Listen to this articleJulianne Moore serves queer history in ‘Mary & George’
Some straight people love to tell you there were no queer people in history. There were plenty, and “Mary & George,” a new limited series from D.C. Moore (“Killing Eve”), and directed by Oliver Hermanus (the brutal South African queer drama “Beauty”), is about to deliver the intrigue. Based on Benjamin Woolley’s book, “The King’s Assassin,” and starring Julianne Moore, the historical drama tells the story of Mary Villiers, a woman determined to rise to the top of the English aristocracy by any means necessary, including bribing people, consorting with a criminal element and insinuating her son George (Nicholas Galitzine, “Cinderella”) into the life and bed of King James I. George becomes the Duke of Buckingham and gains all the power Mother desires. Royal corset and wig fans who are always rooting for the villains will eat this up. It’s set to air soon in the U.K., so look for it to steam up a U.S. streamer sometime after that.
‘Fairyland’ takes flight
Opening night of Frameline47, aka the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, now in its 47th year, will see the Sofia Coppola-produced “Fairyland” take the screen. The debut feature of Andrew Durham is an adaptation of Alysia Abbott’s book “Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father,” the true story of a young girl who winds up living with her gay father in San Francisco in the bohemian 1970s and into the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. Starring Scoot McNairy (“Argo”) as the father, Emilia Jones (“CODA”) as adult Alysia Abbott and Nessa Dougherty as young Alysia, the film also features Geena Davis, Adam Lambert and “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” Academy Award nominee Maria Bakalova. This makes two big fest appearances for “Fairyland” — it premiered earlier this year at Sundance — and while there’s no official release date yet, with that kind of high profile it will almost certainly find its way to a grown-up cinema environment near you a little further down the road.
Natalie Morales is ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’
Queer actor-director Natalie Morales – she’s currently co-starring in the Jennifer Lawrence film “No Hard Feelings” and recently directed the 2021 teen contraception comedy, “Plan B” – has a new project where she literally plays dead. “My Dead Friend Zoe” stars Sonequa Martin-Green (“Star Trek: Discovery”) as a veteran who shares an ongoing conversation with her quippy best friend from the Army, Zoe (Morales), who happens to not be alive anymore. When she’s tasked with caring for her estranged grandfather (Ed Harris, “Westworld”), who’s also a vet, Zoe comes along for the ride. It’s the debut feature from Kyle Hausmann-Stokes (who co-wrote with A.J. Bermudez), based on his short film “Merit x Zoe,” and both projects were inspired by Hausmann-Stokes’ experience in military service. In production now, be on the lookout for the dark comedy when it finds its way to theaters.
‘A Savage Christmas’ brings trans comedy to holiday viewing
Bubbling up in Brisbane, Australia, is the comedy-drama “A Savage Christmas,” from first-time feature filmmaker Madeleine Dyer. Starring newcomers Thea Raveneau, Rekha Ryan and Max Jahufer (who co-wrote the script with Daniel Mulvihill and Dyer), it’s the story of a trans woman who returns for Christmas to the home of her estranged family, her new boyfriend in tow. What they expect, however — and what most indie film audiences have come to expect from queer estrangement narratives — isn’t exactly what they get, finding the family embroiled in a web of trouble that overshadows her transition and not only threatens everyone’s lives, but also Christmas lunch. If this sounds like unusual Christmas comedy fare, you can thank that traditionally oddball Australian sense of humor, and then keep in mind that “It’s a Wonderful Life” is the heartwarming comedy about a man who seriously contemplates killing himself on Christmas Eve. In other words, there are no rules. In production now, with no release date set, keep your eyes open for it during the holiday season. Or next holiday season.
Romeo San Vicente wishes a savage Christmas to all.
Photo by KathClick
