Blue Jean (2022)

3.6 of 5 from 63 ratings
1h 37min
Not released
Rent Blue Jean Online DVD & Blu-ray Rental
  • General info
  • Available formats
Synopsis:
In Georgia Oakley’s stunning directorial debut 'Blue Jean', it’s 1988 England and Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government is about to pass a law stigmatizing gays and lesbians, forcing Jean (Rosy McEwen, in a powerhouse performance), a gym teacher, to live a double life. As pressure mounts from all sides, the arrival of a new student catalyzes a crisis that will challenge Jean to her core. The BAFTA-nominated film won the Venice Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award, as well as four British Independent Film Awards.
Actors:
, , Lucy Halliday, , , , , Scott Turnbull, Farrah Cave, , Izzy Neish, Becky Lindsay, Ellen Gowland, , Maya Torres, , , Kylie Ann Ford, Emily Fairweather, Elizabeth Shaw
Directors:
Producers:
Hélène Sifre
Writers:
Georgia Oakley
Genres:
Drama
BBFC:
Release Date:
Not released
Run Time:
97 minutes

More like Blue Jean

Reviews (1) of Blue Jean

Empathetic portrait of self-acceptance - Blue Jean review by PD

Spoiler Alert
10/02/2024

This very absorbing piece by first-time writer-director Georgia Oakley takes (an admittedly non-too-subtle) aim at Section 28, introduced by Thatcher’s government in the 80s, which effectively enshrined homophobia into law, preventing teachers from the “promotion of homosexuality” in schools, and fostering a climate of mistrust and fear that arguably continued well into the current generation. The message is conveyed via a knotty, complex character study of PE teacher Jean (newcomer Rosy McEwen - superb throughout), and is generally successful of providing an empathetic portrait of a life lived in secret, and all the strains that brings on the journey to self-acceptance. On screen in pretty much every scene, McEwan balances the vulnerability of her stresses with a worldly poise and calm, and Oakley takes care, too, to show a gay life that feels rich and lived-in — from the simple exhilaration of a boozy, smoky gay pub, bound by the safety and welcoming of that community, to the everyday curtain-twitching of the wider community, automatically suspicious of difference. Unfortunately for me, the film attempts a bridge too far when trying to deal with the effects of a teacher-pupil attachment, the ramifications of which are treated rather superficially; Jean's actions amount to stalking at one point (which in 'real life' could easily have got her arrested) and generally the effects of Jean's actions on 15-year old Lois are both barely touched on and all-too neatly resolved, which left something of a bitter taste for my liking. Nevertheless, a serious, thoughtful piece.

0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.

Unlimited films sent to your door, starting at £15.99 a month.