Until 1962, there was not a single movie that involved the LGBTQ community. Advise & Consent is the first-ever American movie that portrays the homosexual affair of a married senator a long time back during wartime. However, the present scenario of LGBTQ community-based movies is commendable.
Despite the fact, we are subjected more to non-LGBTQ cinema. Yet the LGBTQ cinema has been able to grab lots of prestigious awards in the past years.
I think LGBTQ community-based films are not just a script played by a couple of actors. In fact, It holds much more than that. It necessitates queer experience and proves how little we know about their side of the story. The movies we watch have the power to shape our thoughts and how we see others and ourselves.
Well, here are my top 5 favorite LGBTQ movies that I can watch forever,
Call Me By Your Name
“If I could have him like this in my dreams every night of my life, I’d stake my entire life on dreams and be done with the rest.” This is one of my favorite quotes from the movie. Whether it be the setting, actors, script, cinematography, or anything, everything about this movie is just PERFECT.
It’s a powerful story of a seventeen-year-old Elio who falls in love with his father’s house guest, Oliver. Things start to get heat up when they both discover their affection for each other. It’s a well-blended mixture of desire, passion, love, fear, and distance. If “Love” had a movie, it would look like this. The movie received 35 major nominations and won 11 awards in 2018. It won Academic Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay as well.
Ma Vie En Rose (My Life In Pink)
Ma Vie En Rose is a Belgian drama film released in 1997. Ludovic is a seven-year-old kid who identifies himself as a girl. Dressing up as a girl during his childhood wasn’t much of a big deal to his parents. Although the film is funny, things start getting worse when he confronts his parents that he is a girl instead. They take him to the psychiatrist and loathe him. This film is all about stubborn and unsympathetic parents trying to “cure” their son.
This movie depicts the reality of many queer people and hence is worth watching.
Love Simon
This movie is all about a 16-year-old closeted boy Simon Spier. It is a mainstream high school movie but the whole tough and humorous journey of Simon coming out is something you don’t want to miss. He has been in romantic touch with another anonymous closeted guy from his school via e-mail. Everything is going well until Simon’s friend finds out about him. The friend blackmails him in return to get a date with Simon’s friend Abby. Eventually, Simon comes out and finds his anonymous love as well.
Elisa & Marcela
It’s quite a thrilling movie as it is based on the real-life story of two lovers Elisa and Marcela. In 1885, they meet as friends and soon their unconditional friendship turns into forbidden love. However, they reunite after ages to live together happily until their neighborhood starts doubting and detesting them. Elisa disguises herself as a man and marries Marcela in 1901. the story gets even tougher with time.
An intimate and inspiring story before same-sex marriage was legal in Spain. A must-watch!
The Imitation Game
A movie based on the biography of Alan Turing is set up in the era of World war II. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the main character as Alan Turing who is also known as the father of Computer Science. This movie revolves around Turing trying to invent the machine that could break the German Enigma code. Eventually, he does invent the revolutionary machine. But what remains subtle in this film is that he is homosexual. Later when the British government found out about it he was punished and criminalized.
It’s a story of a hero who despite his talent had to go through such harsh phases. It won Academic Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay in 2015.
