Princess Cyd (2017) Reviews

• beautiful piece of humanity

  michaelmangia2018-06-28

  I really enjoyed this simple film, it has a lot of heart. both the main character cyd and the aunt were really beautiful characters dealing with life and connection. both those actresses are so charismatic.

• A great film in so many ways....

  MartinHafer2017-10-26

  "Princess Cyd" is a wonderful film in many ways. I was surprised because my expectations weren't particularly high. As a result, I'm gonna seek out more of writer/director Stephen Cone's films. The story begins with Aunt Miranda (Rebecca Spence) attending a lecture about her books, as she'apparently a famous writer. But her dinner afterwards is interrupted by a phone call...her brother-in-law needs a break from his daughter, Cyd (Jessie Pinnick), and asks Miranda to take her in Chicago for a couple weeks. She's happy to and soon Cyd arrives. Cyd seems like a pretty normal teen and it's obvious at first that she thinks Aunt Miranda (who she hardly knows) is a dull lady...just like EVERY adult. But over time they hit it off well and Cyd learns that her aunt is a pretty cool lady...not just because of her books but because she's incredibly chill about Cyd's sexuality. Instead of being scared to discuss sex or Cyd's bisexuality, she's supportive...which is great because soon Cyd meets up with Katie (Malic White) and they fall for each other. I noticed that the other review referred to this as a Lesbian film. Well, perhaps Katie is gay...but what makes it interesting is that Cyd is clearly bisexual...something you rarely hear about in movies. I talked with the director/writer and it turns out he's openly gay and he did seem to have a very female-positive attitude in this film. His female characters were exceptionally well written and I also appreciated how he avoided a mistake some other filmmakers make. There is a rape (or attempted rape) scene in the film and he chose to show very little and mostly imply the attack....and this is great because sometimes these scenes are just too vivid and disturbing. This could either trigger PTSD responses in some viewers OR possibly excite the prurient interest of some sick viewers...so thanks for NOT going there! Overall, the story does an amazing amount without a lot of money or scope. Just a lot of real people acting in ways we can believe...and I really, really loved this film.

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• A rare review

  stevesmartpoetry2018-08-17

  I don't review movies much anymore, but there were things about Princess Cyd that I wanted to make note of, in hopes that others who are '... hmm... not sure..'. might give it a chance if they come across it. It's on Netflix and I'm sure available other places too. I've watched a lot of indie dramas through my life and rarely have I come across one that felt as satisfying as this by the closing credits. Poignant without being saccharine, intelligent without being "clever", slow but well paced. Mostly though, I was impressed at the choices made by the writer/director, and very probably the editor, to avoid dramatic cliches and over-used tropes. There's a sense of quiet subversion at work here, a sense of veering off in a new direction at the moments we've been trained to think 'Ohhh, I know exactly where this is about to go, and ohhh I wish it wasn't.' Pleasantly surprising. I don't want to give much away, let others be equally surprised. If you like films that make you feel you haven't seen them before, that show restraint and intelligent plotting, well you could do a hell of a lot worse than Princess Cyd. I kinda loved it. 8/10 is high for me.

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• The best lesbian film at the Rochester LGBT festival

  Red-1252017-10-20

  Princess Cyd (2017) was written and directed by Stephen Cone. Reviewers have described it as a coming-of-age movie, and that's what it is. However, that's only partly what it is. Jessie Pinnick plays Cyd Loughlin, a young woman who is visiting her Aunt Miranda in Chicago for the summer. Cyd hasn't clarified her sexual identity, but, as far as we can tell, she's bisexual. As you'd expect, experiences during the summer help shape who Cyd is, and who she wants to be. OK--fair enough, but nothing truly unusual. Rebecca Spence plays Cyd's Aunt Miranda. Spence gives a riveting performance as an adult who has come of age. She knows who she is, she knows what she is, and she knows where she wants to be. It would have been easy for director Cone to make Miranda a fussy aunt, or a drunken aunt, or a sexually promiscuous aunt. She's none of those. She likes her life, she loves Cyd, and she is a whole person in herself, not just in relationship to her niece. It's wonderful to see the skill with which Spence portrays this role. Princess Cyd was shown at Rochester's excellent Little Theatre, as the opening night selection of ImageOut, the great Rochester LGBT Film Festival. My prediction is that it will win the audience award as best narrative film. It was certainly my best narrative film. It will work well on the small screen. It's definitely worth seeking out and watching.

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• A Wonderful Surprise

  Moviegoer192018-02-22

  As other reviewers have said, I approached watching this film with low expectations, i.e., as one of Netflix's films that don't necessarily measure up, but boy was I wrong! Princess Cyd is one of the better films I've seen recently. I think what makes it so good is that the potential is there for it to fall into predictable, cliched material, and yet it doesn't. Rather, it is a beautifully acted and written script in which the two main characters enjoy and respect each other. The character of Aunt Miranda is so likable and admirable that she sets the standard for the whole film. We watch as she and her young niece spend time together during a summer, getting to know each other as well as themselves. I loved how not only did Cyd learn from her aunt, but her aunt learned from her, too. The film overall has a peaceful, though not boring, feeling, with many likable characters.

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