Movie with Abe: Princess Cyd

Princess Cyd
Directed by Stephen Cone
Released November 3, 2017

Going to a place you’ve never been before can help present the opportunity for a new outlook on life. Similarly, the arrival of someone from another place can disrupt, in a good or bad way, the order of things and change the perspective of someone who has been in the same place all their lives. When the two coincide, both the visitor and the host are likely to be affected. Such setups are common in film for good reason – watching two people transform each other is often a mesmerizing and rewarding endeavor.

Sixteen-year-old Cyd (Jessie Pinnick) is ready to get some time away from her depressed father and comes to stay with her aunt Miranda (Rebecca Spence), who is an established novelist. Getting to know her aunt brings up some of the differences in their personalities, and Cyd pushes Miranda to let loose, investing in her own personal fulfillment as much as she invests in her work. At the same time, Cyd on her own adventure as she explores her attraction to Katie (Malic White), a young bartender.

There is something remarkably disarming about this film, which treats its subject matter respectfully and in an accessible manner. “Princess Cyd” comes from Wolfe Video, which describes itself as an exclusive distributor of LGBTQ+ filmed entertainment. In this film, Cyd brings up her feelings about Katie and is met with complete acceptance from Miranda, who responds that Cyd’s late mother had a fling with a girl once. The openness and raw honesty that exists between all three women feels incredibly genuine and contributes to the development of the characters, including Katie, who doesn’t mind being mistaken for a boy because of her hairstyle by a film crew, and Miranda, whose own sex life has been mostly dormant.

All three actresses deliver rich, invested performances that make their characters feel like real people. This is a breakthrough role for Spence, who has been featured in minor roles in a number of projects and demonstrates her talent as the adult carrying this film. Pinnick and White both have short film resumes, and these turns show their enormous potential for the future. This story is told sensitively and simply, with a strong script and direction from Stephen Cone. This is a straightforward, nonjudgmental look at a complicated situation and the people involved that plays itself out beautifully in this film.

B+