DEVOTION
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 5.7
Canada, 1994 U.S. Availability: varies (limited) Running Length: 2:03 MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Sex, profanity, nudity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Jan Derbyshire, Kate Twa, Cindy Girling, Eileen Barrett, Steve Adams Director: Mindy Kaplan Producer: Arlene Battishill Screenplay: Mindy Kaplan based on a story by Arlene Battishill Cinematography: Mario Araya Music: Arlene Battishill U.S. Distributor: Northern Arts Entertainment
In discussing DEVOTION, a story about a lesbian love triangle, writer/director Mindy Kaplan has stated that she wanted to "create characters and situations that people could recognize and identify with." She has succeeded, albeit perhaps *too* well. All the elements of this story are achingly familiar, having formed the plot core of everything from TV soap operas to Harlequin romances. The only difference here is that all three participants are women -- but just because something is "gay" doesn't make it inherently better or more interesting than its "straight" counterpart. A tired story is worn out regardless of the sexual orientation of the characters.
DEVOTION centers around Sheila Caston (Jan Derbyshire), an up-and- coming standup comic whose outrageous show has attracted the attention of a husband-and-wife TV sitcom production team, Lynn and Bill Matthews (Cindy Girling and Steve Adams). However, all is not smooth sailing en route to signing Sheila to the lead role of this cutting edge lesbian program. The first face-to-face meeting between Shelia and Lynn is strained, and we soon learn that they know each other from years ago. Now, with a bright future ahead, Shelia finds herself haunted by past memories, and caught between her current lover, Julie (Kate Twa) and unexpected repercussions from her unrequited first love.
The first half-hour of DEVOTION, while lively and energetic, has a glib tone that displays little sympathy for its characters. Everyone is constantly smiling, but the happiness seems forced and unnatural. There's a jaded feel which threatens to alienate the audience. Eventually, DEVOTION softens its approach, devolving into a fairly routine melodramatic style with all the expected love triangle elements: passion, love, jealousy, and self-doubt. As the film moves along, it becomes possible to feel for the characters, even though the screenplay holds few epiphanies.
DEVOTION is graced by the strong performances of Jan Derbyshire and Kate Twa. Together, they have effective chemistry; separately, each is capable of standing on her own. It's a credit to the actresses that they're able to do something with such limited material. Both throw themselves into the work with an earnestness that gets translated to the audience. On those rare occasions when DEVOTION sparkles, it has little to do with the script and everything to do with its stars.
Regurgitated story and tone variations aside, one of the primary reasons why DEVOTION represents such a dubious entertainment value is that it's far too long. There's not enough real psychological or emotional drama to sustain this story for two hours, and the average viewer will find herself or himself fidgeting through the last quarter. Bits of DEVOTION will strike a responsive chord with some audience members, but the movie as a whole doesn't reach the level of achievement it's striving for. Ultimately, the strengths of the presentation don't adequately compensate for the banality of the content.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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