blue jean2022.
Written and directed by Georgia Oakley.
Starring Rosy McEwen, Kerrie Hayes, Lucy Halliday, Lydia Page, Stacy Abalogun, Amy Booth-Steel, Aoife Kennan, Scott Turnbull, Farrah Cave. Lainey Shaw, Izzy Neish, Dexter Heads, Becky Lindsay, Ellen Gowland, Gavin Kitchen, Maya Torres, Deka Walmsley, Edmund Wiseman, Kylie Ann Ford, Emily Fairweather, Elizabeth Shaw, Kate Soulsby, Isla Bowles, Oliver Maratty Quinn and George Kasfikis.
SYNOPSIS:
In 1988, a closeted teacher finds herself on the brink when a new student threatens to expose her sexuality.
Teachers, in most cases, are invisibly assigned to do more than just educate. On writer/director Georgia Oakley blue jeanRosy McEwen is the titular Jean, a physical education instructor who turns out to be a lesbian in London in 1988 and hides her sexuality, a time when stigma against homosexuality is on the rise, as explained by countless radio broadcasts and television news.
Naturally, Jean shields her sexuality from everyone in her private life, including her sister and her mother, whom she stopped seeing some time ago. Meanwhile, her romantic partner Viv (Kerrie Hayes) is more outspoken and comfortable exposing her sexuality for everyone else to judge, no matter what the consequences to her. They regularly meet up with a group of lesbian friends at a bar most nights and usually have fun before heading home to physically express their love to each other.
Friction and complications escalate between them due to Rosy’s understandable feelings of needing to hide her sexuality, especially since it would mean the end of a job she loves if anyone found out (all of her coworkers at school are extremely closed off). However, the arrival of a new student, 15-year-old Lois (Lucy Halliday), is about to indirectly intensify that discussion, as she too is a lesbian or someone feels betrayed by Jean’s disinterest in showing solidarity and support. once all is revealed. . She is legitimately concerned about the boundaries between teacher and student and losing her job, but even more afraid that society will learn of her true sexuality.
And while blue jean It certainly gets off to a slow start, but it quickly turns into a fascinating drama about how hard it is to do the right thing, and sometimes taking on more than is required of you as a person and your work as a profession to ensure that other individuals of marginalized groups under attack are safe and have someone to trust. The film also looks at how such bigoted legislation is harmful, and sometimes forces people within those communities to remain silent, not because they don’t care, but because the consequences are too dire. terrible.
Meanwhile, Lois is met with a lot of harassment and bullying from the other girls, especially in the locker room after PE class. The script is sharp and insightful overall, succinctly who these people are and how these events affect them, but there seems to be a fourth character here that is worth fleshing out a bit more, as one of the girls appears to be a bully in the cupboard. Aspects of the third act, including the ending, also feel rushed.
Still, what is at stake in blue jean they continue to grow as the characters play against each other and sometimes make mistakes, revealing their flawed humanity (Rosy McEwen and Lucy Halliday are great at expressing the inner turmoil their characters go through), but with empathy. Sadly, much of what’s here is still timely and relevant to modern life. History seems to repeat itself, and often for the worse. Compelling drama aside, blue jean it should be an important reminder of what systemic oppression does and how crucial it is for people in these communities to support and encourage one another.
Blinking Myth Rating – Movie: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the reviews editor for Flickering Myth. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at [email protected]
