First Girl I Loved

It can’t be helped dear Readers, it can’t be helped! This is The HANDMAIDEN we are talking about here! Of course every other movie released in 2016 (Except 1) was over-shadowed by Ahgassi!

It can’t be helped!

So you will forgive me for completely over-looking this movie that came out in the same year, right? In fact I actually remember seeing this already as I was watching it this time. Seriously, 2016 was just not friendly to movies that were not the big two! Now of course the other one was not talked about here but anywhere else, hohoho. Two movies took over my life in 2016 that anything else just had no chance.

This is one of them!

Seeing what type of movie this is actually just goes to show how important those ‘two’ movies are to me. I mean this here is actually quite my cup of tea. It does not have a GOOD END but really, my Ten Commandments have only a few on it that actually have a GOOD END! I don’t care what type of END I get as long as the story there was worth it!

And dear Reader was this story here worth it! I mean when you look at it from the surface, it is something we have seen many times before in gay movies. That one most important reason that ships never make it – FEAR! Fear from society, fear from family and friends and fear from within oneself! But where most other movies that deny our couple a GOOD END, this one here put in the effort and delivered those causes for fear quite expertly.

Seriously, I don’t think there was a moment in this movie were I rolled my eyes at how cliché a decision was. Now this of course doesn’t mean that I could escape some negative feelings towards Sasha (Brianna) for the way she was treating Anne. Nope! There were moments there that I think were un-called for and really, Anne was just so lovable in her efforts and despite also being just as fragile and vulnerable as Sasha!

Really, Anne (Dylan) had the most on her plate because she came out in the end and I think that takes more effort and risk than to keep hiding and avoid. Now for sure her Mom was one in a dime so I guess the fact that she was behind her daughter did help Anne in pushing through everything but still, I think we can all agree that the most pain she felt was not from the ‘coming out’ side of things but rather from heartbreak.

That scene at school towards the end was just so powerfully emotional, put together with such masterly, acted so well from all parties that I just…I can’t…Ah there goes the tears again!

Everything was out on the table (well done Dick, you redeemed yourself in that scene) and it was a make or break for Sasha. Now of course when I said I felt a bit of anger towards Sasha, this was not the moment. Not at all. Those were earlier and the way she treated Anne then but here, I understood her position!

Everyone played their part so well. Despite Sasha’s Mom coming off as a complete Bitch, you totally understand her side, especially since Sasha supported her case with keeping quiet. Meanwhile Sasha was at a crossroad. She is a promising athletee, her family is obviously very homophobic and she has a lot of weight on her shoulders. You get a sense of this way early on when the two first meet for that school project at Sasha’s home. So she can’t just come out and say she is gay and in love with Anne!

Meanwhile on the other side of ring, Anne’s heart is on the line. This is it. The moment where all the pain Sasha has caused her since the dance would fly away once Sasha admitted that she loved Anne too. Right in front of everyone. Their parents, their teachers, their Dick. Surprisingly Anne’s Mom actually did not even know of any of this until that meeting so for her to come to Anne’s rescue despite the info dump really showcases her motherly love. But really, is it so different from Sasha’s Mom’s love? Anne’s Mom was in the dark about everything, she brought up Anne as a carefree spirit meanwhile Sasha was different.

Then there is the other side, the observer’s side with Dick. Dick knows that Anne loves Sasha, he took their photo of them together so he knows Sasha loves Anne too. He tries to tell everyone that Sasha loves Anne but she is denying it. He sees her denying her heart and sees his best friend Anne being torn to shreds because of it and the Adults that don’t understand the weight of it all. He tries but with Sasha not budging and her Mom being on fire in her support, well, things don’t go anywhere positive.

That moment where Anne’s Mom decided she had had enough and leaves with Anne, the moment where Anne looks back at Sasha one last time, begging her with her soul to say something, to say it, the desperation of hope and then you look at Sasha across the room, her eyes kind of (not sure if bad acting or great acting to seal her emotions from those present) filled with sorrow and cruel fate she can’t fight against, before she turns away from Anne, from true happiness, from her other half, because her life is more than just hers.

God, I am trying so hard not to cry right now just remembering everything!

So let’s switch gears instead. let’s talk about the good, in fact let’s go for the best…

THAT KISS!

Oh! My! God! That kiss should make everyone’s list, in the Top 10 for all time Best Kisses! That kiss was just so grand! I don’t even know how many times they separated for air before diving back in for more! The way their lips would stretch as if they too did not want to let go just yet as Anne and Sasha separated, the different angles, the lighting….perfection!

And let’s not forget Anne’s reaction after said kiss. Seriously, I am shocked she did not collapse on that dance floor once they were done! And Sasha, so Alpha as all hell >.<

What a Kiss!

And so after the jump, now you know why there will be so many kiss caps…it was magical!

Speaking of jump, time to do just that.

Ja…

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