Customer Reviews

Loving Annabelle

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

This movie is fantastic. You don't really realize how great it is until after its over though. It is a great story. A Catholic Boarding School teacher falls in love with her female student. That's right, it is about lesbians and homosexuality. However, if you are just looking for "lesbian action" don't waste your time with this, its not a sex movie. If on the other hand, you are mature enough to handle such a plot, you'll love it. So after an hour of the student pursuing the teacher and the teacher being wary and afraid to be with her.....well I can't tell you how it ends. What I will say, though, is why it is so great. It does not openly debate, discuss, or point out anything about homosexuality being right, wrong, good, or evil. What it instead does is tell a wonderful tale of romantic, yet forbidden pursuit, and no matter what your stance is on homosexuality in general, you cannot help but hope for a happy ending, and get wrapped up in this love drama. After the movie is over, you think of how bittersweet the story is and poor this and at least that and then it hits you - You have been focusing on love, passion, heartache, and beauty....but NOT about Straight or Gay relationships. That's the beauty of this film. It captures you into a world of pure love drama and you forget that it is about a controversial subject at all. Regardless of your stance in this controversy, all you can focus on while watching is a love story between two human beings. Watch it, you'll love it.

This new 'hottest movie around' tells a poignant story full of taboo, passion, and hidden lives brimming at the surfaces of these women as they fall deeper into each others worlds. You're carried along watching Simone's more mature "self" struggle to resist the younger, beautiful, and obviously very enlightened, student. Rebellious Annabelle is young and doesn't demonstrate any real concept of consequence, and is focused on acting on her feelings and thoughts. This story is tender, real, controversial and compelling. The film quality is excellent, even if the acting isn't exactly top notch. Stil, the women and settings are beautiful! YES, there is seduction, obviously, and man is it wonderful! The women are just lovely, both actresses are completely sexy and intriguing. I didn't like the ending, but it absolutely dismantles the "double standard" question and says that it isn't OK to seduce students! (but you can also click the 'alternate ending' option in the bonus section to get a happier ending) I loved the way Simone's past was revealed bit by bit along the way; her struggle with heartache and vulnerability - but while possessing intellect and strength at the same time - was so intriguing. The evolving and maturing Annabelle was refreshing, but so was her youthful tenacity in holding on to her own set of values. The way they ultimately let the barrier between them melt away, and find themselves relating as women, unfolds in the "beach house" scene. Very touching. I take away 1 star for not developing this as much as it could have been, therefore, ending it in one hour. The love scene between the women is smokin' hot!

Great movie! One of the things I could NOT find on this page was the following info on the DVD release, THE EXTRA'S. :Behind the scenes featurette (with outtakes & interviews) , AN ALTERNATE ENDING, Commentary with Katherine Brooks & Erin Kelly, AND Deleted Scenes

I must admit, when it comes to Lesbian Films, most suck. This one didn't, but it wasn't as good as it could have been. The acting seemed a bit stiff to me and there was a lack of emotion and tension. Also the topic was moralisticly questionable. I know these relationships occur, but should they? Should a 30 something year old woman accept the advances of a 16 year old girl? As far as endings go, this one was different and not how people expect 'love stories' to end, but totally appropriate considering the topic and the people involved. If you want to see a nice Lesbian love story with a happy ending, lots of tension and emotion, see 'When Night is Falling'.

As some of you may or may not know this film was based off the 1931 German film, "Mädchen in Uniform." Which in it of itself is a lesbian classic. And Loving Annabelle, is destined to be another. If you are one of those people who listen to the commentary, as I am, you'd realize the amazing time constraints that Katherine Brooks was under to get this film shot and the tremendous talent by the actors to do their scenes under that sort of pressure. That only make me appricate this film more.

As far as the film itself, it follows some of the classic "cat and mouse" seductions that many lesbian films have, and like many of those, the climax of the film is the moment when Simone (Diane Gaidry) finally gives into Annabelle's (Erin Kelly) relentless, yet tender advances. However, unlike those films, the controversal under currant of the under-age student/teacher affair and Simone's struggle to curb her fellings make the climax all that more intense.

The storyline is well laid out, although like most films shot under tight time contraints (be it shooting or running time), there are one or two sub-plots that I would have liked to be better explained or explored. The ending is ambiguous, but it leaves you with a feeling of hope. And if you watch the alternate ending (which should have been the true ending in my book)you'll definately walk away with a good feeling as well as closure.

For those of you who appriciate cinematography, this film is beautifully shot. This may be me over-reaching for symbolism, but I think the fact that Simone is photographer-at-heart is reflected in the artistic shots that are thrown in here and there.

As for my overall review, this is one of the best lesbian films to be made this decade and definately makes my top ten. It's well acted, well shot and as I said leaves you with a feeling of hope, as well a wonderful quote at the end from Rilke, who is quoted several times through out the film. I definately give it an A.

Loving Ananabelle is well written, well directed, and both stars (Diane Gaidry and Erin Kelly) do excellent work here.

