“Femme” walks this difficult line between its revenge narrative and self-empowerment. Jules seduces Preston to movie and humiliate him by posting their affair on a porn web site, and by extension, publicly out him. In Jules’ thoughts, doing what Preston and his associates did to him is the equal of getting again at him. However isn’t outing a type of queer violence? “Femme” feels steeped in a quiet rage with out getting as violent or outlandish as one thing just like the rape revenge thriller “Ms. 45” however its seriousness with the way it justifies Jules actions feels off. Primarily based on a brief movie by the identical title and filmmakers that follows a vaguely comparable story of a Black queer man seducing one other unsafe white man, I ponder why revenge for a queer individual of colour is to place themselves in hurt’s means over and over to publicly out a white self-hating homophobe? The expertise appears retraumatizing even when it’s one step nearer to Jules’ supposed aim. Days later, I’m nonetheless not sure of really feel, and the story’s ethical dilemma— particularly the way it performs out and results in its ultimate scene—appears to be like no clearer. Regardless of its ethically murky undertones, administrators Ng Choon Ping and Sam H. Freeman frames a fairly glossy image with cinematographer James Rhodes. The membership appears to be like straight out of a music video, the bathtub home is awash in a neo noir blue, and Jules’ dwelling feels heat when his associates are in it or when basking in a candlelit tub. The lighting is so precise, it typically mirrors Jules’ feelings, like a chilling fluorescent gentle for example how unsafe and remoted Jules feels, or when he’s within the gentle of the TV glow escaping with a spherical of video video games. Even banal avenue scenes look adequate for {a magazine} photoshoot. This isn’t the dirty ‘sploitation revenge films of yesteryear. “Femme” is polished and funky—even the photographs themselves really feel seductive. “Femme” is difficult for a lot of causes, be it for Jules’ revenge saga or when following his therapeutic as he navigates outwardly current himself after the occasions of that brutal evening. We see his ache as he withdraws from associates and retreats from the individual he was. We see the bodily violence he receives from Preston’s fists and kicks in bloody shut ups. Each Stewart-Jarrett and MacKay do a outstanding job wrestling with their character’s inside and outer conflicts, however a lot of “Femme” is in regards to the ache of queer life, that it leaves out its pleasure. Ultimately, we see what it means to reclaim energy and id from hate, nevertheless it’s a troublesome street to get there and Jules’ technique might not work for everybody.