All About E

E -- short for Elmira (Mandahla Rose) -- is a wild child: The lesbian daughter of Iranian immigrants now living in Australia, she DJs at a club owned by ganged-up Johnny Rock (Simon Bolton), has her way with all the girls, and shares her flat with club manager and gay best friend Matt (Brett Rogers). Though she and Johnny have a close, complicated relationship, E is tired of Johnny's tight grip over her life and career. When she discovers a bag full of cash that has somehow ended up in her flat, she's ready to take the money without question and use it to fund her escape to a new life.

Unfortunately, the money belongs to Johnny, who needs it in order to pay off even bigger fish in the underworld food chain. The film becomes a "heroine and gay pal on the run with a bag of crime boss lucre" piece, but, surprisingly, manages to rise above the cliches and shallow expectations that come with the genre.

It helps that the film, written and directed by Louise Wadley, has some humor and a sense of playful invention, as well as an undercurrent of genuine romantic regret and longing. It turns out that E has made a similar escape once before, ditching her promising career as a serious classical musician -- and jettisoning her ex, a young woman named Trish (Julia Billington), along with the rest of her life.

Now that the thrill of late nights and club lights has worn thin, E wouldn't mind going back to classical music, and to Trish, but only the most desperate circumstances could force her into it. That, of course, is exactly what happens, as the increasingly hard-pressed Johnny sets out to track her down (accompanied by two big, dumb, Barbie-doll obsessed goons, one of whom spends the movie unwittingly chatting up Matt on a hookup site).

The journey back to Trish includes a stopover at the home of E's disapproving parents (Kim Antonios Hayes and Lex Marinos) and involves a slightly ridiculous rescue by air (who knew the outback was so chock-full of lesbians with such diverse skill sets?), but Wadley balances the movie's serious and scurrilous sides and coaxes charm and nuance from her story and performers. The result is predictable, but highly watchable and fun.

Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.

This story is part of our special report: "Wicked Queer: Boston LGBTQ Film Festival". Want to read more? Here's the full list.