Arlene Germain
reviews

Higher Ground
When Night is Falling (DVD)

Arlene Germain is a former English teacher who currently lives in Massachusetts.  She is a book reviewer for  The Lambda Book Report [www.lambdalit.org], the Golden Crown Literary Society newsletter, The Crown, [www.goldencrown.org], the  Midwest Book Review [www.midwestbookreview.com], and the Just About Write Newsletter [www.justaboutwrite.com].

Like any reviewer, I am sure that she would like to hear from you—either your thoughts on her review, or to submit a book to her for review in future issues of IGW. You can contact her, here.
400
HigherGroundHigher Ground
By Saxon Bennett
Bella Books
ISBN: 1-931513-69-4 
Paperback
$12.95
246 pages
 
This new novel by Saxon Bennett tells the story of six disparate women living in Phoenix, Arizona.  It spans a sometimes-tumultuous four-year period in their often-troubled lives.  Vida, the outgoing and personable fashion model, has a disapproving and dour mate in Kirsten.  Edie, the main character, writes timely articles for Phoenician magazine yet yearns to be a playwright.  Her conversation is often liberally peppered with vulgar and obscene invective while her love life, or more accurately, her rapacious sex life is one brisk encounter, fling, and affair after another.  Laura, a young and ostensibly innocent co-worker, is hopelessly in love with Edie.  Rounding out this sextet are Bia and Juliette who have not only an unusual living arrangement but also a secret they desperately want to keep forever shrouded.  Over the course of the book, the lives of these women intertwine and conflict in a somewhat soap opera fashion, but it is for the reader to discover what each woman is seeking so tenaciously and at what cost.  “How am I supposed to go on with my life thinking that part of my life was a total farce…?” asks Laura.
Bennett’s previous books were by and large light and entertaining reading, and her latest book is virtually the same.  The plot development is quite simply stated so it is rather effortless to differentiate between the characters. However, a novel’s characters and its narrative should seamlessly flow across the pages if it is to meaningfully engage and captivate the reader.  At various times, the actions depicted here seem somehow too contrived, even stilted, to achieve these goals.          
The premise is appealing, the concepts of friends vs. lovers and real vs. desirable expectations, but one wishes the author had developed these women in a less superficial manner.  The progression of these women’s lives as they moved through the chapters would have been much more satisfying for this reader had Bennett explored with greater depth and detail what it was that drove these women, what motivations controlled their lives.  Perhaps, more scrupulous editing or an expanded storyline would have rectified the aforementioned two points. 
The dialogue is often humorous, witty at times, revealing more character delineation than the narrative itself.  Each character speaks her lines with those subtle telltale nuances of her personality.  It is for the reader to decide if, in fact, she actually “likes” any of these women.  Are they women one knows, admires, despises, or envies?  Or, are they more often than not women without any redeeming qualities?  Are they merely products of the contemporary corporate scene or society?  Excess in varying degrees seems to be the byword for several of these women. Is that a good or a bad thing?  Bennett leaves it to the reader to decide.
Bennett remains true to a formula she has created so her fans won’t be disappointed with this latest work.  For those who haven’t read her previous fiction, Higher Ground will offer an uncomplicated bit of escapist reading for a few hours, an opportunity to meet some new characters, and to experience another lesbian author’s writing.  Whichever the case may be, one should read this novel and determine for oneself what that “higher ground” actually is.

By Arlene Germain

 400
WhenNightFallingWhen Night Is Falling
Starring: Pascale Bussieres, Rachael Crawford, Henry Czerny, David Fox 
Director: Patricia Rozema
Run Time: 95 minutes, 1995

