Go Fish (1994)

Directed by Rose Troche. Starring Guinevere Turner, V. S. Brodie, Migdalia Melendez, T. Wendy McMillan, Anastasia Sharp.

Low-budget, black & white indie shedding light on contemporary lesbian culture and issues among a small group of Chicago friends and partners (potential or otherwise). The meat of the story is engaging, watching these hip, opinionated gals talk sexual politics and negotiate new romance, and although the acting can be awkwardly amateurish, the freshness of the unpretentious delivery is appealing on balance. First-time feature filmmaker Troche is is too uncertain about construction, however, as the film as a whole is too stagy (one scene starts with several characters on their backs, cheek-to-cheek in opposite directions, and mid-conversation, one of them introduces another to the rest for the first time) and the interludes are out of a student art film. Star Turner also makes her film debut, and co-wrote and co-produced with Troche.

64/100