Who’s Afraid of Vagina Wolf? Can be forgiven for its somewhat cliched storyline and predictable ending. It gives us a rather brilliant all-female homage to Edward Albee’s play, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Anna is a an out-of-work filmmaker celebrating her fortieth birthday in a giant vagina costume. We quickly learn that she is living in her friends garage and that although having initial success in her 20s, low self-esteem has held her back in life. She makes the same list of birthday resolutions every year, make a movie, lose 20lbs, find a girlfriend. She falls for the exotic Katja Amour and is inspired to make an all-female homage to Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf? Filming doesn’t go exactly as she planned but along the way she learns to redefine her notions of love and success. Who’s Afraid of Vagina Wolf? Uses this as a chance to explore popular notions of what it means to be a lesbian.

In one hilarious scene Anna meets two potential funders. They are shocked to learn that she is not making a lesbian porn film. They explain to her that lesbian films don’t make any money unless they are pornographic. They encourage her to add some nudity to her film in which case they would be willing to contribute $4000. It seems surreal to see two gay men demanding female nudity.

Who’s Afraid of Vagina Wolf? May not be intellectually challenging or heavy on plot but it is an entertaining look at the pressures of being a woman and artist – lesbian or straight.

[star v=4]