Search - The Girl on DVD

Full of nuance, style, and more than a little erotic sizzle!

S. Stinson | Oklahoma USA | 04/10/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

""The first time I ask her, she takes me home..."The moment those words are spoken, you know this is not your traditional lesbian romance movie! In fact, there is little traditional about the film adaptation of Monique Wittig's story, the Girl. From the nuance of characters without names, to the sparse dialogue and haunting jazz soundtrack, the Girl is an intricate weaving of all the classics -passion, jealousy, and revenge - tightly rolled into 84 minutes of cinematic style and more than a little erotic sizzle.Based in the smoky nightclubs of Paris, the story starts off in narrative style by the Painter, a brooding, sexy, dark-eyed beauty played by Agathe de la Boulaye, who is irresistibly drawn to a nightclub singer, the Girl, beautifully played by Claire Keim. Ladies, these two are hot! The Painter alone is worth the ticket price-she could make butterflies flutter with just that quirky little smile! The first night they are together, the Girl tells her it's "only for one night..." But what a night it is! These two simply melt the screen when they're together!Although the "one night" declaration has been made, the Girl and the Painter continue to see one another, creating a rather psychotic relationship bordering on pathos and obsession. The Girl pushes her away, only to run after her. The Painter returns to her arms gladly, no questions asked, filling their moments with heated passion. None of this seems to bother the Painter, as she seems willing to while away her days walking the streets, painting occasionally, or simply waiting for another passionate moment with the Girl.One wonders how the Painter could live with such pathos and retain any shred of self-esteem or dignity. That is, until the introduction of Bu Savé-the Painter's longtime lover brilliantly played by Sandra N'Kake. Bu Savé was one of the few characters actually named in the film, and her presence creates a stability and balance to the Painter's growing obsession with the Girl.As Bu Savé listens to the Painter speak of how the Girl is "not her type," one can't help but laugh at Bu Savé's insightful response, "...it must be interesting to find yourself attracted to someone you're not attracted to..." What a classic line! One soon finds out this affair of the Painter's is not the first, and as Bu Savé says, "it won't be the last." What many would view as infidelity, they view as freedom to be who they are. These two have a relationship that transcends traditional boundaries, allowing for what many may find unusual when compared to today's lesbian relationships, once again reminding you, this film is not your traditional lesbian romance.Enter the Man. Played by Cyril Lecomte, the Man is every despicable stereotype one could imagine for a villain-arrogant, domineering, swaggering masculinity. At first glance, one wonders exactly who he is and what he is doing in the movie, as I didn't want to dislike him simply because he was "the man." It quickly becomes apparent, however, he thinks nothing of claiming any woman as his possession, to be used for his pleasure at his beckoning, and that includes the Girl.The tension mounts as the Girl and the Painter find themselves in an increasingly dangerous relationship, as the Man becomes aware of the Girl's involvement with the Painter. His jealousy surfaces and a threat is issued-the Painter must go. Of course, she doesn't. However, the pathos of the relationship, coupled with the Man's continuing threats finds the Painter desperate to do something, not only to protect the Girl but herself as well. She walks the streets in desperation, searching, seeking a solution she cannot find, which eventually leads her back to the Girl.The ensuing drama between the Girl, the Painter, and the Man, which one expects whenever such a tangled love triangle exists, and also expects to be a disappointing detraction from the film's edginess, only enhances the film's avant-garde appeal and leads to a climatic surprise ending.If you're looking for a film full of verbose dialogue, neatly packaged storylines, and all-around traditional format that wraps it up in 90 minutes, "the Girl" is not for you. But if you're looking for a cutting-edge film with fantastic cinematography, beautiful and brilliant leads, a story with more questions than answers, filled with nuance and erotic sizzle, this is your film. In our opinion, the Girl is destined to be a classic.-OutLook Press"

Have fun with your girlfriend!

naturenfunluvnles | Tennessee | 03/02/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Hey ladies. If you'd like to have a nice night alone with your lover have a couple of drinks and watch The Girl. The plot isn't the best, the story telling can be slow, and at times it's poorly edited....BUT...the love scenes are very HOT!! The women who play the Painter and The Girl are beautiful and their on screen chemistry is very believable. There's even a brief full frontal scene bordering on the edges of soft porn. If you and yours like beautiful women that love women The Girl will add some heat to your own life. Have Fun! :.)"

I'm in LA LA LOVE with this Claire Keim character

Thierry from Miami, FL | 01/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All I can say is: WHERE HAS CLAIRE KEIM BEEN ALL MY LIFE?! haha. Claire Keim is so beautiful and has the face of an angel. Only reason I saw this movie is because the box it came in looked interesting. However, after viewing the movie, on VHS, no less, I have to say the actual story itself was very ... boring. What made it boring was the lack of dialogue and even when the characters spoke, it all seemed off-the-cuff! The movie could've been a lot better had the plot been planned a little more carefully. Sad to say that the only interesting parts in the movie were all the love scenes... The butch character, "Lover/Painter", doesn't have much to say, but then again.. what real artist ever does? The butch character is very enigmatic and I really lost my interest in her fairly quick. I suppose this particular story could've evolved into a much more interesting movie had the storyline been written a bit better. I mean, there were bits and pieces of the movie that looked like it was just thrown in there to make the movie last longer than 60 minutes. Those parts of the movie made no sense whatsoever to even be included into the story...... As mentioned before, the love scenes were about the only thing worth watching. Other than that, everything else in the movie, including the "mute" club owner, is just there for props... In any case, it's a good "lesbian-chic" movie to watch, but if you're looking for a good storyline... well, you won't find it here. I just wish the writer & director would've spent more time focusing on the two lesbians evolving into a more serious relationship rather than cutting the story down to something that just simply doesn't make sense... hence the term ART!"

Where is the plot?

4theroses | berkley | 12/17/2003

(1 out of 5 stars)

"There is a simple story line...but after you learn it the story goes no where...and having a woman with a gun does not save the film..the director of photography gave a nice feel to the film....but the director failed horribly....the actors are pretty, but they can not act...so in essence you are looking at a pretty picture that moves...This is not a movie this is not filmaking...it is almost like an ad for a film that never exists due to amateurs...it would have potential if it had a good director and a better screenplay...hmmm I guess it had no hope...If you want to see great lesbian filmaking and movies worth their price or rental value...go get "Aimee and Jaguar" "When Night Falls" and of course "A Family Affair" which is the #1 lesbian film this year in sales for a reason...and if you want erotica...INESCAPABLE comes out in 2004...viewed as a groundbreaking erotic drama unlike any before it, as sexy as a film can be and more...."The girl" fails but there is hope for the future!!!"