For those of you out there searching for true love, Elena Undone is an inspiring story which Nicole Conn wrote and directed loosely based on her real experience of finding love with photographer Marina Rice Bader. Nicole’s character is called Peyton and is played by bisexual actress Traci Dinwiddie while Marina’s character is named Elena and is played by Necar Zadegan. After finding each other their world’s are turned upside down and inside out before they are able to come together at the end in what the movie calls “soulemetry.”
If it sounds slightly cheesy that’s because it is, but how many romantic movies aren’t. However, Elena Undone moves beyond the typical themes of lesbian romance and brings a breath of fresh air to the genre. It is truly a love story for adults with strong, complex female characters that addresses issues about religion, politics, and family without losing sight of the story. Moreover, with two beautiful actresses breaking the record for the longest in film kiss, unedited to boot, it can be quite steamy as well!
The costume and makeup add to each woman’s character, one a homely pastor’s wife and the other a proud lesbian writer, without detracting from their natural glamour. The music is also magnificently done, particularly Jennifer Corday’s Coming Undone which I was even inspired to look up and “like” on YouTube. The cinematographer also must be recognized for his elegant work, particularly for the work he did on the now famous kiss scene. It must be very intimidating to film such a scene when you know it can’t be edited later but it was masterfully done in a way that was both artistic and sensual.
Overall, I would give this movie three stars for having a good story, believable characterization, and strong themes. I would love to give it a higher rating but there were a few weak points in my opinion. I felt that a few of the scenes seemed forced and the ending felt slightly rushed, but this is not surprising for a film that was shot in only twelve days. What is surprising is how strongly the actresses bonded with their characters and each other in such a short time! I would still recommend this movie to anyone wanting a good love story, lesbian or not.
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