1994 Directed by Rose Troche
Max is a trendy, pretty, young lesbian, who is having trouble finding love. A friend sets her up with Ely, whom Max likes, but Ely is frumpy, homely, and older. Nor do they have much in common. Can Max learn to look past the packaging?
"Make up a name only you'd call me."
Half-romance, half-essay on a specific slice of the director's world, an urban lesbian community and its early 90s milieu. It hides its essay qualities, framing them within the narrative, but some moments are more recognizable than others (the intro is the most blatant, but it has something important to say). Its thesis is complicated, a statement about existence, about erasure, about internalized homophobia and sexism, about love, about expectations. Its thesis is that we don't know what a lesbian looks like or feels like or sounds like or acts like or is because it's Not That Simple but also because we've erased the history through which we might understand.
Note how awkward…
"It's called Go Fish, not all you can eat" -Daria,
The nineties.
Super low budget film that, for my money, should have become just as famous in 1994 as Clerks. On the surface this is a standard relationship film but under the surface, and in context, it is an important and fun film about lesbian life in the city in the 1990s. The movie deals with a variety of issues impacting the lives of lesbians during that time, most of them relevant still today. The direction is interesting throughout, and the script consistently provides engaging ways of addressing complex issues. I would have loved to see some better performances but after adjusting to the quality the acting became endearing.
Definite recommend.
this movie has an actual pile of butch lesbians... pretty sure more in one shot than all of Hollywood since
2017 Queer Films Challenge
Week 3: A Teddy Award winner
This movie is essentially just a formless narrative about an ensemble of Chicagoan lesbians just living their lives, going on dates, and gossiping (so much gossiping!). Yet I enjoyed every minute of it. Rose Troche's directorial style is erratic, playful, referential, and intimate. Guinevere Turner is as charming as ever, but supporting players V.S. Brodie, T. Wendy McMillan, and Migdalia Melendez grabbed my attention the most.
The film even tackles intra-community homophobia in a remarkably abstract scene that I won't surely be forgetting anytime soon. Apparently the scene in question inspired Kevin Smith to make Chasing Amy, but I really think he should have left it alone.
These kinds of shoestring budget light-hearted queer flicks from the 90s may very well be my favorite type of movie and now I just want to watch them all.
this is so sweet and heartwarming omggg. pretty much every single character is a lesbian and there are about two lines from men, the aesthetic and music is comfy in the way so much 90s NQC is, it has a beautiful sense of looseness and sexual frankness that reminded me of sarah jacobson's 'mary jane's not a virgin anymore' (which is a great compliment), and possibly has the best end credits scene of all time.
Much less interesting as a standard issue romance than it is as a total hangout movie slash artsy exploration of community, shared identities, and internalized homophobia. Kinda great, though I'm mad at myself for thinking "Clerks, but with actual visual style and something to say" about 20 minutes into it.
I’m not sure what I was expecting this movie to be, but it wasn’t this. It’s weirdly captivating in a way that makes me unsure of how I feel about it.
low budget, grainy black and white film about lesbians in the 90s, felt very imperfect but authentic especially with the awkward performances. loved the way the camera lingered over things like Max and Ely's anxious hand movements before they kissed and the more dream-like and abstract imagery of the court and marriage scenes was interesting. v sweet depiction of the start of a relationship and the way people talk to their friends about it - the grunginess of it reminded me a bit of the book Chelsea Girls
watched this on Stan!
2021 Queer Film Challenge #2: a film starring or written by Guinevere Turner.
Go Fish is a lovely little black-and-white film, similar in spirit to its queer decademates The Watermelon Woman and Totally Fucked Up: a lackadaisical slice-of-life drama in which more serious issues make themselves known at unexpected moments, all punctuated by moments of formal experimentation. The way the characters interact felt very familiar to me from my experience of contemporary sapphic communities, even if the specific cultural reference points have changed: they flirt awkwardly, make out intensely, set each other up on dates, get striking new hairstyles, plan lessons, pet cats, write in their journals, joke about feminist theory, discuss queer representation in film. There's even a hallucinatory…
feels like dykes to watch out for come to life! god i LOVE 90s lesbian shit. such a fun watch and feels so warm and cozy in chicagos lesbian community. i love it here!
found on demand on pluto tv
cute movie with a good premise, none of these lovely handsome stunning charming dykes can act worth a DAMN!
