Customer Reviews

I Can't Think Straight / World Unseen

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

First, let me say that I first became familiar with Shamim Sarif's work, while visiting the Philadelphia Gay Film Festival over the last few years. This will be long, as I ABSOLUTELY LOVE both films, and can't recommend them enough for some humor, realistic drama and a journey beyond any existing borders of the mind. As a connoisseur of hi-definition films, and a wide variety of domestic and world cinema, these are 2 that absolutely NEED to be on Blu-Ray! The colors and visual depictions in both films pop right off the screen and are begging for this treatment!
My partner of 10 years and I have become life-long fans of Shamim's work, as this writer/director has captured our hearts and souls with relevant and poignant storylines that could serve as crossover projects for the mainstream media. I believe the latter is crucial in engaging America and the world in a dialogue of equality which transcends sexuality or gender.

***SPOILER ALERT***

THE WORLD UNSEEN:
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For me, this film is a stunning, visual masterpiece, based on the book of the same name. The sweeping visual landscape, and texture and layers of the setting, costumes, characters and lifestyle are simply magnificent and breathtaking. The film also masterfully captures the inhumanity, humiliation, cruelty and robbing of dignity caused by the laws of the period.

It is a period piece, set in 1950's South Africa and tells the heartfelt and heart-breaking story of two women who find each other under during a chance encounter which awakens an emotional connection that ultimately unites them in heart, mind and soul. This occurs during a time period, where mixed race relationships are considered criminal, and the country has taken for granted that this should be acceptable. That is, except for those that characters that fight to revolt against this, and believe in equality.

This includes Amina, the rebellious, courageous character (Sheetal Sheth) who ultimately reminds Miriam (Lisa Ray)-an oppressed and abused housewife, who has lost herself and her interests, in her "role"- that she the latter has the strength to stand on her own and be who she wants to be-personally and professionally. Both Sheetal Sheth and Lisa Ray do an incredible job of conveying their individual plights on screen-sometimes with little spoken word and an artistic journey that entrenches you into their quiet pain, caused by the situation. Their scenes are some of the most skillful, yearning and heart-wrenching I have ever seen.

The story is told with such subtle and emotional complexity that I've rarely seen on film. Many feelings are conveyed with glances, the score itself, and unsaid words, which make this film incredibly powerful. Although the film leaves much implied, I was completely captivated by the power of the performances of the leads, as well as the supporting cast. I learned a great deal about the time period, as well as how much courage each character had to find within him/herself to ultimately emerge independent and dignified.

Amina is playful, bold, flirty and powerful and Miriam is reserved, curious and taken with Amina and all that she represents. There is passionate chemistry between the two female leads, who ultimately risk everything to grasp that which is most important-love for each other and for life and happiness. The film has an open end, but keen viewers can deduce the outcome and will remember this powerful story forever. This is the winner of numerous awards, including the official selection at the Toronto Film Festival & London Film Festival. Do not miss this film!

***SPOILER ALERT***

I CAN'T THINK STRAIGHT-
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This has taken its spot among my favorite romantic comedies of all time. The soundtrack was up-tempo, fun and playful. The colors, costumes and set design where expertly integrated, and both this, and THE WORLD UNSEEN should be re-released on Blu-Ray (yes, I said that already!). The look of both films is amazing and begs for hi-definition treatment.

This time Shamim Sarif uses humor effectively to shed light on the cultural taboo of being in a same sex relationship. She re-casts Lisa Ray as the confident, bold and seductive Tala, working on her own business, opposite Sheetal Sheth as Leila, the shy, beautiful and insightful writer, and object of Tala's affections.

Together they explore this very forbidden, but inevitable love, and find their way to each other, with each other's help. But on the way, they are aided by friends in very humorous situations, and hindered by family members, still loyal to reserved tradition. The soundtrack is virtually its own character, as it includes catchy and sexy songs ranging from ethnic to ballad, which compliment Tala and Leila's journey perfectly.

The cultural taboo of being in this relationship is a relatable conundrum that many same sex couples have faced, and despite this film's focus on Jordanian and Indian cultures, the overarching theme of being threatened, disowned and shunned by family is universal and sadly, very relevant. All of the characters are funny and charming, and the dialogue is hilarious and smart, but never preachy. I found it particularly interesting how the fathers in both THE WORLD UNSEEN and I CAN'T THINK STRAIGHT were overall very supportive-another rare depiction, given the theme and cultures depicted.

