Stella and Dotty have been living together for 31 years, during which period Dotty has become blind. Cloudburst is compromised by its over-sentimentality and uncomfortable staginess however Dukakis and Fricker always remain believable and compelling to watch.Outburst with expletives (F-words, C-words and sexual innuendoes), buttocks and bollocks (literally, a blind lady has her head jammed between a naked man’s thighs), Thom Fitzgerald’s CLOUDBURST is not for the prude, adapted from his own awards-winning eponymous play, it is an atypical queer film illustrating a life-affirming story about an elderly lesbian couple, Stella and Dotty, played respectively by two Oscar winning actress Dukakis (MOONSTRUCK, 1987) and Fricker (MY LEFT FOOT, 1989). Moments like these take away from genuinely precious ones, particularly those between Stella and Molly. Though the action may have worked on stage it fails on screen. Unfortunately, the script frequently falters due to a distracting sense of theatricality, as in in the scene in which Stella throws tea in Molly’s face and chases her out of the house. The warmth and admiration between this power-house pairing is palpable. The film is rich with marvellous performances Oscar-winners Dukakis ( Moonstruck) and Fricker ( My Left Foot) bring a sense of authenticity to their tender love story. It is a young hitchhiker named Prentice (newcomer Ryan Doucette) who makes the deepest impression on them the aspiring dancer becomes their unlikely protector and friend, adding youthful energy and comic relief to their journey. Upon Stella and Dot’s decision to wed, the couple hop in a pick-up truck and set out on their life-affirming trip, meeting people who enhance their experience along the way. She is unaware that Stella and Dot are lovers and even when she eventually realises it she cannot wholeheartedly support the relationship much like the current climate in America where a large majority is happy to turn a blind eye to the struggle for gay rights.ĭirector Fitzgerald relies on a generic road-movie format for Cloudburst. Although it is Dot whose sight is deteriorating, it is Molly who cannot see what is right in front of her. ![]() Dot, a gentle soul with an irresistible Irish brogue, has trouble with her health (particularly her sight), but her spirits are always flying high. Stella is a feisty character, fond of dressing in cowboy attire and using the ‘c-word’ in casual conversation. Fitzgerald opens up a refreshing dialogue about same-sex marriage through these two charismatic women. It is an unconventional film insomuch as its protagonists, Stella and Dot, a pair of seventy-something lesbians, belong to a social group that is poorly represented in mainstream cinema. Cloudburst tells the story of a couple who embarks upon a remarkable journey from Maine to Nova Scotia. The latest feature by American-Canadian writer/director Thom Fitzgerald is based on his stage-play of the same title. As Stella and Dot have no legal rights as a couple in America, they set off for Canada to be wed so that Stella can continue to live with and care for her lover. Dot has depended on Stella since her health began to deteriorate years earlier but now Dot’s granddaughter, Molly (Kristin Booth), believes that she needs professional attention and signs her into a nursing facility. Cloudburst Synopsis: Stella (Olympia Dukakis) and Dot (Brenda Fricker), two women in their seventies living in coastal Maine have been in a loving relationship for thirty-one years.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |