Review of “Butch Jamie”

Butch Jamie is a rare lesbian romantic comedy that entertains thoroughly without ever showing a pretentious side or lingering over melodramatic elements. A perfect showcase for the talents of writer/producer/director/star Michelle Ehlen, the film is a familiar and enormously funny sendup of a mainstream rom-com, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and lesbian in-jokes.

The film begins as Jamie (Michelle Ehlen), a perpetually out-of-work actress, “femmes herself up” unsuccessfully for an audition. She comes home to her roommate Lola (Olivia Nix) and Lola’s “cat actor” Howard, who’s been starring in cat food commercials and local films.

Eager to match Howard’s success, Jamie takes the advice of her best friend, David (David Au), and goes to auditions as herself — a butch lesbian. She gets cast in a male part, and in a perfect reverse of Dustin Hoffman’s Tootsie, finds herself in the gender-bending role with a few romantic entanglements that keep everything interesting.

On set, Jamie (or “male Jamie” as she refers to herself) attracts the attention of Jill (Tiffany Anne Carrin), a sexy costume designer. They begin to date, though Jill is under the impression that Jamie is all man. Meanwhile, an attraction develops between Lola and Jamie, despite Lola’s intense German girlfriend (Andrea Andrei). It’s all rooted in the usual romantic comedy tropes, but the script is breezy and self-referential, adding a layer of snark to the proceedings.

Thrown into the mix is a great deal of discussion about gender roles and gender fluidity, bisexuality (Lola is bisexual), and male versus female behavior in general. Jamie spends a few very funny scenes attempting to “research” her role as a man: checking out male bathroom etiquette, asking Lola about straight versus gay relationships, pestering David about “packing” and so on.

Many familiar topics come up, including a few tried-and-true bisexual jokes, but the tone is conversational and nonconfrontational at all times.

The overall take-away isn’t particularly deep (really, it’s just “be yourself”), but it works for the film.

The script is smart to acknowledge its roots in Dustin Hoffman’s comic masterpiece. It was also a wise decision to change everything according to scale — as Butch Jamie is a small, independent film, the production Jamie finds herself working on (the film within the film) is a tiny, micro-budget video, as opposed to Tootsie’s big-budget TV show setting. It’s a very funny and knowing nod to the film’s relationship with the earlier flick.

A lesser cast would likely mangle the delicate balance between “cute and smart” and “completely clichéd,” but the talented performers do wonders.

David Au and Olivia Nix are natural in their parts, but the movie absolutely belongs to Ehlen, who brings an infectious blend of slacker sensibilities and earnestness to the character of Jamie. She’s also uproariously funny. Ehlen elevates this film from a perfectly respectable little lesbian flick to a definite must-watch through her perfect comic timing and a physical brand of humor that translates beautifully to the screen.

In fact, some of the funniest scenes in the film involve only Jamie. At one point, she has a hilarious “conversation” with Howard about their respective careers, as the cat nonchalantly chomps away at some plastic flowers. "I can slobber on flowers too,” she mutters into her beer, staring miserably into the distance.

Later, a dramatic scene is broken up by an obscenely awkward moment punctuated by perfect timing. It's in these moments that Ehlen proves why she was awarded “Outstanding Actress” at Outfest 2007 in L.A.

Michelle Ehlen

Howard the cat deserves special mention as well — instead of using the animal as a gimmick, he’s smartly integrated into the characters’ lives and conflicts. He also steals a few scenes, and Lola’s obsession over him is quite funny to boot (and works as a little in-joke about the “lesbians love cats” stereotype). He's obviously a normal (though cute and well-behaved) feline, but Lola treats him like a star — and makes sure to show his ridiculous "demo reel" to everyone who happens upon their apartment. It’s all part of the funny “slice of life” atmosphere.

As a small film, the production values are somewhat pedestrian. It’s creatively shot and competently edited, but there’s definitely an amateur sheen to the film. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing — it certainly adds to the scrappy, do-it-yourself energy that the movie rides along on.

It’s a perfect example of what can be done with a solid script and talented performers, minus a big budget.

In fact, the only element that’s truly lacking is the soundtrack. Like an episode of The L Word, where that awful theme song jars viewers away from all the glossy fun, Butch Jamie’s songs mix indie-sounding punk and acoustic rock in a way that reeks of lesbian film cliché.

It’s not awful, and certainly not a deal-breaker, but it may induce a few eye rolls. To borrow a phrase from The Big Gay Sketch Show, it's very "wrist-cuffy."

It’s no surprise that the film did quite well on the queer film festival circuit, despite its initial low visibility.  Michelle Ehlen is absolutely one to watch — and so is this debut feature film. If you're at all a fan of comedy, Butch Jamie deserves a place on your next movie-night playlist.

Butch Jamie will be released on DVD on November 18, 2008