Desi’s Looking For A New Girl
Picture: C
Sound: C+ Extras: B- Film: B-
The only Desi most people still know is Desi Arnaz (or his
son), so it is with get irony that writer/director Mary Guzman’s Desi’s
Looking For A New Girl (2000) is titled and even starts with an ABC
Afterschool Special-like opening between two Hispanic teens talking about a
skateboarding boy who likes girls. Yes,
one of the women happens to be named Desi in real life and the character gets
the same name. The somewhat comic film
about Latino Lesbian relationships subtly sends-up the heterosexual conventions
of English-speaking media and how it has been addressing the Latino community
since the late 1960s when public programming arrived.
The playful music between scenes is like a mockery of Sesame
Street, a groundbreaking series undeniably, but one that cannot possibly
address Lesbianism. From all of this,
Guzman launches into the very real and natural world she wants to represent and
does this with some degree of success.
The addition of brief animation designed to approximate similar sections
of such shows is also interesting. This
comes out, intended or not, and shows Guzman has some character in what she is
trying to show and say. The film only
runs 74 minutes, but the tale of the all-female pursuit is nicely done, a labor
of love and Guzman can direct.
The 1.33 X 1 full frame image was shot on film and the
quality is sadly on the soft side, yet is a nicely shot film and
cinematographer Sophie Constantinou did a remarkable job considering this film
took seven years to make. Not that that
is the production schedule, but independent films are not easy to make. The Dolby Digital 2.0 sound is simple stereo
at best, with no surround information, but is impressive enough for an
independent production. The music
choices are a plus, always enhancing the narrative and mood of the film,
something other independent filmmakers could learn a thing or two about. Extras include a 21 minutes-long Mary
Makes Movies piece that is nicely done, a terrific audio commentary by
Guzman and co-producer Fontana Butterfield, and an 8 minutes-long that offers
more than the original theatrical trailer.
There are people who will skip this film because it is
about Lesbians and/or Latin persons, but that would be a serious mistake. The commentary track alone is a must for
film fans and especially filmmakers, while the film itself has much heart and
soul. No matter what you find in it
yourself, Desi’s Looking For A New Girl is more than worth a look!
- Nicholas Sheffo