The story does a fine job of showing the venom faced by anyone who chooses to be different from the "norm", whatever that is. Although this movie touches on lesbianism, it is not simply a story about lesbians. And it is not porn, in my opinion. It's more a story about love, about prejudice, ostracism, harassment and about the courage and suffering required of those brave enough to openly leave the safety of the herd.

I would have rated this movie a strong five, had it not been for the ending. The writer/director is certainly a talented artist to have created such a fine and insightful story and to write and direct it so well. But she certainly could have done better on the ending; it was quite disappointing. The alternate ending available was better, but it was still less that adequate.

Overall, I recommend the movie, Loving Annabelle. Be ready for considerable disappointment during the final ten of fifteen minutes, however.

Foundation, foundation, foundation. That is what the movie lacks. The movie is not that bad but, it lacks foundation for the characters, for the storyline and even for the back-stories. The director just lays everything out, without tying it to anything, giving it a reason to be or a meaning.

The movie fails at the very beginning because it fails develop and "explain" why Annabelle falls for Simone. Honestly, why does she like her so much? There are very few scenes that barely, if at all, present the start and development of the crush.

The movie also fails to explore the relationship between Simone and her aunt, and her ex-girlfriend. Characters do things which seem out a character and without any reason. And the reason for this is that they have no foundation.

There are many wasted scenes, and too many lingering looks that amount to nothing. The time could have been better used developing the story. The movie takes 72 of its 77 minutes getting Annabelle and Simone together and then abruptly ends, in a not so happy ending (but at least a realistic one), without any explanation of what happened later (watch the alternate ending). Basically, this movie is 72 minutes of foreplay with a 1 minute climax that falls flat.

The movie is not that bad, but it was poorly fleshed out. The acting is not the best, it is emotionless at times (especially when it should be VERY emotional), and it is also a bit too restrained. The character of Simone (Gaidry) is boring, inconsequential and uni-dimensional. She could have been better if her story had been given some dimension and background. On the other hand, the character of Annabelle (Kelly) is absolutely mesmerizing. She played the character perfectly. Kelly basically carried the movie. The movie needed better editing and better direction. The cast and crew should have taken more than the 3 weeks it took to shoot and attempted to get better acted scenes.

This movie made me cry. I like their use of quotes to express certian things in the movie. This movie is not just some sappy romance; in fact there are only a couple make out scenes. This is an intelligent romance between two women. The fact that Annabelle is only 17 does not even seem to be a big deal. Simone is 32 and is young herself. The women look very beautiful together, Annabelle with her dark hair and Simone with her blonde hair. I wish that the alternate ending was the real ending. When you watch this movie; go the alternate ending afterwords. I am waiting for a sequel. There are no current lesbian movies that even compete with this! This is even better than when night is falling or better than chocolate.

I didn't read the description before I rented this movie. I just went off the title alone. So when Annabelle arrives at boarding school, I was expecting her to hookup with the rebellious Cat. But then the moment Annabelle gives her poetry teacher a thorough head-to-toe once-over during class, I realized this film was going to take us in a far different direction, and I'm glad for it. How many times have we been attracted to the wrong person and couldn't help it anyway? And there's a real struggle there. We watch the teacher's life implode in slow-motion. Everything she'd built up around her begins to crumble and scare her; and the catalyst for that is a student who refuses to compromise herself. Simone and Annabelle are like two sides of the same coin--the older woman more world-weary and shut down, and the younger one more idealistic and open to new possibilities and being true to herself (and encourages Simone to do the same). I have to say the actress who plays Simone does an extraordinary job, presenting Simone as someone cautious and yet human and open--reluctantly and believably not immune to Annabelle's advances. And Erin Kelly as Annabelle is smouldering. So much of the communication and chemistry between them develop through glances, and the eyes of these actresses are soul-achingly deep. I was, in fact, rooting for them for the whole movie, despite the age difference, despite the impropriety and rule-breaking. It is an interestingly sympathetic look at what is often sensationalized in the press, with the older teacher being demonized. In the context of this movie you get two sympathetic leads in a difficult spot. The movie, while clearly loving these characters, doesn't go easy on them. This movie was a big surprise--far better than I expected. And, as anothe reviewer said, the sex scene when Simone finally succumbs feels entirely believable and hot. I would watch it again.

Call me silly, I thought this was a great film. I expected so much more out of the ending, but then again, it would've been a typical 'romance' film. This brought reality into the love story, although I still prefer the alternate ending. The stolen glances, the communication void of any spoken words...one of the scenes I love most is when they are at Simone's beach house, and Annabelle had just confronted Simone over her ex's suicide letter. After panning to the sand and beach, they show the two of them laying together in bed. Annabelle's leg draped over Simone's, her arm holding hers...it was such a sweet, innocent scene.
I really enjoyed the movie. I thought both actresses were gorgeous, I thought the love making scene was extraordinarily real...I only wish Simone brought a little more passion to the scene. When they finally give into each other outside of the dance, my stomach leapt wildly with anticipation.
Again, call me crazy, I just really loved this film.