AWARDS SEASON

Six LGBT Movies The Oscars Ignored This Year (But Shouldn’t Have)

Queer films and filmmakers have done pretty well at the 84th Annual Academy Awards so far: Christopher Plummer is a shoo-in for Best Supporting Actor for Beginners, and if The Help nabs Best Picture, it’ll have out writer/director Tate Taylor to thank. Other LGBT-interest nominees include Rooney Mara as bisexual bad girl Lisbeth Salander in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and Glen Close and Janet McTeer as Victorian gender rebels in Albert Nobbs.

But there were quite a few queer films in 2011 that didn’t get nominated—either because they went straight to video, didn’t have the bucks for a full-on Oscar blitz or only played the film-festival circuit. Sunday night will be all about the big boys, but today we’re praising independent films—like Xavier Dolan’s Heartbeats, abovethat brought fresh queer perspectives to the world of cinema.

Got a fave we didn’t mention? Cast your ballot in the comments!

Click through for Queerty’s picks of top non-nominated gay films in 2011

 

http://youtu.be/LkC7xHAfxm4

Weekend

A winner at SXSW, Outfest and elsewhere, Weekend takes us through a brief but intense 48-hour-period in the lives of Russell (newcomer Tom Cullen) and Glen (Chris New), who embark on a casual hookup that becomes increasingly physically and emotionally intimate. Andrew Haigh’s sophomore effort, Weekend found itself at top of the “Best Movies” list of many mainstream critics.

What the critics said: “The organ that Weekend is most concerned with isn’t the one you might think, but the human heart.” —Michael O’Sullivan, The Washington Post

Watch it if you liked: Before Sunrise, Taxi Zum Clo, Trick

 

http://youtu.be/NwYtHVlQN9c


Pariah

An attention-getter at Sundance last January, out filmmaker Dee Rees’ feature debut follows 17-year-old Alike (Adepero Oduye), a burgeoning lesbian in rough-and-ready Brooklyn, who’s trying to lose her dyke virginity while keeping her orientation under wraps from her straight-laced parents. Known more for her comedic chops, Kim Wayans is tremendous as Alike’s wounded and  isolated mother.

What the critics said:Pariah is the finest coming-of-age movie I’ve seen in years, the work of a fledgling artist who fully deserves the support she received from the Sundance Institute and other indie promoters of a new generation of black filmmakers.” —Ella Taylor, NPR

Watch it if you liked: Precious, To Sleep With Anger, Fish Tank

http://youtu.be/znpU_Aup-Bg

Heartbeats (Les Amours Imaginaires)

French-Canadian prodigy Xavier Dolan wrote, directed and starred in this unique love triangle that follows two best friends Francis (Dolan) and Marie (Monia Chakri), who battle for the affections of Nicolas (Niels Schneider), who makes Death in Venice‘s Tadzio look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Is he into either of them, neither—or both? Watch and find out.

What the critics said: “Not too deep but oh so pretty, “Heartbeats” presents a hyper-stylized look at a love triangle, a sort of Jules and Jimfor millennials.” —Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Watch it if you liked: Wild Reeds, Love Songs

http://youtu.be/6nIlvCVYl2A

 

The Sons of Tennessee Williams

The gay crewes of New Orleans famed Mardi Gras drag balls were fighting for their rights a decade before Stonewall. At times funny and infuriating, Tim Wolff’s documentary opens a new window to the past.

What the critics said: [Sons of Tennessee Williams] draws on a treasure trove of archival footage to show the evolution of New Orleans’ gay community over half a century.” —Lou Lumenick, New York Post

Watch it if you liked: Wigstock, Before Stonewall

http://youtu.be/0c8Z6PtXqCc

 

Gigola

Art-house faves like Rossy de Palma, Marisa Paredes, Thierry Lhermitte and Marisa Berenson enliven this sumptuous French film about a lesbian prostitute (an androgynous Lou Doillon) in 1960s Paris, adapted by Laure Charpentier from from her book of the same name.

What the critics said: “It’s steamy, saucy, racy and suffused with the feeling of wickedness you might get from drinking spirits before lunch or smoking in church.” —The Guardian

Watch it if you liked: Aimee and Jaguar, Therese and Isabelle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09zgt6-f_b4

Gun Hill Road

Real-life trans actress Harmony Santana emerged as a breakout talent to be reckoned with in this drama about an ex-con (Esai Morales) returning from prison to a family he left behind and a son—now daughter—he barely knows.

What the critics said: “In writer-director Rashaad Ernesto Green’s assured hands, Gun Hill Road manages somehow to be gritty, delicate, in your face and nuanced at the same time.”—David Lewis, San Francisco Chronicle

Watch it if you liked: La Mission, Transamerica, Eating Out 3: Drama Camp

 

Don't forget to share:

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated