Soofia Habib
Contributor
Last year’s Bloomington is a witty and fun tale of a love affair between a psychology professor and an undergraduate student. It is also director Fernanda Cardoso’s first full-length feature film.
The film opens up with one of the leading ladies, Jackie Kirk (Sarah Stouffer), a former child star of a television series, pursuing an arts and science college diploma. Professor Catherine Stark (Allison McAtee), who is known to have seduced her male and female students on campus, makes her first appearance and it is evident that there is an immediate attraction between the two women.
The film comfortably draws the audience into Jackie and Catherine’s world as their relationship grows and it is evident that there is a high degree of chemistry between the two actresses. Their intimate scenes seem full of spunk and sensuality and their dialogue is intelligent and humorous. However, an unexpected opportunity for Jackie to go back to acting threatens to throw their relationship off balance and they are both forced to make tough decisions.
The film successfully captures a few themes that can very easily be related to any academic institution. Along with the student-teacher relationship, there is the struggle for acceptance of sexuality. At times, Jackie and Catherine’s relationship seems to border on the mother/daughter bond.
Jackie’s transition from the acting world to the academic world is definitely admirable. At times, her confusion and her desperate attempt to fit in the academic sphere is obvious as she strives to prove to her peers that she is also intelligent and eager, and not just a dimwit actress.
As students, it is easy to relate to Jackie as we all feel the need to be accepted into society and excel in our environment. Jackie is certainly mature beyond her years, and does not suffer from the swollen ego or arrogance that most actors are prone to fall under.
The script lags now and then, and some scenes are left unexplained, giving a sense of abruptness and dissatisfaction. However, this is definitely a character-driven film. In the end, there is a reversal of roles, as Jackie rises to the top as the mature and logical individual while Catherine’s character regresses to childishness and ridicule.
Overall, I think this is a fantastic film. It indirectly ridicules the show business and the uneven balance it holds over actors. It has all the elements of drama and comedy and it keeps the audience interested until the very end. The characters display plenty of chemistry, the film is smart and sexy, and the story line is certainly different. If you’re looking for a cute queer chick flick with a lot of intimate scenes, smart dialogue, student drama, and a talented cast, you won’t want to miss Bloomington.
