvement with Pete has been going on for some time. Pete has accepted his homosexuality and is tentatively inching out of the closet; he wants to have a real relationship with Griff, based on more than furtive sex, but Griff is unwilling to acknowledge that he is gay. Pete asks Griff to meet him at a gay coffeehouse; their conversation turns into an argument, and Pete storms off in a huff. The next day, Griff learns that Pete is in the hospital; while walking home, he was attacked by gay-bashing yahoos and is now in a coma. Griff must now resolve his confused sexual identity, as well as his feelings for Pete. Defying Gravity was the debut feature for writer/director John Keitel. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This endearing romantic comedy about two high school girls, blue collar tomboy Randy (Laurel Holloman) and privileged, popular Evie (Nicole Ari Parker), was the first mainstream success for director Maria Maggenti, who chronicles the odd couple's relationship from tentative first steps to full-blossoming romance. Cast almost entirely with newcomers, The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love brings Randy's family (a lesbian aunt and an assortment of current and past partners), Evie's well-heeled and overprotective mother (Stephanie Barry), and a collection of friends, enemies, one ex-boyfriend (Andrew Wright), and one unsatisfactory affair (Maggie Moore) into the mix, balancing the excitement and passion of adolescent romance with the pitfalls of social and familial rejection. Maintains a light and quirky tone throughout, reminiscent in many ways of the teen comedies of John Hughes. ~ Genevieve Williams, Rovi

A man who has finally found the love he's been looking for discovers happiness doesn't always last in this independent drama. Ricky (Lu Yulai) leaves his home in Beijing to start a new life in Hong Kong, but the transition is rough; he has trouble getting work and has to live with his aunt (Wella Zhang), an abusive woman who makes her living as a prostitute. One evening, Ricky is wandering the streets when he meets Pascal (Bernhard Bulling), a Swiss expatriate who works as a street performer and is struck in a combative relationship with a petty criminal. Ricky and Pascal discover they have a lot in common, and soon they've fallen in love and are sharing an apartment. However, Ricky is shattered when Pascal unexpectedly dies, and as he tries to make sense of his loss, he travels to Switzerland and meets a man named Ueli (als played by Bernhard Bulling) who is a dead ringer for Pascal. The first feature film from director Kit Hung, Soundless Wind Chime was an official selection at the 2009 San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A case of mistaken identity leads to a rivalry that humorously ponders the issue of mind vs. body in this gay-themed romantic comedy. Blaine (Nicholas Downs) is a talented young writer whose career is on the rise. Blaine has just moved to Los Angeles, and while he's good looking, in a city full of Grade A hunks he feels a bit inadequate, and the fact he's looking for a serious relationship rather than a quick hook-up is making things all the more difficult. While browsing an internet chat room, Blaine crosses virtual paths with Xander (David Loren), a handsome young musician, and after a phone call Blaine thinks he's finally found the perfect man. However, Blaine soon realizes that while Xander was talking to him on the phone, the picture he saw online was Blaine's very buff flatmate Cameron (Adam Huss). Not wanting to disappoint Xander, Blaine persuades Cameron to go on a date pretending to be him, but while Blaine is a romantic and a deep thinker, Cameron likes partying and one night stands. Can Cameron persuade Xander he's Blaine? Does he really want to? And is Xander really looking for sex or substance? Is It Just Me? received its world premiere at the 2010 San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Better Than Chocolate is a lesbian love story. Walking home from an evening at the lesbian club 'Cat's Ass,' Maggie is confronted by a gang of skinheads. Suddenly a minibus comes to a screeching halt and out jumps Kim. The skins move on, and Maggie thanks Kim, who watches her go. This is their first meeting. Maggie has recently dropped out of law school and now works in a women's shop. To avoid a confrontation with her mother, she makes up a success story and tells her that she's living in a beautiful apartment. As her mother is having her difficulties with her second husband, she decides to take her young son and come to live with Maggie for a while. Meanwhile, Maggie is housesitting the apartment of a female performer on tour. As fate might have it, she runs across Kim again and they find themselves at the new apartment making love in the shower -- at which moment Maggie's mother and little brother step in. The film was screened as part of the Panorama section of the 49th International Berlin Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, Rovi

Yossi (Ohad Knoller) is the stoic company commander of an Israeli Defense Forces unit on the Lebanese border. Jagger (Yehuda Levi), who got his nickname thanks to his fun-loving rock star appeal, is the platoon leader. They have a secret. When they walk off in the snow together, it isn't because they're on patrol--it's because they're lovers. Jagger is more gregarious. He tells Yossi that he loves him, and longs to hear Yossi say it back to him. He makes plans for their future together, urging Yossi to leave the army with him when Jagger's mandatory service is done. Yossi can't bring himself to make any promises. "This isn't some. . .American movie," he tells Jagger. The colonel (Sharon Reginiano) arrives with two female soldiers, the irrepressible sexpot Goldie (Hani Furstenberg) and her more introspective friend Yaeli (Aya Koren of Late Marriage), who harbors a serious crush on Jagger, and is herself pursued by Jagger's nosy roommate, Ofir (Assi Cohen). As the unit's perfectionist chef, Yaniv (Erez Kahana) struggles to make a sumptuous meal for the commanding officer with meager supplies, the colonel tells Yossi that Hezbollah forces are expected to cross the border, and the already exhausted unit needs to set up an ambush that night. Yossi & Jagger, directed by Eytan Fox, was a critical and commercial hit in Israel. It was shown at the 2003 Berlin International Film Festival and had its U.S. premiere at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Two friends compete for the affections of the same man in this romantic drama from Canada. Marie (Monia Chokri) is a woman living in Montreal who has frequently been let down in her relationships with men, while her close friend Francis (Xavier Dolan) is a gay man who hasn't been faring much better in his love life. When Marie meets Nicolas (Niels Schneider), a good-looking man who is new in town, she's immediately attracted to him and tries to use her feminine allure to win him over. However, Francis is equally drawn to Nicolas, and the new man hasn't revealed his sexual preferences strongly enough for either Marie or Francis to be certain where they stand. The two friends each begin taking bolder steps in hopes of earning Nicolas' attention until their rivalry threatens to destroy their friendship. Heartbeats (aka Les Amours Imaginaires) was directed, written, and edited by Xavier Dolan, who also co-stars as Francis; the film was an official selection at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi