2 Best Movies to Watch by Camille Paglia

This drama was the first feature written and directed by an out Black lesbian, Cheryl Dunye, and it is an absolute joy: a cheeky faux-documentary that ingeniously blends lesbian dating life with a historical dive into Black actors in 30s Hollywood.

Dunye plays Cheryl, a self-effacing version of herself, an aspiring director working at a video store who begins to research an actress known as the Watermelon Woman for a documentary. The more Cheryl dives into her research, the more she sees parallels between her subject and her own relationship.

As incisive as it is funny, The Watermelon Woman shares some common ground with other major indie debuts of the era like Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It and funnily enough Kevin Smith’s Clerks, but Dunye’s style is wholly her own and a dazzling treat to experience.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Actor: Brian Freeman, Camille Paglia, Cheryl Clarke, Cheryl Dunye, David Rakoff, Guinevere Turner, Irene Dunye, Lisa Marie Bronson, Sarah Schulman

Director: Cheryl Dunye

It’s easy to mistake Henry Fool for one of those stylish, aimless movies that only look smart but are, essentially, hollow. But it’s not one of those films. Directed by indie director Hal Hartley, Henry Fool is a funny and poignant look into American blue-collar life. The deadpan look, blocky colors, and unrealistic but philosophical dialogue add to the charm. Still, the film’s surprising capacity for hope and humanity makes it a timeless and highly watchable film. This is peak American independent cinema, and it’s one that deserves more credit.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Camille Paglia, Christy Carlson Romano, Chuck Montgomery, Dave Simonds, Don Creech, Fay Ann Lee, Gene Ruffini, James Saito, James Urbaniak, Kevin Corrigan, Liam Aiken, Maria Porter, Marissa Chibas, Miho Nikaido, Nicholas Hope, Parker Posey, Paul Boocock, Paul Greco, Paul Lazar, Rachel Miner, Thomas Jay Ryan, Valorie Hubbard, Veanne Cox, Vivian Bang

Director: Hal Hartley

Rating: R

2 Best Movies to Watch by Camille Paglia

1. The Watermelon Woman, 1996

2. Henry Fool, 1998