Well, this movie gave me the feels in the most beautiful way. Dating Amber is a heart-warming story of two closeted teens pretending to be in a relationship to guide their way through the homophobia-riddled years of the mid-nineties in Ireland.
Fionn O’shea, as usual, and Lola Petticrew beautifully portray the struggles of living as a queer person growing up within a heteronormative society, giving powerfully emotional performances which leave not a dry eye at many points within the narrative. A particular moment outside an LGBT bar left me broken.
This film successfully blends themes of self-hatred, homophobia, acceptance and love to tell a truly authentic story. The scene with the main characters being high and enjoying themselves within a gay bar to escape the shackles of society a common sight within the gay community.
Unlike many of its genres, this film successfully balances the good with the bad. All too often, films dealing with themes surrounding the LGBT community pretend that coming out is all doom and gloom, but this film actually manages to show the ups and downs of being gay. We see the positives of being openly gay through the love Amber shares with Sarah, even if the outside world isn’t accepting.
And oh, that ending. The last conversation that Amber and Eddie share. I was balling. Eddie’s final confession as he leaves Ireland made me weep in a way I didn’t think possible.
Well done, director and writer ( David Freyne) and cast.
Things I loved:
I really loved the way that Eddie’s mother was portrayed. How she reacts when she figures out her son’s secret is something that would comfort young LGBT individuals when thinking about their own coming-out stories.
Another thing I liked was the portrayal of Eddie’s younger brother. A character that brought many laughs, along with many sweet moments.
Things I didn’t like so much:
I am not sure that I enjoyed the scene where Eddie kissed the teacher, as I feel it was more for comedy than it was for growth. There were so many other characters who could have been used to show this. Although I did like the fact that he wasn’t a gay man trying to guide the gay youngling down the right path ( a predictable trope).
My favourite line: I’ll give you the best pretend orgasm you’ve ever had.
Grade B
Writings Of A Queer Mind 