Munich Film Festival II: Slash
Jun. 27th, 2016 08:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakYes, "Slash" as in slash of fanfiction fame. As in, it's an entire movie about two teens who write same and deal with the whole coming of age, discovering their sexuality thing at the same time. This could have gone wrong in so many ways, but I'm happy to report the resulting movie does NOT ridicule fandom, either the writing or the non-writing part of same; instead, it's lilke Galaxy Quest to Sci Fi, specifically Trek fandom, laughing with the fans, not at them, and taking them seriously as characters. And when was the last time you saw a comedy focused on a male teenager who is attracted to both men and women and whom the movie refuses to label or put into a neat category? Or a movie about teenagers that treats writing (and writing fanfiction, not poetry) like genre movies otherwise treat dancing or singing or acting? A movie in which an explanation of what "curtain fic" means receives an adorable emotional pay off by the end?
"Slash" is directed and scripted by Clay Lifford, who was there for the Q & A afterwards and cheerfully confessed to having been in fandom all his life, and it shows. (Doesn't mean EVERY bit of the movie feels dead-on; Lifford said he wrote the quoted fanfiction for the movie, and it shows, too, which isn't a problem early because beginner stories certainly often read like this, but at one point there's a "best of" live reading at a convention, and there the quoted example certainly would never make it that far.) Like I said, the whole thing feels like a love declaration, though not an over the top one; while fandom and the fanfiction writing community by and large are presented as positive and a great space for creative people, there is also the inevitable competitive feeling and the self righteous bully to be found specializing in tearing down fellow fans.
Our hero is Neil, age 15, writing m/m sci fi fanfiction on his lonesome at the start of the movie because he's not yet in contact with other fans (and even if he were, he probably would not have dared to show what he's writing). Through some idiots at school getting a hold of some of his writing and humiliating him, he gets into contact with Julia, who is a year older, 16, and a seasoned slash writer (though her main fandom is not Neil's). Because Julia not only points Neil towards fanfiction websites but cajoles him into uploading his stuff, braving the public, and in general is the vivacious cool girl to his shy nerd, you could be forgiven for thinking "Manic Pixie Dreamgirl" early on, but soon abandon the thought, because not only does Julia have her own problems (which Neil doesn't solve for her, and she doesn't solve through Neil), but the movie doesn't present her as Neil's romantic reward. While they at one point make out, they don't end up as a couple. It also doesn't fall into the "oh, they write erotic fanfiction because they're not having sex themselves" trap. Julia has an on/off boyfriend (who is a jerk, and not into fandom; her best friend - who is pregnant through the movie with no dad in sight and one of those marvellous side characters who despite comparatively little screen time fill three dimensional and like they're having their own interesting stories going on - thinks the secret of Mike's hold over Julia is that he was the first "normal" guy to show interest, to which Neil replies in disgust, "HE is normal?"). (Julia describes herself as bisexual, but while she flirts a bit with Neil's sister at one point to Neil's horror, we otherwise see her mainly interested in guys.)
Like I said, the movie refuses to label Neil sexually. His main (imaginary, because no way could this kickstarter financed indie afford copyright bills) fandom and main pairing involves the sci fi mercenary hero, Vanguard (played, btw, by a black actor, which since we see several of Neil's fantasy sequences is not just a matter of a brief nodding towards progressiveness) and his arch nemesis (Neil is into foe yay, it seems). He's also got something of a crush on the boy acting in the high school play Neil is involved in as a prompter), and during the course of the movie gets into contact with and nearly makes out with (more about this in a minute) a male fellow Vangard fan. Otoh he's also not just friends with but attracted to Julia. Is he gay and she's his lone het exception? Bisexual? Biromantic? (Julia is pretty, but a great part of the attraction comes from the way they're able to share who they are with each other without having to fear being made fun of, and of the joy of writing - the one point where they actually make out is intermingled with them writing.) The movie refuses to settle for an answer, because, as one character observes, Neil at age 15 has plenty of time to figure himself out. And I love that way of handing teenage sexuality. A lesser movie would have concluded with Neil safely paired up with someone (female or male), and this one just refuses to. (Otoh his hero Vangard does end up in a curtain fic with his evil war lord arch nemesis, holding hands as they watch the interplanetary sunset in their retirement, which is the final image of the movie.)
Another thing which could have gone terribly wrong and instead ends up incredibly charming: after he's started posting his stories, Neil attracts the attention of the main website moderator, who also writes Vangard slash, and turns out to be a thirty something guy named Denis whom Neil meets in person at ComicCon. I was afraid Denis would turn out to be a warning about evil pedators pouncing on innocent teens. Who of course exist! In and out of fandom. But I didn't want one in this particular movie, and as it turns out there wasn't. Denis is interested but when seeing Neil (who pretends, not that convincingly, to be 18) suspects the truth re: Neil's age; after getting Neil to admit it, he handles the whole thing how you wish an adult handles a teenager intent on exploring their sexuality who also uses the "don't reject me!" plea; not by having sex with them, no, but with kindness and understanding. (And some self deprecation, since Denis started the whole thing with a crass online chat pass which, as he admits, he'd never have made to someone in person.)
