LOVING HIGHSMITH is a biography of the author Patricia Highsmith, with particular emphasis on her lesbianism. Highsmith is best known for the novels she wrote, including STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, which was adapted by Alfred Hitchcock, and THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY and its sequels, where were adapted several times.

More recently, her lesbian novel CAROL was filmed starring Cate Blanchett. Highsmith herself was a lesbian and in her diaries tells a remarkable story of her mother's attempts to convert her to a heterosexual orientation. The three main interviewees are former lovers: Marijane Meaker, Monique Buffet, and Tabea Blumenschein.

The film is mostly told in photographs from her childhood and entries from her diaries,, revealing some of her writing output and its relationship to her childhood. Through all this, we come to see how her signature character of Ripley was conceived, as a man who constantly has to hide his true self. The film ends with Highsmith going through a long period of self-examination. Unfortunately, this does not make for good cinema, and the film does lag at the end.

Released theatrically 2 September 2022. Rating: low +2 (-4 to +4) or 7/10

Film Credits: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15239466/reference

What others are saying: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/53177328-017e-4c66-ad16-35a323c2b088

					Mark R. Leeper
					Copyright 2023 Mark R. Leeper