Introduction
Below Her Mouth (2017) is a Canadian film in the erotic romantic drama genre, directed by April Mullen and written by Stephanie Fabrizi. We note that the film is unique in that it features an all-female crew. This was a deliberate effort to foster a more professional atmosphere on set, especially during the filming of the steamy love scenes.
The narrative of the film follows the deep emotional and physical relationship(two women are in with each other) and attempts to address themes of self-discovery, sexual awakening, identity, and societal limitations. Below Her Mouth is unapologetically explicit, but it does not shy away from capturing the tenderness of romantic intimacy. It undoubtedly is a work of art when it comes to portraying female sexuality and sexuality in general.
Plot Summary
Set in Toronto, the film focuses on Jasmine who works as a fashion editor. Jasmine is supposedly content with her life as she is engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Rile. From the outside, she is leading a comfortable life with an upscale career, a stable boyfriend, and everything prearranged for her future. However, there is more to this story; there is an internal restlessness beneath this polished exterior. This is the tension she struggles to articulate.All assumptions are discarded upon meeting Jasper, a self-assured, unapologetic lesbian roofer with a penchant for living life unabashedly. Their intertwining is simultaneously chance-yet electric. Whispering Sweet Nothings is Dallas, a unilateral, single mother of an 8-year old, who is still unnerved from a recent tumultuous breakup, falls head over heels for Jasmine in an instant. Jasmine? Engaged to be wed but helplessly magnetized.
From this instant, the stage is ablaze with feral intensity marking the beginning of bitterly shocking physical and emotional storm that ensues Jasmine’s vitriol packed, suffocating climax. Every sluggish dawning reality must be faced-primarily the harsh shadow of the betrothal ring, societal dictates poised with identity crises. Jazzman’s turmoil awakens the deepest shackled yearning for brittle vulnerability to intimacy that Dallas had buried deep. This Koch Bros vs Paco underworld provides the most ubiquitous fuse of unintentional worlds colliding where they find themselves free falling into one-another and Jasmine’s self-discovery journey.
Not indulging in mundane oscillations of heart-shaped knees from a couple, the film unfolds a bear-hug acceleration and life-changing moments where both characters evolve throughout their short-lived, yet strikingly remarkable encounter intertwined with jasmine’s emotional fall.
Main Headline : Feminine Gaze
Cast and Performances
Erika Linder as Dallas: A Swedish model turned actress, Linder brings a raw, unnuttured energy into the role of Dallas. Along with the seductive charm at the tip of her tongue, confidence pours through her stupendous, heartbreaking transformation.
Caches
Natalie Krill as Jasmine: The performance Jasmine has graded expectations capture greatly divergent pathways Krill’s emotion-laden journey brims with complexity. The balance between restraint and revelation is an internal struggle of a woman who must grapple with accepting herself versus her contrasting, imposed identity.
Sebastian Pigott as Rile: Jasmine’s fiancé who embodies the normative conventions of a standard, heteronormative life which Jasmine slowly begins to interrogate.
Mayko Nguyen, Tommie-Amber Pirie, and Melanie Leishman complete the supporting cast, all of whom add Jasmine’s world haloing her character and social milieu.
Direction and Cinematic Style
Bold and deliberate would aptly describe director April Mullen’s approach towards storytelling. The film is built around a bare skeleton of the story, focusing on the interplay between movement and atmosphere which drives the emotional arc instead of following a traditional narrative structure.
Maya Bankovic’s soft lighting paired with skin, movement, and motion brings a delicate intimacy that is surely unique as well. Her cinematography is characterized by soft light and close, lingering shots of the skin, the movement, and the expression. The emotional engagement to the characters is deepened through the tender and loving nature of the shot. The romantic tension during Dallas and Jasmine’s scenes is so voyeuristic soft that it builds an intimacy that oscillates between tenderness and eroticism.
NOIA’s score seamlessly augments the experience with its ambient sensibility by evoking a cadence and sentiment that parallels the characters’ emotional journeys.
Themes and Interpretations
- Sexuality and Identity
Below Her Mouth centers on a woman coming to terms with her reality, which, in Jasmine’s case, involves multi-layered awakening. It is not merely sexual but emotional and spiritual as well. Jasmine’s relationship with Dallas is radically different from the heteronormative structure she most likely conditioned herself to live in, which makes her question whether she has truly lived life.
- Liberation Through Desire
The film depicts sex as something powerful and liberating. It is through this physical connection that both Jasmine and Dallas shatter emotional barriers and reclaim vulnerability, agency, and empowerment. The film reinforces the point that sexual expression can be redemptive and transformative.
- Societal Expectations vs. Personal Truth
What distresses Jasmine is the gap between societal expectations and her innermost wishes. The film critiques the societal norm of forced conformity — especially for women — and advocates that true fulfillment lies in living authentically, even at significant personal sacrifice.
- Female Gaze and Representation
An all-female crew captures intimacy through a female lens, which is one of the most distinctive features of the film. With attention to the female gaze, the sex scenes in the film are tender, realistic, and imbued with agency. The camera focuses on the emotional power of touch rather than just on the gratification it offers, presenting lesbian intimacy in ways seldom featured even in mainstream cinema.
Reception and Criticism
Below Her Mouth polarised critics. While some appreciated the bold expression of femininity, female sexuality, the vivid sensuality, and the fact that this was a female-produced film, many thought more critically about the film. They echoed the sentiment that the film overwhelmed the audience with same-sex love devoid of real substance and context, controlling women’s erotic narratives too fully without balance.
On the other hand, critics were unimpressed by the film’s lack of deep underlying storylines, as well as the overemphasis on sensual imagery devoid of character arcs. The dialogue was criticized for being too minimal, which unfortunately, along with a thin plot, led to debates within LGBTQ+ circles as to whether authentic emotion was captured outside of the sexual dynamics.
Nonetheless, the film has gained a cult following among those who enjoy the blend of sensuality and raw emotion the film offers, alongside the celebration of sexual freedom.
Conclusion
Below Her Mouth is an emotionally powerful and visually captivating film that deals with themes of love, self-acceptance, and profound intimacy with raw honesty. The film explores the intimacy of women’s relationships without using a traditional narrative structure in a deeply affecting manner.
The film is undoubtedly a new addition to the shelves of queer cinema, showcasing brilliant performances from both Erika Linder and Natalie Krill, alongside the fierce vision of director April Mullen and her female team. It compels the viewers to ask themselves what it truly means to exist authentically and love boundlessly, irrespective of external scrutiny.
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