Oscar's bent out of shape

A few quick hits about the queer Academy Award nominees.

° Some critics have called "Capote" offensive, even homophobic, in its portrayal of the mincing Truman. "When we first meet Capote no one tells us he's gay and no one has to because it's all up there on screen in the way [actor Philip Seymour] Hoffman holds a glass (pinky extended), speaks (high and fey) and bitches (like America's Next Top Model)," writes reviewer Chris DeVito in Xtra (unavailable online, I'm afraid). "Hell, the filmmakers even give Capote a fag hag in Harper Lee (Catherine Keener), the author of To Kill A Mockingbird, who accompanies him to Kansas.

"But Capote is one conflicted movie. It shows the admittedly odd author as the mincing, mercurial troll he was and then calls itself a progressive, forward-thinking movie because it's being 'truthful.'"

Uhm, it is being truthful, honey. That's what Capote was, and if you can't cope with the mincing fag, perhaps the dislike lurks within you, not within the moviemakers' hearts. And to dismiss Harper Lee as a fag hag (and it's meant dismissively!) is to seriously misinterpret her role and her life.

I have often crabbed about the lack of sex in gay movies, and DeVito does so here, too. "At the same time, the movie solves the problem of showing Capote's love life by betting that no one in their right mind would want to see this man mate. And no one does. Even his partner (the blandly handsome Bruce Greenwood) is kept at arm's length...."

But in fact, the complete lack of physical intimacy only reinforces Capote's loneliness and inability to cope with the decisions he's made in his life. In other words, the sexlessness is an integral part of the story. So can we please get over this kind of thoughtless critique?

° I just received a call "from Transamerica." As I quizzically took the phone, the sales jockey announced she was trying to help me "save on taxes," and almost became abusive when I laughed and said no thanks.

Transamerica the movie is a completely predictable road flick with a sappy ending. It would be utterly dull were it not for Felicity Huffman's bravura performance.

I won't complain about the lack of hot sex scenes in this flick, either, because the main character is also a bit of a cliche of vaguely gauche mal-adjustment.... and noogie just wouldn't fit the character.

I look forward to the next generation of trans movies. But I won't trash "Transamerica" for portraying a certain type of transwoman.

° Brokeback Mountain. Brokeback Mountain. Brokeback Mountain. Brokeback Mountain. Brokeback Mountain. Am sick of the hype. It's so overhelming I have been unable to bring myself to see Broke-BM. Bad journalist; no donut.