Cast: Wendy Crewson, Karyn Dwyer, Christina Cox, Anne-Marie MacDonald, Peter Outerbridge, Marya Delver, Kevin Mundy, Tony Nappo
Director: Anne Wheeler
Producer: Sharon McGowan
Screenplay: Peggy Thompson
Cinematographer: Greg Middleton
Music: Graeme Coleman
U.S. Distributor: TriMark Pictures
These days, there are enough gay and lesbian motion pictures in the marketplace that a movie's focus on a same-sex couple is no longer enough to accord that production (however well-intentioned) an audience - the film must also meet certain minimum criteria for basic quality. Twenty years ago, balanced and sensitive motion picture portrayals of homosexuals were few and far between. In the late '90s, they are becoming increasingly more common, and the level of craftsmanship is in a steady incline. As gay and lesbian movies enter the mainstream, a better and stronger product is resulting. That's why a fairly high profile effort like Better Than Chocolate is such a disappointment. This Canadian import offers the kind of unchallenging material that reminds us of the low standards that used to define movies about same-sex relationships. Better Than Chocolate features TV-style writing mixed with a few hot sex scenes. To enjoy the latter, however, it's necessary to endure the former.
The film could be worse, but it's not offensive - just superficial. And, like almost all romantic comedies of any persuasion, there's a certain light-hearted charm to the main relationship. It's just not enough to carry us through 100 minutes of inferior melodrama and sit-com situations. More attention should have been paid to making the gallery of colorful supporting characters into something more interesting than a group of types and caricatures. In fact, even the leads warrant better development. Less time could have (and probably should have) been spent on their wacky friends, and more on them. There are several significant gaps when they're nowhere to be found.
The leads are Maggie (Karyn Dwyer), a perky 19 year-old redhead, and Kim (Christina Cox), a slightly older blond. After a couple of chance meetings, they fall madly in love, and, unlike in the recent Trick, they hardly waste any time finding a place where they can have sex. Foreplay consists of nude bodypainting followed by a shower. They are briefly interrupted by the arrival of Maggie's mother, Lila (Wendy Crewson), and brother, Paul (Kevin Mundy), who are moving into the spacious apartment Maggie is subletting. But, after everyone has gone to bed, Maggie and Kim consummate their relationship - with a delighted Paul watching from an adjacent room.
After that, Maggie and Kim's relationship settles into a holding pattern while the film concentrates on the satellite characters. There's Lila, a shockingly naïve woman who's trying to assert her independence after escaping from a bad marriage. Paul becomes involved with Carla (Marya Delver, looking like Marisa Tomei), a sexually adventurous young woman who works with Maggie at the Ten Percent Bookstore. Judy (Peter Outerbridge), Maggie's pre-operative transgender friend, is madly in love with Frances (Anne-Marie MacDonald), the conservative lesbian owner of the Ten Percent Bookstore. And Tony (Tony Nappo), the stereotypical macho Italian who owns a coffee shop next to the bookstore, is afraid that the close proximity of so many lesbians will wreck his business. By the time Better Than Chocolate gets back to Maggie and Kim, the movie only has time for the two clichés demanded by romances - the breakup and the reunion.
The writing, by Peggy Thompson, is not impressive. Much of the dialogue has a scripted feel and the relationships, with the exception of Maggie and Kim's, are flat and unconvincing. Especially hard to swallow is the interaction between Maggie and Lila. There's no evidence of any kind of mother/daughter bond here, and the manner in which Lila comes to live with Maggie (and the latter's meek acceptance of it) feels contrived. Indeed, many of Better Than Chocolate's segments don't ring true. On two occasions, the film attempts to present a message about the hatred often directed towards lesbians and transsexuals, but these scenes come across as being tacked-on episodes rather than integral portions of the whole.
Christina Cox and Karyn Dwyer exhibit charisma, and, at least when they're on screen, they keep things fresh. It's difficult to say whether they would be as impressive in another film - it may just be that they fit these roles nicely, although Dwyer certainly has the ability to light up a scene. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is populated by unimpressive actors doing workmanlike jobs. Peter Outerbridge has a couple of effective scenes, but he's not nearly as impressive as Clark Gregg, whose performance in a similar part in The Adventures of Sebastian Cole showed far more depth and breadth. (To be fair, Sebastian Cole was blessed with a much better script.)
For her debut feature, director Anne Wheeler exhibits more enthusiasm than polish. Wheeler is extremely secure in filming the sex scenes - they are inarguably erotic - but she has trouble with serious drama. Overall, that makes Better Than Chocolate a mixed bag with a wavering focus. In many ways, it's like the majority of heterosexual romances -- not unpleasant or unwatchable, but nothing special. Considering the number of available options, those in search of a gay/lesbian-themed motion picture can find sweeter treats than what Better Than Chocolate has to offer.
© 1999 James Berardinelli