A messy fantasy

>> Queenie in Love is light, but not lightweight

by MARK SLUTSKY

Amos Kollek's films are quite popular in France, and with his two most recent entries, Fast Food, Fast Women, and now Queenie in Love, he seems to have developed a certain Euro lightness of tone. Both films follow a disparate group of New York characters through their complicated lives and occasionally touch on serious stuff: heartbreak, ageing, death and the like. Still, they avoid heavy-handedness and are mostly quite charming.

Queenie in Love is his first film in a while that doesn't feature the terrific Anna Thomson, and though her presence is missed, he's assembled a strong cast. Valerie Geffner is Queenie, a slightly confused young woman from a wealthy background half-trying to make it as an actress. In her meanderings she encounters a gruff ex-cop (Victor Argo) grumpily dying of lung cancer, and a little romance blooms. While the two of them deal with their respective problems, practical and philosophical, they also hang out with various colourful characters they encounter around their Lower East Side homes.

Now, Kollek deals with ageing almost better than any other filmmaker currently working; he acknowledges the fact that older people have a sex life, for one, without the use of randy characters like Mona from Who's the Boss? This is best seen in the relationship between Argo's ex-con pal Spencer (Mark Margolis) and his dominatrix wife Martha (Louise Lasser). Their relationship is actually quite touching, and both give great performances; realistic and with a sense of humour. At the same time, though, the romance between Argo and Geffner is a little annoying. While the movie acknowledges the eternal persistence of the May-December fantasy, it's kind of disappointing to see it played out yet again. Yes, it's well done, but isn't this enough already?

Also, while Kollek's light touch works through most of Queenie in Love, it occasionally falters and seems artificial. Part of this might be that he always casts such strong actors in the lead and supporting roles, without that much regard for the casting of the minor ones. It creates a weird contrast that's often jarring; Sue had this same problem, and too Fast Food, Fast Women--in each case it threatens to derail the film.

All this aside, Kollek does make interesting, human movies. Queenie in Love is a fantasy, to be sure, but one that recognizes the messiness of human relations.

Queenie in Love opens Friday, Dec. 7