The Venus Effect **

Starring: Johanne Milland, Josephine Park, Sofie Gråbøl 

Director: Anna Emma Haudel  

Country: Denmark

UK Distributor: NQV Media

Liv (Milland) leads a conventional twenty-something life. She has a boyfriend, works at her father’s garden centre and lives with her parents. The arrival of Andrea (Park) changes all of that, pulling the rug from beneath her life as she unexpectedly falls in love with a woman. However, Liv is completely in denial over what this will mean; she loves a woman, but she isn’t sure she’s ready to embrace a “Queer” life.

Philosophically, this poses a plethora of questions about the LGBT+ identity in twenty-first century life. There’s no homophobia to fight here, but instead we see the logistics of how coming out can just be… complicated. Complicated because expectations are changed. Complications because family dynamics change. As Liv’s brother is also gay, in one scene we see the parents’ marriage in jeopardy because their hopes for grandchildren from at least one child have suddenly become… complicated.

Andrea is as much politically Queer as practically so, which doesn’t sit right with Liv. One scene sees the couple attend a “pussy party” in which they are both dressed as vaginas, but then Liv bumps into her ex-boyfriend still wearing taffeta labia on her chest. The absurdity of this is neither lost on her nor us, but for Liv, her love for Andrea isn’t a political action, it’s a deeply personal one.

The film essentially centres around an identity crisis, but its first hour is essentially a romance – and a pedestrian one at that. There is some chemistry at times, but Andrea is a maddening character with no charisma or charm about her to explain what sparks Liv’s sudden awakening. Once the narrative gets the wind in its sails, we’ve already dragged ourselves through a very long will-they/won’t-they, leaving the film feeling lethargic and plodding. Its art direction is cutesy and quaint, with a soft palate of colours and a soundtrack to match, but this just dresses up a story with its focus in the wrong place.

UK Release: Out now on VOD, released by NQV Media

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