Anyone else see character resemblance between Allison McAtee's 'Catherine Stark' and Sharon Stone's 'Catherine Trammell' in the 1992 sex thriller 'Basic Instinct?' Certainly the two actresses share a physical likeness, but if you ask me, Fernanda Cardoso conjured her Catherine from one of those gauzy sex dreams where you wake up feeling frisky but you can't quite put your finger on why.
There were a number of elements in the story which once touched on, were left inadequately developed--like a dream. The aggressive teacher/ingénue student dynamic was evident and others have mentioned a 'creepy factor' regarding the perceived age difference, when really it's only 10 or 12 years. As Catherine begins to fall for Jackie, she becomes more nurturing, less dominating, more vulnerable, thus the bathing scene/food-cutting/jealousy arc. Professor Stark is clearly used to being the pursuer and chooses her students because of the power she wields over them. As time goes on, you see Catherine's emotional limits begin to crumble as Jackie begins to step back into the Hollywood world where she has the power.
The actresses had good chemistry and their scenes together are the strongest but left too much to the viewer's own interpretation. With deeper development of the scenes between them, the emotional intention would have been more clear. The typical 'dyke drama' as revealed in a number scenes, e.g., both of them sleeping with men, Catherine's denial of it being a relationship, their mutual unwillingness to be a public couple, is all rather standard lesbian relationship fare. One true thing is definitely played out--in these May-December romances, the tables invariably are turned and the older partner is the one who gets hurt.
There were a number of elements in the story which once touched on, were left inadequately developed--like a dream. The aggressive teacher/ingénue student dynamic was evident and others have mentioned a 'creepy factor' regarding the perceived age difference, when really it's only 10 or 12 years. As Catherine begins to fall for Jackie, she becomes more nurturing, less dominating, more vulnerable, thus the bathing scene/food-cutting/jealousy arc. Professor Stark is clearly used to being the pursuer and chooses her students because of the power she wields over them. As time goes on, you see Catherine's emotional limits begin to crumble as Jackie begins to step back into the Hollywood world where she has the power.
The actresses had good chemistry and their scenes together are the strongest but left too much to the viewer's own interpretation. With deeper development of the scenes between them, the emotional intention would have been more clear. The typical 'dyke drama' as revealed in a number scenes, e.g., both of them sleeping with men, Catherine's denial of it being a relationship, their mutual unwillingness to be a public couple, is all rather standard lesbian relationship fare. One true thing is definitely played out--in these May-December romances, the tables invariably are turned and the older partner is the one who gets hurt.