Blue Jean
Reviews
CinemaSerf
"Jean" (Rosy McEwan) is a physical education teacher at a school in Northern Engand. Privately, she is having a relationship with the out and proud "Viv" (Kerrie Hayes) but the emphasis here is very much on the "privately" - something that her confident girlfriend struggles to comprehend. When "Lois" (Lucy Halliday) joins her netball class, then runs into her in a bar later, things become complicated for "Jean" and the remainder of the film illustrates just a short segment of her troubled life as her pupils start to put two and two together and mischief and malevolence rears their very ugly heads. As a gay lad who lived at the time I am actually a little tired of films that make out that "Thatcher" was some alien space invader sent by God to cleanse society. The views of her government represented massive numbers of people in Britain - across the political spectrum - who were terrified about the perceived adverse influences on children of what they saw as "permissive" practices. Rather than acknowledge these concerns as legitimate (at the time) and put some national context into this story, this film really only takes a couple of people whose relationship never comes across as especially strong anyway, and try to make a greater political point. To have been successful there, balance is essential. The underlying plot issues are potent, but they are not developed anywhere near enough to create substantial characters and instead offer us a rather undercooked swipe at a system that was as broadly representative then as it is not (thankfully) now. The production is all a bit basic and though McEwan offers us a considered performance and the film is certainly worth watching, I had really hoped for something just a bit deeper and stronger.
Brent Marchant
It wasn’t all that long ago when the LGBTQ+ community not only didn’t have legal protections for its rights, but also faced blatant discrimination against its constituents, prejudiced initiatives aimed at denying them equal treatment under the law and even subjecting them to lawfully sanctioned ostracism. This was true even in “civilized” and “progressive” societies like those found in North America and Europe. And it prompted individuals to live in fear of losing their jobs and leaving them open to ridicule without ramifications, not to mention disrespect and mistrust from their own families. Those chilling conditions are ominously brought to light in this period piece drama set in the UK in the late 1980s, when Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government sought the passage of Section 28, legislation aimed at prohibiting activities openly promoting homosexuality, a bill carrying wide-sweeping implications for the LGBTQ+ community. Many of its constituents, like a young lesbian physical education teacher (Rosy McEwen), retreated into the closet to keep out of sight. But those efforts derailed whatever social progress had been made, damaging those individuals’ self-esteem and creating a divisive schism between those who vociferously demanded justice and those who chose to keep a low profile to protect themselves, as evidenced by the experiences of the teacher and her out and proud girlfriend (Kerrie Hayes). Writer-director Georgia Oakley’s debut feature does a fine (if somewhat predictable) job of illustrating this rift and the effects it had on both the public and personal lives of these people, an effort that earned the film a 2022 BAFTA Award nomination for Best Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. Admittedly, the picture’s opening act meanders a bit, but, once it gets on track, when the emergence of various damning revelations threatens to blow things wide open, it steadily grows more powerful and heartfelt, qualities supported by the fine performances of the cast, solid writing, and its skillfully crafted atmospheric cinematography and production design. It also provides viewers with a potent cautionary tale about the effects of initiatives like Section 28 (which was in force from 1988 to 2003) and the parallels to this legislation that are currently under consideration in various US jurisdictions. It effectively shows us how Jean became so blue – and how we should seek to prevent the same from happening to the rest of us.
Movie Recommendation
Aimée & Jaguar1999-02-11In 1943, while the Allies are bombing Berlin and the Gestapo is purging the capital of Jews, a dangerous love affair blossoms between two women – one a Jewish member of the underground, the other an exemplar of Nazi motherhood.More...
HOKUSAI2021-05-29The unknown life of Ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai in the Edo period, who is said to have painted more than 30,000 works throughout his life, such as "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji"More...
Le Principal2023-05-10Sabri Lahlali, the assistant principal of a local high school, is ready to do anything to ensure that his son, who is about to take his high school diploma, has the ideal academic record. But he doesn't know how far his enterprise will take him.More...
The Antares Paradox2023-06-27In a race against the clock, Alexandra will be forced to choose how to spend the next hours: facing a critic family drama or trying to bring an answer to one of humanity's most important questions.More...
Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis)2023-06-07In 1968, art students Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell made a trippy photo collage for their musician friends Syd, David and Roger. The resulting album and album cover, A Saucerful of Secrets, helped launch two careers: that of Pink Floyd, one of the 70s megabands, and of Hipgnosis, which, over the course of the next 25 years, designed a stream of iconic album covers.More...
