Does true love really exist?

Marina Rice Bader has been responsible for some of the more beautiful and romantic lesbian movies of this generation, including Elena Undone and A Perfect Ending.  So, I was excited to view her latest film Anatomy of a Love Seen, and so disappointed when it turned out not to be anywhere near as good as her other film

The film is actually a film within a film. Marina Rice Bader plays Writer and Director, Kara Voss, who has cast Zoe Peterson (Sharon Hinnendael) and Mal Ford (Jill Evyn) as her principal actresses. During the film, they both fall in love at the same time. This love scene is the most beautiful and genuine part of the film.

It’s soft, tender and very believable that these two really do fall in love. Their off-screen romance lasts about six months before Mal leaves the relationship for no apparent reason. In the meantime, Kara needs to bring the two back together to film a “clothed” love scene for a broadcast deal.

This could have been a wonderful film about love found, love lost and trying to get back to love. But, the film loses itself in a subplot between Kara and her Assistant, Anne (Constance Brenneman). As Zoe and Mal try to process what happened in their relationship, we get glimpses of what might have happened, but nothing concrete. The subplot is completely unnecessary and takes away from the real story between Zoe and Mal.