     After having viewed a few of the currently available lesbian films, I am again left without an answer to my inevitable question, “Why can’t someone make a good one?”   Intelligent writing, quality production, competent acting, and skillful directing are the hallmarks of creative filmmaking, whether it is gay or straight.   However, rather than continue to bemoan this continuing and regrettable lack of noteworthy effort in this area, I will revisit a genuine film classic, a personal treasure of mine, and a film which many critics have judged to be “one of the top twenty women’s films of all time.”  If you have yet to see this Canadian film, you have a most enduring and rewarding experience awaiting you.
    When Night is Falling tells the story of Camille (Pascale Bussieres), a professor at a conservative Christian college, who is engaged to Martin (Henry Czerny), a minister and fellow professor.  The couple is being urged by the Dean (David Fox) to marry soon so that they can become the new co-chaplains for the college.  Yet, for some reason not quite apparent to Camille, she has mixed feelings about her life, Martin, and their plans for the future. 
One morning her dog gets loose and subsequently is struck by a car.  Deeply saddened, Camille discovers her pet, takes it home, and tries to lose herself in the mundane activities of the day.  It is while she is at the laundromat that she meets Petra (Rachael Crawford), a vibrant and flamboyant young woman who is in between performances with an avant-garde surrealist circus company.   Immediately attracted to the weeping Camille, Petra offers her solace and unobtrusively manages to switch their laundry in order to see Camille once again.   Soon both women will realize that there is such a thing as a true soul mate, that the conventional is not always preferable, and that life is indeed a conundrum.
Patricia Rozema has created an appealing and intriguing portrait of one woman’s thoughtful yet tentative search for her purpose in the scheme of things.  Her captivating screenplay engages the viewer from the opening scene through the closing credits. (By the way, stay until the end of these credits; you will be pleased that you did.)   Her writing is crisp, cogent, and introspective.  Devoid of any maudlin sentimentality or religiosity, Rozema’s story could just as well have been about a store clerk.   She has Camille questioning the parameters of her faith and its doctrine.  As she begins to accept who she really is, Camille puts her own faith and ideals to the test.   Rozema’s direction is subtle and carefully understated.   The story unfolds at a leisurely pace which allows the viewer to step into the film.   The film gathers momentum once Camille and Petra meet in the entryway of the former’s apartment.  As their relationship begins to develop, the pace of the film reflects this growing intensity.
Shooting each scene with clarity and resonance and enhancing the effects with a subdued musical score adds to the overall mood and atmosphere of this film.  Douglas Koch’s cinematography captures the understated emotional currents.  Set in and around Toronto during winter, the predominantly gray and overcast landscape reflects Camille’s uncertainty and hesitation.  The hang gliding sequence is especially evocative as Camille breaks through her mundane cocoon to experience yet another challenge.  The visual appeal of this film rests in its imagery devoid of any dialogue.  This is also true of the tastefully filmed erotically-charged love scenes.  The scene conveys everything the viewer needs to know and appreciate.  Leslie Barber’s musical score enhances the quietude of each scene juxtaposed with the raucous cirque sequences.   Underlying themes reinforce the emotional chaos that both Camille and Petra are experiencing as they re-evaluate their hopes and desires.
Acting kudos go to both Ms. Bussieres (Camille) and Mr. Czerny (Martin) as the couple who steadfastly attempt to understand the circumstances that have changed their lives and who desperately try to not inflict emotional pain upon the other as the situation begins to spiral toward its inevitable conclusion.   Ms. Crawford (Petra) manages to convey the insouciance of youth while at the same time allowing only her facial expressions to say so much more than mere words could ever convey.  At first glance Camille and Petra seem an unlikely pair, but each woman has indeed so much to offer the other.  A satisfying counterpoint is created by the deft direction of Ms. Rozema. Their cautious discovery, then committed journey together is an indisputably realistic and poignant attempt to re-define the existence and purpose each woman hopes to achieve with and for each other.
When Night is Falling is that rare film wherein less is best actually works.  An intriguing screenplay, superb direction, quality production values, and consummate acting make this film an experience that is both savored and long remembered.  The ensemble acting here gives each actor enough time to establish each role with all its twists and turns.  Watching this film is much like sharing a fine meal and a bottle of wine with intimate friends.  It is in those contemplative moments in life that bring forth the best in each of us.  When Night is Falling is that kind of experience.  I strongly recommend and urge you to view this film.  You will definitely add it to your Top Ten list.  (5 stars)               


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