Again, Shamim Sarif achieves the kind of crossover appeal, whether intentional or not, that allows the universal themes of unstoppable love to trump the sometimes "hot button" issues of gender, political and sexual orientation components. Both leads and the entire supporting cast envelop us with hope, laughter and inspiration. This is another wonderful achievement in bringing another one of her books to life on the screen. We love this movie, and have viewed it several times-each time picking up another funny line of dialogue and rooting for the characters all over again. We actually already owned it on DVD as it was released in the UK first. Yet, given the fantastic performances of these two actresses in THE WORLD UNSEEN, we saw I CAN'T THINK STRAIGHT at the '09 Philly Gay Film Festival again, and several times since then.
These two films are truly must sees and the behind the scenes extras on both dvd's are great additions.

Regardless of your sexual orientation, or interest in the genres, I highly recommend these 2 pieces as examples of genius book to film transitions and films that stand on their own (I've not read the books yet), that deliver a poignant message of hope, equality, inspiration and entertainment. A special thank you to the director & writer for using her incredible talent to portray courageous, memorable and complex characters and real stories with universal themes![...]

Don't be confused by the box set, these are two different films that are beautifully directed. I bought this box set just a few days ago and immediately felt in love with it. This box set will left you wanting for more.

This combo DVD pack is a great way to support women film makers. The DVD I Can't think straight presents a diverse view of the lesbian experience. Production values were slightly better than many lesbian films. The DVD World Unseen presents a interesting story from a moment in time in South Africa's history and a perspective that is not often seen in mainstream media. I think both DVD are a cut above the usual fair of lesbian movies you can find available.

Not since D.E.B.S. have I found myself watching two DVDs over and over. "I can't Think Str8" (along with its sister flick "The World Unseen") is a very enjoyable movie about two women from two very different cultures doing something very simple; falling in love.

I had never heard of either Lisa Ray or Sheetal Sheth before watching these films. I watched "The World Unseen" first (before realizing that it was actually filmed after "I Can't Think Str8"). That movie took us to a world that I'd rather forget; apartheid South Africa. Being African American of mixed-race ancestry, I totally identified with both Sheth's courageous character Amina and that of her business partner, the quiet "Coloured" Jacob. Ray's character in that movie, Miriam, was almost difficult to watch; a tortured housewife and mother living in a loveless marriage with a dude who cheats on her and slaps her around. Ray brought a quiet grace to the character (her hand gestures spoke volumes) and watching how the two women in that movie fall in love is almost poetic.

"I can't Think Straight" takes place mostly in present-day London. Ray is rich Palestinian Christian and Sheth is an upper-middle class Indian Muslim. Both women's roles in this film are almost polar opposites of their roles in "World." Ray's Tala is the outgoing character with the snappy lines and Arabic rhythm. Sheth's Leyla is shy, but savvy. Unlike "World," "I Can't Think Straight" has very enjoyably erotic love scenes as well. In addition, both movies have very interesting supporting players.

Three themes seem to invade both films. One, each film has very positive father characters. In "World," Amina's dad is very encouraging of his independent daughter's work and personal life. In "Straight," Both Tala and Leyla's dads seem to support the various decisions that they reach. On the other hand, the mothers in the films are less than loveable, particularly Tala's domineering mother in "Straight."

The second theme is that each woman has an important man in her life. For "World's" Amina, the only character in either film who identifies as a dyke from the jump, it's her business partner, Jacob. For Miriam, it's her jerk of a husband, Omar. In "Straight," Tala is engaged to the very sympathetic Hani, while Leyla is dating the equally nice guy, Ali (who also happens to be Tala's best bud).

The third theme is the presence of the nice sister and the [...] sister. In "World" the nice sister is Miriam's husband's twin sister, who is on the lam from the Afrikaner police for being married to a white dude. The [...] sister is Miriam's husband's brother's wife (also trapped in a loveless marriage), who is sleeping with Miriam's husband. In "Straight," the nice sister is Tala's sister Zina (which fits since "Xena" is a lesbian icon) while Tala's other sister, Lamia, who is likewise trapped in a loveless marriage, is a total [...].

Okay, perhaps a fourth theme present is the "trapped in a loveless marriage" theme.

Rich characters and compelling acting make both movies very watchable.

I'd like to add that I have since learned that Lisa Ray is battling cancer. I'm rooting for her to pull through it. She's a talent of which we need to see much more.

Production and acting very good. Cute romance between 2 YOUNG ladies. A bedroom scene that was PG-13. Made me want to be young and experiencing first times again...

I rented both I Can't Think Straight and The World Unseen from Netflix, but enjoyed The World Unseen so much I ended up purchasing this set.

I've posted detailed reviews of both movies under the separate DVD's, as the reviews were too long to post in a single review here. But here's a summary:

I Can't Think Straight - Promising Debut Film: I wavered between 3 and 4 stars, but ultimately gave it 4 stars. I considered 3 stars because: the story is predictable; I didn't get why the women were attracted to each other in the first place; most conflicts are glossed over or just magically non-existent; there was too much dialogue and not enough acting; and the acting was a bit stiff and blunt in places. Ultimately I gave it 4 stars because: I really appreciated the treatment of these oh-so-familiar issues in a new (to me) cultural context; there was good humor - I laughed out loud in places; the lead actresses are gorgeous and have good chemistry together; and it's a positive, upbeat lesbian romance.