I could go on about how this movie is my favourite of the festival so far for hours, but I won't, and will just include one more running gag: Julia brings up that the Brontes wrote fanfiction early on (the Angria and Gondal tales), and Neil finds that information repeatedly useful, not least when being told off by a girl who says she only reads real literature. (He even gets the Duke of Wellington/Napoleon pairing right, though not the Bronte sister - it was Charlotte - and brother Branwell -, not Emily, who turned Wellington and Napoleon into Zamorna and Northangerland, respectively.) Still, icon chosen in honor of that running gag.
In conclusion: if this movie is shown anywhere near you, go watch! The website is here.
"Slash" is directed and scripted by Clay Lifford, who was there for the Q & A afterwards and cheerfully confessed to having been in fandom all his life, and it shows. (Doesn't mean EVERY bit of the movie feels dead-on; Lifford said he wrote the quoted fanfiction for the movie, and it shows, too, which isn't a problem early because beginner stories certainly often read like this, but at one point there's a "best of" live reading at a convention, and there the quoted example certainly would never make it that far.) Like I said, the whole thing feels like a love declaration, though not an over the top one; while fandom and the fanfiction writing community by and large are presented as positive and a great space for creative people, there is also the inevitable competitive feeling and the self righteous bully to be found specializing in tearing down fellow fans.
Our hero is Neil, age 15, writing m/m sci fi fanfiction on his lonesome at the start of the movie because he's not yet in contact with other fans (and even if he were, he probably would not have dared to show what he's writing). Through some idiots at school getting a hold of some of his writing and humiliating him, he gets into contact with Julia, who is a year older, 16, and a seasoned slash writer (though her main fandom is not Neil's). Because Julia not only points Neil towards fanfiction websites but cajoles him into uploading his stuff, braving the public, and in general is the vivacious cool girl to his shy nerd, you could be forgiven for thinking "Manic Pixie Dreamgirl" early on, but soon abandon the thought, because not only does Julia have her own problems (which Neil doesn't solve for her, and she doesn't solve through Neil), but the movie doesn't present her as Neil's romantic reward. While they at one point make out, they don't end up as a couple. It also doesn't fall into the "oh, they write erotic fanfiction because they're not having sex themselves" trap. Julia has an on/off boyfriend (who is a jerk, and not into fandom; her best friend - who is pregnant through the movie with no dad in sight and one of those marvellous side characters who despite comparatively little screen time fill three dimensional and like they're having their own interesting stories going on - thinks the secret of Mike's hold over Julia is that he was the first "normal" guy to show interest, to which Neil replies in disgust, "HE is normal?"). (Julia describes herself as bisexual, but while she flirts a bit with Neil's sister at one point to Neil's horror, we otherwise see her mainly interested in guys.)
Like I said, the movie refuses to label Neil sexually. His main (imaginary, because no way could this kickstarter financed indie afford copyright bills) fandom and main pairing involves the sci fi mercenary hero, Vanguard (played, btw, by a black actor, which since we see several of Neil's fantasy sequences is not just a matter of a brief nodding towards progressiveness) and his arch nemesis (Neil is into foe yay, it seems). He's also got something of a crush on the boy acting in the high school play Neil is involved in as a prompter), and during the course of the movie gets into contact with and nearly makes out with (more about this in a minute) a male fellow Vangard fan. Otoh he's also not just friends with but attracted to Julia. Is he gay and she's his lone het exception? Bisexual? Biromantic? (Julia is pretty, but a great part of the attraction comes from the way they're able to share who they are with each other without having to fear being made fun of, and of the joy of writing - the one point where they actually make out is intermingled with them writing.) The movie refuses to settle for an answer, because, as one character observes, Neil at age 15 has plenty of time to figure himself out. And I love that way of handing teenage sexuality. A lesser movie would have concluded with Neil safely paired up with someone (female or male), and this one just refuses to. (Otoh his hero Vangard does end up in a curtain fic with his evil war lord arch nemesis, holding hands as they watch the interplanetary sunset in their retirement, which is the final image of the movie.)
Another thing which could have gone terribly wrong and instead ends up incredibly charming: after he's started posting his stories, Neil attracts the attention of the main website moderator, who also writes Vangard slash, and turns out to be a thirty something guy named Denis whom Neil meets in person at ComicCon. I was afraid Denis would turn out to be a warning about evil pedators pouncing on innocent teens. Who of course exist! In and out of fandom. But I didn't want one in this particular movie, and as it turns out there wasn't. Denis is interested but when seeing Neil (who pretends, not that convincingly, to be 18) suspects the truth re: Neil's age; after getting Neil to admit it, he handles the whole thing how you wish an adult handles a teenager intent on exploring their sexuality who also uses the "don't reject me!" plea; not by having sex with them, no, but with kindness and understanding. (And some self deprecation, since Denis started the whole thing with a crass online chat pass which, as he admits, he'd never have made to someone in person.)
I could go on about how this movie is my favourite of the festival so far for hours, but I won't, and will just include one more running gag: Julia brings up that the Brontes wrote fanfiction early on (the Angria and Gondal tales), and Neil finds that information repeatedly useful, not least when being told off by a girl who says she only reads real literature. (He even gets the Duke of Wellington/Napoleon pairing right, though not the Bronte sister - it was Charlotte - and brother Branwell -, not Emily, who turned Wellington and Napoleon into Zamorna and Northangerland, respectively.) Still, icon chosen in honor of that running gag.
In conclusion: if this movie is shown anywhere near you, go watch! The website is here.