Bad Behaviour2023-11-02Lucy, a former child actor, seeks enlightenment at a retreat led by spiritual leader Elon while she navigates her close yet turbulent relationship with her stunt-performer daughter, Dylan.More...
Two of Us2020-02-12Nina and Madeleine have been sharing their lives and the landing between their two apartments for decades. After more than 20 years of loving in the shadows, Madeleine promises Nina she will tell her family the truth. It takes an unexpected event to show her the importance of living your truth.More...
The Blue Caftan2023-02-10A middle-aged tailor and his wife find their relationship challenged by the arrival of a handsome new apprentice.More...
Jack Mimoun & the Secrets of Val Verde2022-10-12Two years after surviving alone on the hostile island of Val Verde, Jack Mimoun has become an adventure star. The book recounting his experience is a bestseller and his television show breaks audience records. He is then approached by the mysterious Aurélie Diaz who will bring Jack Mimoun back to Val Verde to train him in search of the legendary sword of the pirate La Buse. Accompanied by Bruno Quézac, the ambitious but reckless manager of Jack, and Jean-Marc Bastos, a mercenary as disturbed as he is unpredictable, our adventurers will embark on an incredible treasure hunt through the jungle of the island of thousand dangers.More...
Fanny and Alexander1982-12-17As children in the loving Ekdahl family, Fanny and Alexander enjoy a happy life with their parents, who run a theater company. After their father dies unexpectedly, however, the siblings end up in a joyless home when their mother, Emilie, marries a stern bishop. The bleak situation gradually grows worse as the bishop becomes more controlling, but dedicated relatives make a valiant attempt to aid Emilie, Fanny and Alexander.More...
EO2022-09-30The world is a mysterious place when seen through the eyes of an animal. EO, a grey donkey with melancholic eyes, meets good and bad people on his life’s path, experiences joy and pain, endures the wheel of fortune randomly turn his luck into disaster and his despair into unexpected bliss. But not even for a moment does he lose his innocence.More...
Master Gardener2023-05-19Narvel Roth is a meticulous horticulturist who is devoted to tending the grounds of a beautiful estate and pandering to his employer, the wealthy dowager Mrs. Haverhill. When she demands that he take on her wayward and troubled niece, it unlocks dark secrets from a buried violent past.More...
A Very Long Engagement2004-10-27Young Frenchwoman Mathilde searches for the truth about her missing fiancé, lost during World War I, and learns many unexpected things along the way. The love of her life is gone. But she refuses to believe he's gone forever — and she needs to know for sure.More...
Junkyard Dog2023-04-19Childhood pals Dog and Mirales live in a little village in the south of France and spend their days just hanging out. To kill time, Mirales has got into the habit of teasing Dog mercilessly. But this summer is different: Dog meets Elsa and romance blossoms.More...
Bad Genius2017-05-03Lynn, a brilliant student, after helping her friends to get the grades they need, develops the idea of starting a much bigger exam-cheating business.More...
The Out-Laws2023-07-07A straight-laced bank manager is about to marry the love of his life. When his bank is held up by infamous Ghost Bandits during his wedding week, he believes his future in-laws who just arrived in town, are the infamous Out-Laws.More...
November2022-10-05In November 2015, a series of unprecedented and deadly attacks hits Paris. The anti-terrorist police led by Heloise and her chief commander Fred face an unprecedented level of pressure. In a race against the clock, they must find the perpetrators of the attacks as quickly as possible before they can strike again, travelling across Europe and beyond in one of the biggest manhunts in history.More...
Persepolis2007-06-27In 1970s Iran, Marjane 'Marji' Satrapi watches events through her young eyes and her idealistic family of a long dream being fulfilled of the hated Shah's defeat in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. However as Marji grows up, she witnesses first hand how the new Iran, now ruled by Islamic fundamentalists, has become a repressive tyranny on its own.More...
Close2022-11-01Two 13-year-old boys spend an idyllic summer together, but their connection is put to the test when they become the subject of speculation at school.More...
Missing2023-01-19When her mother disappears while on vacation in Colombia with her new boyfriend, June’s search for answers is hindered by international red tape. Stuck thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, June creatively uses all the latest technology at her fingertips to try and find her before it’s too late. But as she digs deeper, her digital sleuthing raises more questions than answers... and when June unravels secrets about her mom, she discovers that she never really knew her at all.More...
