Reviewer
kumarihpx |
Build-up 4 |
Kissing 3 |
Love scenes 2 |
Movie overall 5
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I can't believe how many people assume from what is shown on the scene that Westfeldt ends up with the guy in the end of the film. That's so far from the point of this movie that it really disappointing to me that people would see something that's not there and not intended.
First of all these actresses/filmakers have the most interesting behind-the-scenes story of all -- they're NY actresses who joined forces at an actor's workshop and wrote their own stage play, which was so popular and well-received that Hollywood wanted to option it. When Hollyweird wanted to drastically change their whole thing so much, they bought their rights back to remain true to their vision. Their concept was originally what is shown on the screen: girl hits so many dead-ends in dating men that, when she finds herself intrigued with a personal ad that really hits home, she is drawn to thinking outside the box and perhaps meeting the woman who wrote THAT AD. It's all done on the fly, with Juergensen cooking up the ad with her gay male friends because she gets a seductive look from a woman one night and sends her into a tizzy determined to try the one thing that she's never tried before.
The play was called "Lipschtick", as in lipstick lesbian (which they both are in the film), but the theme carries further when lipstick is used as a metaphor for how one goes about finding love and happiness. Westfeldt (uptight, jewish, good girl) is looking for "that one" -- Juergensen (street saavy, looks good in leather, adventurous but still utlimately sincere) blends, lipstick shades and people that come in and out of her life.
After much hilarious stumbling to get the relationship started (Westfeldt is the major stumbling block -- she takes a very clinical POV on the whole thing, even high-fiving Juergensen when their kisses start to go well), we see the two falling in love. Westfeldt is still in the closet about her new relationship, but she does love Juergensen. Juergensen loves her as well. They seem so well-suited, in fact. But, whereas Westfeldt ultimately seeks comfort from the relationship, and finds it there, Juergensen wants passion from a relationship, and she doesn't find it. There is a very sweet scene deemonstrating this before the final blow-out/break-up where Juergensen comes to bed and hints that she's like Westfeldt to put away her book because she wants to make love, Westfeldt wants to read, then Juergensen realizes she forgot her dry-cleaning, and of course Westfeldt was ahead of the game and picked it up because she wants to make Juergensen's life easier. It's a subtle thing, showing how comfortable they are with each other and how their lives have become intertwined, but Juergensen needs more.
Juergensen ends up with a new girlfriend and Westfeldt is left to be alone with herself. Only this time around, she's not desperate to find a lover, she's more okay to be by herself, having relaxed about life and gotten to know herself a lot more. Her journey really is about self-discovery. By the end of the film, she's quit her job as a copy editor (the pinnacle of being anal-retentive and obsessive) to pursue her private and long-lived love of painting. Her experience loving Juergensen has helped her to get out of her rut where everything has to be so structured and well-defined. She might actually even try blending a little.
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