Me, Myself and Her

A common WLW movie complaint is there’s too many factors stopping lesbian couples from being together. Such narratives can be frustrating or downright depressing. Constantly seeing stories about how women can’t be together because of major external pressure can wear a person down. Me, Myself and Her is here to offer the alternative. These characters experience very little conflict or external pressure! Me, Myself and Her is one of the most conflict-light WLW movies I’ve ever seen. It bored me.

Me, Myself and Her focuses on the day-to-day relationship of middle-aged couple Frederica and Marina. After 5 years together their relationship is domestic to the point of boring. Their growing distance compounds when actress Marina reveals their relationship in an interview. The reserved Frederica worries deeply about the fallout from Marina outing them. While a new film project demands Marina’s focus, Frederica’s unease about their relationship grows. So, Frederica begins an affair with a male acquaintance. Obviously, Marina and Frederica’s relationship falls apart. The couple must decide if being together is worth the messier, less romantic parts of a long-term relationship.

Me, Myself and Her is deliberately mundane in its approach. Its focus is on the small moments over a long term relationship instead of a particularly dramatic time. The film also touches on realities and mundane nature of aging. There’s scenes of Frederica going to routine check-ups at both the dentist and optometrist, for example. It’s a very grounded story. It’s clearly the intent of the film and executes this concept fine. But as I mentioned, I found this concept boring.

Despite Frederica’s worry, she and Marina face pretty minimal oppression from being queer women. Homophobia is still alive and well in Italy. But this specific couple has a lot of privilege that heavily minimizes its affect. These are rich, middle-aged white women. Again, this is still a group capable of experiencing homophobia but they really don’t in this film. Frederica’s worries about being outed are shown to be rather unfounded. They’re based more in her anxiety and uncertainty rather than actual threats.

This lack of major external pressure allows Me, Myself and Her to be a very focused portrait of a relationship. It’s not like society or family or I don’t know, galactic war stops Marine and Frederica’s relationship. The only thing standing between them and a long term relationship is the question of if they both want it. Whether or not an individual viewer finds this lack of external conflict to be soothing, aspirational, obnoxious or dull is the question. It’s nice and all that given no external pressure, Frederica and Marina choose each other. But that’s a pretty entry level queer love story. This isn’t exactly going to be remembered as a great romance.

Me, Myself and Her knew what it wanted to be and executed its premise well. I’m also certain filming was completed on schedule and within budget. But it lacks a level of ambition. This is not a relationship or a film that is ever going to be a standout. The conflict in the film is notable in its near-absence. Love My Life is another film that had almost zero conflict. But at least that movie was adorable. Me, Myself and Her is too busy being practical and mature to be adorable.

Overall rating: 5.2/10

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