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‘Tell It To The Bees’: Anna Paquin & Holliday Grainger’s Lesbian Romance Doesn’t Spark [TIFF Review]

Fine acting, some lovely moments, and good intentions cannot save the fifties-set melodrama “Tell It to the Bees” from being a major disappointment. And that’s a shame since this 2018 Toronto International Film Festival world premiere is positively bursting with promise. Consider: The leads are Oscar winner Anna Paquin and rising star Holliday Grainger (“Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” “Tulip Fever,” “Cinderella“). The director is Annabel Jankel, whose strange, fascinating career has included TV’s “Max Headroom,” 1988 remake “D.O.A.,” and, err, “Super Mario Bros.” It is based on an acclaimed novel by Fiona Shaw about love between two women in 1952 Scotland a — juicy concept and an intriguing time and place.

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On paper, all good. On-screen, however, it falls flat. There are a variety of reasons — one-note characters, an overly-familiar story arc, a laughable sequence of bee heroism (!). (Alternate title idea: “Secrets and Hives.”) Still, there is the work of Grainger and Paquin. As two women who fall in love during a time of horrific intolerance, they give subtle, un-showy performances. They make “Tell It to the Bees” watchable, and are worthy of high praise.

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Grainger plays Lydia, a factory worker raising a young son, Charlie (Gregor Selkirk), on her own. Her husband, Robert (the glowering Emun Elliott), returned from World War II a changed man and has now taken up with another woman. Lydia is left with her son and a single friend, her sister-in-law, for comfort. It’s a grim life, but she and Charlie make the best of it. Their worlds take a better turn when Dr. Jean Markham (Paquin) returns to town after many years of living elsewhere. Jean is a figure of warmth and wisdom, but her past has not been easy. This draws the wounded, wistful Charlie to her, and the admiration is mutual.

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A series of calamities result in eviction for Lydia and Charlie, and soon Jean offers them the chance to move in, with Lydia working as a housekeeper. Jean and Lydia become increasingly close, finally realizing that, perhaps, they belong together. But rumors start to fly, and soon everyone — even Charlieseems against them. This is, after all, cold, grey, post-War Britain. It is during this section of the film in which Jankel loses control, and “Tell It To The Bees” never recovers. By the time the bees spring into action, it’s almost impossible not to chuckle. The final moments are sweet, especially a bold train station goodbye. But it’s far too late to save the film.

While the ever-likable Paquin and Grainger do their best, they are saddled with characters whose development is spotty and a script with little surprise and only fleeting insight. Paquin is particularly impressive as Jean, a unique figure for the time — an unmarried, female doctor living alone. She seems a bit aimless by herself in the house she grew up in, with beehives offering the only audio accompaniment. She is palpably joyful when Lydia and Charlie move in and suddenly the house feels alive. Paquin, in her most prominent big-screen post-”True Blood” role, nails that rush of romantic optimism.

With the exception of young Selkirk, the supporting cast fares poorly. Visually, there are some dodgy effects and nary a standout shot. The biggest issue, though, might be the lack of dramatic momentum. The last stretch is particularly draggy. A tragedy occurs, with a botched procedure leading to emergency surgery and a chance for Jean to be a hero. It’s far too predictable a scenario, and it’s neither well written or directed. That is a complaint that gets to the heart of what makes “Tell It To The Bees” disappointing: the ingredients are all there, but the execution is faulty.

Is “Tell It to the Bees” a worthy endeavor? Certainly. A project in which a strong female filmmaker tackles a tale of repression centered on two women is undoubtedly a project to support. See “Tell It to the Bees,” then, to admire stellar work from two notable talents. Just don’t expect the film to offer much else. [C-]

Check out all our coverage from the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJtGk_HQdXI

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