Gloriously restored in 4K, Lisa Cholodenko’s (The Kids Are All Right) award-winning debut is a landmark of ‘90s indie cinema and a modern queer classic.
Aspiring magazine editor Syd (Radha Mitchell, Love and Other Catastrophes) is floundering at work and in her relationship, when a ceiling leak leads to a life-changing meeting with her reclusive neighbour, once-famous photographer Lucy Berliner (Ally Sheedy, The Breakfast Club). Both women see an opportunity to advance their respective careers and, after Syd mentions the encounter to her bosses, Lucy agrees to embark on a new project for the magazine – but only if Syd is in charge.
The working relationship blossoms, but as Syd becomes entranced by the hard-partying, bohemian lifestyle of her neighbours, the line between professional and personal blurs, destabilising Lucy’s relationship with her drug-addled German girlfriend, Greta (Patricia Clarkson). Featuring a revelatory performance by Brat Pack icon Sheedy, Cholodenko’s sexy and intelligent meditation on art, ambition and sapphic love feels as fresh and exciting now as it did in 1998.