The 23rd Philadelphia Film Festival, which screens Oct. 16-26 at area theaters, offers several international films featuring LGBT characters.
The festival offers the first chance for Philadelphia-area moviegoers to see “The Imitation Game” (8 p.m. Oct. 18 at Prince Theater, 1412 Chestnut St.), about the life of that gay man with that great mind, Alan Turing (an Oscar-worthy Benedict Cumberbatch). Turing had few social skills; he alienated his colleagues at Bletchley Park, where he was hired to help break the Nazi Enigma machine. (His interview scene is fantastic.) The film toggles back and forth in time, revealing young Alan being bullied at school and developing his love for a male classmate, as well as scenes of Turing being investigated by the police for “gross indecency.” In between, the film crackles with the code-breaking drama and Turing’s friendship with Joan Clarke (a superb Keira Knightley). Although a bit slick and manipulative, and less focused on Turing’s sexuality than his mental abilities, “The Imitation Game” is still a highly satisfying crowd-pleaser.
“Life Partners” (7:30 p.m. Oct. 18 and noon Oct. 22 at Ritz East, 125 S. Second St.) is a bright, genial comedy (cowritten by openly gay Joni Lefkowitz) about the bond between 20-somethings Sasha (Leighton Meester), a lesbian, and her straight best friend, Paige (Gillian Jacobs). Their close friendship, which includes fake fights, TV nights and sleepovers, changes when Paige falls for Tim (Adam Brody). Sasha’s dating, however, is much less successful (and more amusing). Sasha clings to wanting to maintain the good old times with Paige, even though her bestie is moving ahead with her life. “Life Partners” has some keen observations about growing up and about girlfriends — both the sexual and platonic kind. While there are some obvious jokes about lesbians dating their friends’ exes, the film emphasizes how people have to change themselves, not each other. Meester and Jacobs are terrific together and it is the credibility of their friendship that makes “Life Partners” so engaging.
Brazil’s Oscar entry, “The Way He Looks” (2:30 p.m. Oct. 17 at Ritz Bourse, 400 Ranstead St.; 6:40 p.m. Oct. 26 at Ritz East), is a real charmer about Leo (Ghilherme Lobo), a blind teenager, developing an attraction to his new classmate Gabriel (Fabio Audi), which causes Leo’s best friend Giovana (Tess Amorim) to become jealous. Out writer/director Daniel Ribeiro infuses moments such as Leo hugging Gabriel on the bicycle they share, or Gabriel guiding Leo to dance to music, with a tender sexual tension. They show how these two teenagers fall in love. Ribeiro’s warm approach to telling the story prompts viewers to want the boys to couple up. Of course there are subplots that try to keep the guys apart, but they never feel forced. “The Way He Looks” is sure to leave a smile in viewers’ hearts.
Another film featuring a gay teen is “Xenia” (2:45 p.m. Oct. 21 and 9 p.m. Oct. 24 at Ritz East), from Greece. When queer teen Danny’s (Kostas Nikouli) mother dies, he leaves Crete for Athens to reconnect with his older brother, Odysseas (Nikos Gelia). The Albanian siblings hatch a plan to go to Thessaloniki. They hope to find their long-lost Greek father — and shake him down for money and citizenship — and enter Odysseas in the Greek Star singing contest (think “American Idol”). “Xenia” has moments of magical realism, from a talking rabbit to a wonderful visual of Danny lying in a field of grass that transforms into a large hairy torso. And there is also a harsh reality. When the brothers encounter xenophobia, Danny engages in some gunplay that forces them to go on the lam. While the road movie plot is as old as “Ulysses,” and writer/director Panos H. Koutras strains credibility as the narrative plots climax, the leads are compelling, and a scene of the brothers dancing in their underwear is irresistible.
“52 Tuesdays” (7:25 p.m. Oct. 20 at Ritz Bourse; 6:10 p.m. Oct. 23 at Roxy, 2023 Sansom St.) is an absorbing Australian drama about Billie (Tilda Cobham-Hervey), who unexpectedly learns that her mother, Jane (Del Herbert-Jane), has always been very close to gender-transitioning to become James. Moving in with her dad, Tom (Beau Travis Williams), Billie makes a promise to visit James every Tuesday. Their weekly meetings include activities such as dining, shopping or playing tennis, and their talk consists of James’ progress with testosterone shots or they bond or fight. Billie also meets up with two classmates, Jasmine (Imogen Archer) and Josh (Sam Althuizen), whom she films and experiments with sexually in an effort to forge her own identity. What emerges from the weekly episodes, which range from snippets to extended dramatic moments, is how much the characters care about one another, especially when they are angry. Viewers will care about Billie and James as well, in part because Cobham-Hervey and Herbert-Jane give such emotionally honest performances. “52 Tuesdays” is very much about the need to live an authentic life, and director Sophie Hyde captures this with acuity.
One of the more disappointing films at the festival is “The Overnighters” (4:50 p.m. Oct. 17 at Bourse; 2:45 p.m. Oct. 26 at Roxy), a documentary about Pastor Jay Reinke of Williston, N.D. Reinke has a fascinating story: He lets hundreds of migrants looking for jobs stay in his church or his home. He wants to build community, but the men he helps — sex offenders and drug addicts among them — have made townsfolk fearful. Director Jesse Moss raises many interesting and important questions about redemption and recovery from economic hardship and addiction, as well as issues about sexual identity, but his film is so unfocused that his observations frustrate rather than resonate. Like Reinke, Moss takes on too much and ends up making a flawed film about a flawed man.
Also of interest — but alas, not available for preview — are two highly anticipated lesbian films: “Girlhood” (4:50 p.m. Oct. 18 and 12:30 p.m. Oct. 26 at Ritz East) by out filmmaker Céline Sciamma, about a girl gang in France, and “The Duke of Burgundy” (9:30 p.m. Oct. 18 and 7:20 p.m. Oct. 26 at Ritz East) about an erotic, S&M-tinged affair.
In addition, the festival offers the Philadelphia premiere of “Mommy,” (7 p.m. Oct. 17 at Ritz East), the latest film from queer Canadian writer/director Xavier Dolan, about a mother (Anne Dorval) whose son, Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon), returns home to live with her. A revival screening of “Capote,” (12:20 p.m. Oct. 26 at Roxy) invites audiences to see the late Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Oscar-winning turn as Truman Capote on the big screen.
For tickets, showtimes and more information, visit http://filmadelphia.org/festival/.