‘Blue Jean’ Review – A Sober And Vital Look At Ugly Discrimination

Directed by: Georgia Oakley

Starring: Rosy McEwen, Lucy Halliday

Plot Summary: In Georgia Oakley’s stunning directorial debut BLUE JEAN, it’s 1988 England and Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government is about to pass a law stigmatizing gays and lesbians, forcing Jean (Rosy McEwen, in a powerhouse performance), a gym teacher, to live a double life. As pressure mounts from all sides, the arrival of a new student catalyzes a crisis that will challenge Jean to her core. The BAFTA-nominated film won the Venice Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award, as well as four British Independent Film Awards.

During a boring and somewhat tense party, complete with a misogynistic undercurrent in the air, Jean (Rosy McEwen) reveals that she is a lesbian. She does this to shut down a male party goer who is awkwardly hitting on her. After she drops this bombshell, like a true badass, she casually strolls out, leaving some stunned people in her wake. Once outside, she rides a sublime tidal wave of relief in the form of laughter. This quickly turns into tears of unabashed joy and freedom. No longer does Jean need to merely exist under the crushing wait of conformity. This scene perfectly embodies the film’s core message. This soulful and joyful expression is the climax and ultimate weapon against living in 1988, in a time when England was cold and unforgiving towards the LGBTQ community. Georgia Oakley’s feature film debut Blue Jean is a staggering and unforgettable achievement.

From the logline, this seems poised to be a dark thriller, and indeed in lesser hands it may have been just that. However, Oakley sets her sights on something more challenging. She boldly explores the brutal reality that Queer people face, but she is also able to see the sun just over the horizon. In a post-Stranger Things landscape where everyone worships the 80s, Blue Jean brings into focus one harsh truth: the good old days were only good for a small margin of people. Yes, the neon-tinted glasses are ripped off and we get a world of muted colors, one that is cruel to everyone that isn’t rich, straight and white. A world where Jean’s very existence is always in jeopardy, and it’s only in her chosen family that she finds comfort and escape.

This theme of family and Queer community is extremely well done, and Oakley does an interesting and sometimes devastating juxtaposition between Jean’s heteronormative performative life and who she is when she is with her gay family. The movie also examines the kind of strain leading a double life has, not only on your relationships but also your sanity. This theme is neatly folded into the arrival of Lois (Lucy Halliday), who is Jean’s student and someone who is discovering and exploring her own sexuality. In the backdrop is, of course, the politics of the time, specifically laws that the truly evil Thatcher and her thugs were pushing. Using real television and radio clips, this really hits home the stakes for Jean, and gets the overall point a cross in a powerful and organic way.

Blue Jean is all killer and no filler, giving its audience a very complete and complex picture of a woman, and only clocking in at a little over 90 minutes. The pacing of this movie is so impressive, especially for a first-time director who might be tempted to throw everything and the kitchen sink into their debut. The narrative flows with a machine-like percussion, and never gets bogged down in needless plotting or pretentious pondering. Couple this with a stellar production design, cinematography and some really dazzling performances, and you have one of the most impactful dramas of the year. 

Rosy McEwen is presented with a star-making role, and thankfully she makes the most out of it. McEwen is tasked with not only being the lead but the emotional centerpiece as well. For being a relative newcomer, McEwen showcases an impressive range and if there is any justice, this will lead to some big things for her. Lucy Halliday is making her screen debut and wow, she is incredible. Halliday is just amazing, and like McEwen, you can see big things for them in the future.

Blue Jean is a sober and vital look at ugly discrimination, which is sadly a timely topic. Georgia Oakley bursts onto the scene in an awesome wave of beauty, intimacy and hope. This is a movie not to be missed.

Blue Jean will debut in theaters in New York on June 9, 2023 courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. The film will expand to additional cities in the following weeks. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig4pNINEsmc]