Similar Movies
Test Tube Teens from ...
1994-07-27In the future, corporations have taken over the world and banned sex. A group of rebellious high school students devise a way to go back in time to the present day and try change history to prevent that from happening.Montana
1998-01-16A seasoned enforcer is given the seemingly routine task of finding the Boss's runaway mistress, Kitty. However Kitty is involved in plans to overthrow the Boss and this routine task gets very complicated.Antique
2008-11-13Jin-hyeok opens a cake shop in an old antique shop, hiring Seon-woo, Korea's best pastry chef, who fell in love with him in high school. Also there, are Su-young, crushing on Seon-woo, ex-boxer Ki-beom, and Seon-woo's French ex-boyfriend.Dream Baby
2015-12-12Trapped in a remote Caravan Park, little Elvis thinks up a scheme to break free, determined to make a better life for herself.Hombre
2017-03-27When straight guys go gay: a film anthology of stories taken from the blog Pinoy M2M Erotica. An anthology of five stories. Each story poses the question: what would a straight guy do in a gay situation?Hostel Returns
2015-08-21This film is a sequel to 2013 film Hostel and is based on the hostel life of civil engineering students.The Surrogate
2021-07-09Jess is thrilled to be the surrogate for her best friend and his husband, but when a prenatal test comes back, it creates a moral dilemma that threatens their friendship.Butterfly
1999-09-24The film centres on Moncho and his coming-of-age experience in Galicia in 1936. Moncho develops a close relationship with his teacher Don Gregorio who introduces the boy to different things in the world. While the story centres on Moncho's ordinary coming-of-age experiences, tensions related to the looming Spanish Civil War periodically interrupt Moncho's personal growth and daily life.The World Unseen
2007-09-09A drama centered on two women who engage in a dangerous relationship during South Africa's apartheid era.Sweet Land
2005-10-21Set in 1920, Inge travels from Germany to rural Minnesota in order to meet the man destined to be her husband.Killing Words
2004-08-20A mild-mannered psychopath plays mind-games with a woman he has tied to a chair in his basement.Virgin
2003-06-14When a teenager finds herself pregnant, with no memory of having had sex, she determines that she is carrying the child of God.The Wave
1981-10-04A teacher conducts an experiment in an American high school where students learn how easy it is to be seduced by the same social forces which led to the horrors of Nazi Germany.Family Descent
2024-10-26A young man returns home after the passing of his estranged father only to become embroiled in a sinister family plot that must occur during a rare lunar eclipse.Boxer
2024-09-10With only his wife by his side, a promising young boxer flees communist Poland to chase his dream of becoming the greatest fighter in history.Topless
2023-02-13“All in good time. I promise he will come to you.” This is something Anthony has been told by his mom. Little did he know that quote would follow him throughout his romantic endeavors. After a few years, being in his late 20s without experience building relationships, Anthony finds himself in a vicious cycle of heartbreak as he continues searching for true love. Anthony’s best friend Chloe sets him up with Justin, who wants a short-term, exclusive commitment. Chloe discovers that Anthony had sex with her boyfriend, Lucas. As tensions rise, Anthony relies on Justin for relief and comfort. Anthony takes responsibility for his actions and reaches out to the person who was there from the beginning—his mom, to fix the relationship that matters most.3 Days in Quiberon
2018-04-121981, Quiberon, a small village on the coast of Brittany, France. Hilde Fritsch arrives to visit her old friend who has retreated to a spa hotel to escape the daily pressures of her life. Her friend is world-famous star Romy Schneider, but together, they appear like two regular women who are just happy to be reunited. Yet it quickly becomes apparent that Hilde is supposed to offer the support the sensitive actress needs to be able to truly face her own demons.Narzissen
2007-12-30Throughout his whole life the boy – tortured by his mother’s disdain – has been struglling for love. Katharina, the girl next door, raises new hope. For her, he cultivates a garden.A Walk to Remember
2002-01-25When the popular, restless Landon Carter is forced to participate in the school drama production, he falls in love with Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town's minister. Jamie has a "to-do" list for her life, as well as a very big secret she must keep from Landon.Dazlak – Skinhead
1997-10-25Jenny is on the road in her film producer's Rolls-Royce, which she has to drive to a film shoot and a wedding. When she gets lost at night, she finds a wrecked car in the ditch and rescues a skinhead.