Blue Jean

Stars: Rosy McEwen, Kerrie Hayes, Lucy Halliday, Lydia Page

Director: Georgia Oakley

Lesbians rule OK! I've certainly seen more lesbian stories in the past few months than those about gay men, and here's another, set in Thatcher's Britain, and containing a few distant similarities to the recently-seen Tar.

Jean (McEwen) is a chain-smoking PE teacher (OK, we'll let that one pass) at a Tyneside secondary school. Seemingly in a secure relationship with heavily-tattooed Viv (Hayes) - though the two seem as ill-matched as chalk and cheese - Jean's rather precarious existence (all day in school, evenings in the local gay bar) is threatened by the arrival in school of rebellious new girl Lois (Halliday), a 15-year-old who is soon popping up at Jean and Viv's bar.

When Lucy's worst enemy at school (skilfully drawn by Page) forces herself on Lois and then cries that she has been attacked, Jean, who watched events unfold, is faced with a dilemma - should she support Lois and risk her own position, or say nothing and see the girl suspended?

I'm not sure I could see what Jean really had to lose here; nonetheless, McEwen is sympathetic as the games mistress, and almost convinces us that her career actually could be on the line. The film doesn't cut very deep, however, nor does it really get anywhere.

David Quinlan

UK 2021. UK Distributor: Altitude. Colour by Kodak.
93 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 2, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 2.

Review date: 06 Feb 2023