The diner, the lesbian inquisition, the nail clippers, oh my god I LOVED this movie.
This is a sweet and tender, but unflinching lesbian indie movie. Indie being the operative word, really, at times it comes across amateurish, but ultimately the honesty and sincerity of it overshadows any shortcomings that may bring. Truly just a really nice lesbian movie, great stuff.
low budget, grainy black and white film about lesbians in the 90s, felt very imperfect but authentic especially with the awkward performances. loved the way the camera lingered over things like Max and Ely's anxious hand movements before they kissed and the more dream-like and abstract imagery of the court and marriage scenes was interesting. v sweet depiction of the start of a relationship and the way people talk to their friends about it - the grunginess of it reminded me a bit of the book Chelsea Girls
watched this on Stan!
2021 Queer Film Challenge 2. A film starring or written by Guinevere Turner
The acting is terrible and, as a result, there's no chemistry in the romance. The essay parts kinda save the whole thing.
Around lesbian history, there has been a serious lack of evidence that tell us what this women's lives are truly about. I mean, lesbian lives and lesbian relantioships they barely exists on paper. And is with that in mind and understanding the meaning and the power of history, that we begin to want to change history.
Lesbian lives showcased in this film almost feels like a documentary, and i'm here for it. I will never get enough of lesbians being free, flirting with each out, going out with each other and loving each other.
It' fun, sweet, has lesbian representation that we need more...Let's go lesbian direcring lesbian films! Let's go!
2021 Queer Film Challenge #2: a film starring or written by Guinevere Turner.
Go Fish is a lovely little black-and-white film, similar in spirit to its queer decademates The Watermelon Woman and Totally Fucked Up: a lackadaisical slice-of-life drama in which more serious issues make themselves known at unexpected moments, all punctuated by moments of formal experimentation. The way the characters interact felt very familiar to me from my experience of contemporary sapphic communities, even if the specific cultural reference points have changed: they flirt awkwardly, make out intensely, set each other up on dates, get striking new hairstyles, plan lessons, pet cats, write in their journals, joke about feminist theory, discuss queer representation in film. There's even a hallucinatory…
senti que eu tava vendo uma adaptação pro cinema de dykes to watch out for. amei!
Sarah🖼️🔥 120 films
no "why isn't this movie here" please, I am a critic specializing in lesbian feminist film I can promise you…
Vanessa 6,543 films
Check out the official top 100 narrative feature films by women directors list
FAQ (please read before commenting)
1) Why…
MundoF 13,145 films
It’s an LGBTQ+ world and these are my other LGBTQ+ lists on Letterboxd:
➡️Minor Interest Films: In the Closet: A…
aobh 15,306 films
This list is for scripts or source material written or co-written by women. Recs welcome!
Be sure to check out…
Jayce Fryman 18,682 films
This list collects every film from the Starting List that became They Shoot Pictures Don't They's 1000 Greatest Films. This…
Lyzette 670 films
***EDIT (March 30, 2014)*** Wow! I never would have expected that I'd get anywhere close to 100 likes on this…
Sally Jane Black 200 films
Autostraddle's Top 200 Lesbian, Bisexual, or Queer Movies of All Time from drew gregory.
I'm gonna watch and review everything…
Meagan 1,835 films
Must have woman: ☑️ lead, co-lead, or subject; ☑️ director or co-director; and ☑️ writer or co-writer (screenplay or source…
Tara 2,658 films
Movies about/starring women and girls of all ages. List is mainly female protagonists, but also includes some films where a…
Graham Williamson 238 films
Not "gay with exceptions". Not "curious". Not doing it for the sake of a plot twist or a neat ending.…
