Movie review - "Lianna" (1983) ***1/2

Thoughtful, intelligent and well-written drama of a married mother of two who falls in love with another woman. Not a very common topic at the time, at least not outside the exploitation genre, this takes the dilemma seriously, but still laced with humour. It is not a "worthy" film, but a good, solid drama which is very believable. The stifling academic community of the town is well evoked and there is a brilliant characterisation in the film studies academic husband (Jon de Vries), stuffy, pompous, unfaithful, but not a dyed in the wool villain, just a prick. There are some sex scenes, which are done with tenderness and eroticism. The acting is solid, except by John Sayles who plays a slightly sleazy friend of Lianna - John, you're a terrific writer and director, but he's always stiff in his acting portrayls. He plays an interesting character, though - actually all the characters are strongly etched. The main problem with the film is it goes on too long - the last 30 minutes or so drag especially. Once Lianna comes out and goes through her turmoil and comes through it, it's like "right... wrap it up" - there is the relationship with her friend to resolve (a lovely way to end the film incidentally) but it takes too long to get there. It occasionally falls into 1983 dagginess, such as that scene at the lesbian bar where Lianna dances to some awful psuedo-disco song about women. This goes on for far too long time. (All the women at the bar look like members of the Australian Democrats.) The kids who play Lianna's children are pretty good, although her son looks a bit Spanish.