My Normal (2010)

Such a frustrating disappointment

Let's be realistic.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Natalie works as a S&M dominatrix in New York. Her mother complains that she's wasting her psychology degree. She wants to be a filmmaker. She befriends the local weed delivery dealer Noah and starts dating Jasmine. When she finally gets on a movie set, it's in an underwhelming experience. She uses her unusual talent to make her movie a reality.Despite the edgy shell of the lesbian dominatrix world, the interior is nothing too dramatic. The story is thin and short. There are a couple of interesting ideas and scenes. Nicole LaLiberte and Ty Jones are functional actors. There is simply not enough meat on the bones. This needs more work on the script if it intends to be a full feature.

The greatest redeeming quality of My Normal is that it's so awful it becomes fun (I use that term dangerously loosely) to watch. There are so few truly quality movies produced in the lesbian genre, a quote from a genuinely good movie comes to mind, and forgive me for paraphrasing: (Audiences are|) so thirsty for it they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand." The LGBT audience too often praises movies that in the mainstream would be considered unwatchable. When crumbs are all you get, you learn to appreciate even the most indigestible morsels.The acting here, with the exception of Nicole LaLiberte and Ty Jones, is routinely atrocious. Other actors here simply act as set dressing for the leads. But the producers seem set on damning even their lead character by constantly placing a lit cigarette in her hand. The problem? She so obviously doesn't smoke, she looks like a 12-year old playing at grown-up. Ty Jones, playing a street-wise writer, is given such an astonishingly lack of vocabulary you wonder how he ever wrote a page of dialogue.It's probably a good idea to have some vague knowledge of the content about which you write a script, but that doesn't stop anyone here. This film's projected as an erotic romp, but with the exception of a single scene or two, it's as innocuous as any prime-time show. Unless, of course, you define erotic as dildos sitting on counters, tables, chairs and stools.There are few redeeming qualities in the script. The dialogue is actually laughable; see if you can get through an hour and 15 without talking back to the screen. Emotion is non-existent. The answer to stress relief, stress, employment and social lubrication is drugs. And what exceedingly few plot lines are interesting are never followed to their end. This film would much rather go for a broad laugh, yet it misses over and over. Truly, people from all walks of life should be offended by this movie.There should be more LGBT content out there; God knows there's an audience. But of what does exist, there are scores of better choices than this self-satisfied "comedy."

People have been, and will continue to watch movies for various reasons. Some crave an action packed film to compensate for the lack of action in their own lives, some watch romance to believe that they will be swept off their feet. Some people watch educational films to widen their horizons, and many simply want to be entertained. Somewhere along the line people forgot the true power of film; the power to capture, and portray a world that the viewer might never understand otherwise. My Normal does exactly that. Through a great script, artistic editing, and a talented cast My Normal engages the viewer and allows them to see an underground world through the eyes of someone who understands it. The movie was sexy, clever, extremely funny, and eye opening. More people need to see this movie with an open mind that allows them to understand its true purpose. Loved it!

Normal for Natalie (Nicole LaLiberté) is working as a dominatrix, fulfilling men's sexual fantasies, and hanging out with her lesbian co-workers going to shady bars and wearing risqué clothes. The film's title and description makes it sound like it's about Natalie's struggle to get her "normal" in line with society's "normal" as she adjusts to a more customary job in the film industry. Instead, I found it just to be a highlight reel for her lifestyle.What I liked about "My Normal" is that they aspired to make an original film, they refused to be pigeon-holed by what society deems as acceptable, and the main actress Nicole LaLiberté was great. LaLiberté was incredibly sexy and is likely to become a formidable actress. The film would have been served better if they were able to compare normal for me with Natalie's normal, and showing her having real struggles juggling a more customary lifestyle with her dominatrix one, rather than just the cliché "my girlfriend doesn't love me anymore" drama. These filmmakers appear to be smart enough to recognize that 20-something women do concern themselves with more than just their love life, so they should have showed me that."My Normal" more than lives up to its R-rating. If you didn't get enough erotic lesbian sex scenes in "Black Swan", you'll find them here. Another positive for the film is that it shares "Black Swan"'s striking makeup and costumes. It is definitely not for the conservative film-viewer, but "My Normal" might be worth a look for those who like female erotica in edgy films that try to redefine "normal".