The World Unseen - Brilliant!: Unequivocal 5 stars. The story is compelling; the pacing is perfect; the context is rich and expertly developed; the acting across the board is precise, restrained and revealing; the cinematography is excellent; and that kiss in Miriam's bedroom continues to haunt me, even weeks later - the laser's burning a hole in the DVD at that point in the movie! Really, IMO this movie is on a par with Desert Hearts as one of the finer, more professional lesbian movies ever made. [In fact, in the credits Shamim Sarif thanks Donna Deitch, the director of Desert Hearts. I wonder what role Deitch played in producing this movie???]

So why do I recommend buying the set instead of just buying The World Unseen? 1) If you're going to watch The World Unseen, which I strongly recommend, it's nice to see I Can't Think Straight first. (I like watching movies in order.) Also, 2) I think Sarif is a woman to watch. I Can't Think Straight was her directorial debut, and although it was clearly a debut, still she did a great job. I watched the special features and learned about some of the challenges she faced on that film, and really I think she did an amazing job given the obstacles she had to overcome. And her second film, The World Unseen, is indeed superb. So I suspect I'm going to end up collecting her work, and I like having a complete collection. 3) Finally, there's not enough in the way of love scenes in The World Unseen. I understand that more love scenes wouldn't have been consistent with the story Sarif was trying to tell. But, lord, those women are so beautiful and the characters so sympathetic that I really, really wanted more. So it's nice to go back to I Can't Think Straight so I can watch them be together! ;-)

The bonus CD in the set is also nice. Here's the track listing:
1) Alabina (fun, zippy Middle Eastern)
2) Number One Boy
3) Hey Girl
4) Little Feeling (the movie's them song)
5) Mirror, Mirror
6) Ma Fini Fakker (mellow Middle Eastern)
7) Tell Me
8) Underground
9) Kidda (mellow Middle Eastern)
10) Hey My Baby
11) Ghanwa Bossanova (mellow Middle Eastern)
12) Holy Daughter (nice fusion between American pop and Middle Eastern)
13) Love Theme (very brief instrumental)
14) I Kissed A Girl (yes, the same pop tune that's de rigeur for lesbian films)

So all in all, I think this set is a great value. You get one good movie, one superb movie and a bonus CD with some interesting Middle Eastern music. Plus, you support Sarif so she can bring us more great work, which I'm confident she will.

I enjoyed this film. I was tired of the old lesbian movies where you lost the girl and committed suicide. I always wonder why was it that all the straight movies were so much better than ours. I realized that it was b/c the guy always gets the girl. The little handful of movies that I've seen, seems to finally get it "girl gets girl". The story line was very interesting but no strange to real life situation. It's beautiful to see through the eyes of love all of those places or things you already experienced before on your own (the girls at Oxford). I must say that all the girls in this movie were gorgeous; two thumbs up!
I'm not going to go into details of the movie as other critics have done a good job at it. I'm going to add one thing, they did a good job but I would have like to see a bit more passion in their acting when they were kissing or intimate. I've learned that a lot of these actresses are all straight and thus their kisses are more of mental condition (I have to, it's in my contract) than something that they would feel naturally if they had a guy in front of them. Perhaps we should use lesbians actresses to reach that extra level of real art in films. Would you use apples to make orange juices?
That of course is my humble opinion. Overall it's a great movie and I do recommend it.

The movie was very good and the two Actors both very beautiful.Just looking at two very beautiful women struggle as they attempt to live a life unseen is compelling. Lisa Ray and Sheetal Sheth two very accomplished Actors take on the role of two women from similar cultures with very different approaches to their embrace of a relationship frowned upon and discouraged in both of their cultures. Ray from Palestine could possibly be put to death for even entertaining the thought of a life lived with a woman; and openly would not happen. The character Tala portrayed by Ray has had a previous relationship but explained away her desire. Leyla portrayed by Sheth finds herself and refuses to deny what she truly feels. It is love with beautiful music, beautiful women and wonderful story telling. A movie that could have gone on forever and with any luck a sequel. It is sad to see it end, but that it ended with a good result makes it a movie to visit many times.

I love both of these movies and have watched them numerous times. The story lines are great, especially the movie World Unseen. The only thing I'm disappointed with is the quality of the DVDs; it's very grainy and the picture quality is poor.

both movies are character building; self affirming; positive. We need all the hopeful outcomes we can get. Serious movies with heart, humor, and realistic outcomes.