Anyone else see character resemblance between Allison McAtee's 'Catherine Stark' and Sharon Stone's 'Catherine Trammell' in the 1992 sex thriller 'Basic Instinct?' Certainly the two actresses share a physical likeness, but if you ask me, Fernanda Cardoso conjured her Catherine from one of those gauzy sex dreams where you wake up feeling frisky but you can't quite put your finger on why.

There were a number of elements in the story which once touched on, were left inadequately developed--like a dream. The aggressive teacher/ingénue student dynamic was evident and others have mentioned a 'creepy factor' regarding the perceived age difference, when really it's only 10 or 12 years. As Catherine begins to fall for Jackie, she becomes more nurturing, less dominating, more vulnerable, thus the bathing scene/food-cutting/jealousy arc. Professor Stark is clearly used to being the pursuer and chooses her students because of the power she wields over them. As time goes on, you see Catherine's emotional limits begin to crumble as Jackie begins to step back into the Hollywood world where she has the power.

The actresses had good chemistry and their scenes together are the strongest but left too much to the viewer's own interpretation. With deeper development of the scenes between them, the emotional intention would have been more clear. The typical 'dyke drama' as revealed in a number scenes, e.g., both of them sleeping with men, Catherine's denial of it being a relationship, their mutual unwillingness to be a public couple, is all rather standard lesbian relationship fare. One true thing is definitely played out--in these May-December romances, the tables invariably are turned and the older partner is the one who gets hurt.

BLOOMINGTON Is generally worth avoiding.

Jackie is a former child star trying to fit into college. Almost immediately she meets Professor Catherine Stark (McAtee), a sexy psychology professor with a reputation for bedding female undergrads. After a few stolen glances and a single conversation the two crawl between the sheets. I will admit their first kiss was as HOT as any kiss i've ever seen on screen!!! I just did not know where it came from? After the requisite sex scenes and laughing and cooking together and reveling in all the fun they are having, they (you guessed it) fall in love.

Watching lesbian movies is like having your girlfriend cook you dinner. No matter what it tastes like you are going to love it because you know how much care and effort she put into it. There is the definite possibility that the green bean casserole she just whipped up is going to be pretty awful. The thing is, every once in a while it isn't half bad. This is how I feel about lesbian movies. I watch them the whole time hoping I don't have to cover my eyes for another embarrassing round of boring plot lines, terrible acting and an endless loop of the one Ani Difranco song the producers could get the rights to.

Bloomington starts promisingly but too much of the film is hard to swallow, from the casual way it treats an ethically-questionable sexual relationship between student and teacher to its somewhat anti-climactic ending.

It's not the worst lesbian film I've ever seen. but I struggled trying to figure out why this sexy, smoldering, intelligent professor would go after, I'm sorry, a kid.

I was fortunate to be given a DVD screener of this from a friend. At first i thought i was not going to like it one bit as i am more into action movies, but watched it from start to finish and found it to be quite good acting and also quite a good story. I imagined there was going to be something sinister due to the fact that it is a story about a sexual, or lesbian relationship between -teacher and student and was expecting to see a teacher stalking a young student but that does not happen and Jackie (the student) accepts the first kiss in an isolated area of the school grounds quite willingly.From then on the movie evolves mainly focused on the romance that develops between the two of them. Catherine,(the professor) reminded me somewhat of Sharron Stone when she acted in the movie-Basic instinct.I found this to be light hearted and romantic and the only drama was when Jackie decides to return Home and the relationship is threatened.There is no erotica or nude scenes as some would expect with our modern day films. probably not one you would race to the box office over but i found it quite a relaxing watch.