Maple Palm

A lesbian couple of fifteen years lives with the secret that one is an illegal immigrant. With no way to legalize their relationship, they live in fear of deportation. After an innocent visit to the Statue of Liberty, the girls return to L.A.; unaware that this icon of freedom, was about to strip them of their own. Product Description

Pulls No Punches - Highly Recommended - A Must See!

For me, this movie is a must see! As a friend of a binational couple, I recommend Maple Palm for anyone interested in seeing what it's really like to have the foundation of love torn apart. It pulls no punches and hits hard. It's raw, edgy and intense at times. But that's because it's based in truth. Kudos to the cast for bringing to life characters that seem three dimensional and not caricatures; they made me really care about them. The range of emotions runs the gamut. The music score was perfect, many songs were quite catchy. I'd love to be able to get a soundtrack on CD. I really get a kick out of the Statue of Liberty in handcuffs - that really says a lot. I especially enjoyed the Bonus Features. They were fun. But it's the film's message that makes its point, hits home clearly and resonated with me long after. The message is that this is a human rights issue. In this day and age we should be more inclusive, especially in a country like the USA where we were founded by immigrants. This is a new era - an era of families looking different and varied, as different as night and day, and as different as people and cultures can be. Our country has come so far, it's such a shame, that this is the only scar left on a serious wound that has never healed. This and so much more is what this film has left with me. Benjamin Franklin, one of our most beloved founding fathers, said it best over 200 years ago, when he said, "If we don't hang together, we most assuredly will hang separately." Food for thought. July 28, 2007

Small but Special

I'm really glad I got the chance to see this film. It was a real eye opening experience. I saw it described somewhere as the lesbian version of "Romeo & Juliet" crossed with "Thelma and Louise" and after seeing it, I'd say that's an interesting comparison. It was tough, but gentle and loving as well. I liked that the women were strong and confident in their relationship and didn't apologize or make excuses. And I liked that the situation wasn't diluted to make it easier to swallow. Sometimes the truth hurts, but it's the truth all the same. For a small movie, it had bigger ambition than any movie I've seen in a while. And I can't help but admire that. And special kudos to Robert J.! You made me laugh and cry. Loved the impressions!!!

July 28, 2007

The kind of film that stays with you

I think most will find this film difficult to watch, I know I did. I found it very disturbing, aggravating and initially hated it. But over time, I realized maybe it was aggravating because immigration itself is aggravating. I don't know. But I do know that to this day, whenever I hear about immigration in the news, I immediately think of this film. Not many films can create that kind of lasting effect. Most are thoroughly unforgettable. But it's really stuck with me, so for that reason, I have to recommend it. June 26, 2007

THIS DVD IS PHENOMENAL !!!

I was lucky enough to obtain a copy , having missed the limited release at theaters in L.A. I found the website maplepalmmovie.com very interesting & informative & the trailer was intriguing. I was not disappointed upon viewing this film. The beauty of the scenery, cinematography & music are awesome. For an Independent film, I was extremely impressed at the professionalism & talent of the actors & director, all of whom did an excellent job of bringing this controversial subject matter to light.
As a heterosexual, I have to admit I was not aware there are only 16 countries that allow same-sex immigration, & the U.S. is not among them, a fact that stymies me. I learned so much about the U.S. injustice involving bi-national same sex couples, the facts of which I believe the majority of Americans are ignorant of.
I never realized that in the "Land of the Free", laws prevent all except heterosexuals from having a lawful relationship with a person wanting to immigrate from another nation to live freely & legally in the U.S. .
People can really educate themselves to this unfair prejudice & perhaps attempt to jar the political system from the scenario of deportation.
Just to advise, there is violence & a few same-sex love scenes, tastefully done, & nothing objectionable that a mature adult can't handle.
Kudos to the original music score which can turn from beautiful ballads to edgy at any given moment.
Kudos also to the actors & their characters who turned out terrific performances. In my opinion the standout performance comes from Robert J. Feldman, a character actor who portrays the landlord Billy. He runs a gamut of emotions in his too few scenes; some comic relief & spot-on impersonations & times where the poignancy & sadness of the situation are conveyed by searching his soulful face, few words needing to be spoken. His performance alone is worth the price of this DVD, along with the amazing talents of Ralph Torjan, who directed, wrote & edited this tragic yet beautiful & meaningful film.
I highly recommend this powerful & entertaining DVD to all who read this. June 19, 2007

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