If These Walls Could Talk 2

source: If These Walls Could Talk 2

Trailer—If These Walls Could Talk 2

If These Walls Could Talk 2

Cable-film follow-up to an excellent predecessor about abortion through the years; the theme this time is lesbianism, and the opening segment set in 1961 is outstanding as Vanessa Redgrave deals with the loss of her elderly lover, the coldness of the woman's family and her seeming lack of all options. The short film is a tiny bit over-the-top, but extremely well-acted and sensitively viewed. It dominates this overall look at women dealing with sexual issues, especially as Chloë Sevigny isn't given much to do but smolder in chapter two, and the closer with Ellen DeGeneres and Sharon Stone fails because the actresses are totally unconvincing as lovers who want a child.

I loved this. It should be shown now, especially now.

But it varies. The first of the trilogy with Vanessa Redgrave as the elderly bereaved partner of a woman who has just died, and finds her home taken over by her partner's relatives is affecting. How could it not be with Vanessa Redgrave in the lead? She is superb as always. But the script is loaded, and you want to say if they meant so much to each other why didn't they make appropriate wills? The second part is best, with Michelle Williams realising that love is more important than labels. It is very sexy and believable and has some pertinent points to make. The third section is the weakest, about a couple's attempts to have a baby, its tone is comedic yet serious and falls a bit between the two stools and is about ten minutes too long

Well, the first two segments are worth viewing, but the third with Stone and Ellen is pretty lame. Actually, the contrast with Redgrave's story is quite jarring, perhaps emphasizing how self-absorbed we have all become. I would rather have seen Ellen play it straight (pardon), and cut the whole comedy routine. The sex scene is gratuitous - too much information. And, by coincidence, three sets of lesbians happened to live in the same house over the years? I missed the first "If These..." movie - did each episode revolve around abortion?? Back to Redgrave......I would love to have seen an entire film surrounding that character.

Three slightly self-indulgent stories with a lesbian theme. The problem here is that lesbianism is not just a theme of these stories, it is the theme, and a single (and predictable) prevailing attitude provides each drama with both premise and conclusions. It is not that this attitude is wrong, rather that it robs the dramas of the qualities of breath and moral ambiguity that mark all truly powerful stories. Vanessa Redgrave is excellent in the first part, which thereby moves you although you never feel there is never any scope for anything other than the eventual ending; the other two tales pass without interest. Truly good film makes the viewer feel a little more uneasy and a little less certain about themselves; but the overall tone here is one of celebration, and its a weaker work for that.

I was really touched by the first segment with Vanessa Redgrave mourning the loss of her lover but the other two segments failed to deliver any kind of message. I didn't care too much about the love scenes but I thought they could at least back it up with some real concrete plots. The second segment with Chloe Sevigny and Michelle Williams, both brilliant, however failed to tell me exactly what the lesbians in the 70's had to go through because that was what I really wanted to know by watching this movie. The third segment with Ellen and Sharon Stone did fairly better but it could have been really good if they had emphasised the difficulties lesbian couples face in adopting children. It barely scratched the surface. All in all, I thought the first If These Walls Could Talk 1 was so much better.

I absolutely loved this movie. I probably wouldn't have written a review, except I read the review that says unequal, and I completely disagree. I believe this movie was pretty accurate in each decade. The one that depicts 2000 was very moving and a lot different from the first decade. I think they were very brilliant to focus on the pregnancy issue. Lesbians and gay men these days want children and realize this can be a reality. I don't believe that was an issue until recent years. There is always a big focus on discrimination and unequal rights. This decade focused on the people and not only the huge issue of discrimination. It gave everyone just a little insight that lesbians and gays are people too with normal desires and needs. I think it was a super movie and I highly recommend it.