My Top Five of movies that feature Polyamory | #TopFiveSaturday

[background image from "Angels Of Sex", courtesy of IFC Films]
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As I promised I would, this is my weekends surprise! (I also got another one for tomorrow). Let me introduce you with my new topic to discuss on saturdays: top five lists of movies with different subjects, genres, or actors/actresses.

I'll begin this journey with a theme I absolutely love: polyamory, which is, as you may know, "the philosophy or state of being in love with or romantically involved with more than one person at the same time," as a quick Google search puts it. In media, there's been only but a few movies with polyamorous themes or that showcase polyamory in any light, but I came up with this Top 5 after doing an extensive research with multiple other lists.

So, in order of the greatest to the least great, here's my Top Five of films that feature polyamory:

[original picture courtesy of Boxspring Entertainment, Stage 6 Films & Annapurna Pictures]
1. Professor Marston & The Wonder Women (2017), dir. Angela Robinson

I just recently watched this film (and I'm gonna make an individual post about it soon because I need to talk about it in lenght), but it absolutely crushed the rest. Professor Marston & The Wonder Women is a biographical drama that shares the story of Dr. William Moulton Marston, the creator of iconic female superhero Wonder Woman, and his relationship with his wife Elizabeth and Olive Byrne, who they were both romantically involved with, as Marston creates the character and his lie-detector machine.

It is a touching, and dare I say empowering, love story inside the birth of Wonder Woman, that also features interesting topics such as feminism in the late 1920's, lesbianism and BDSM.

[original picture courtesy of IFC Midnight]
2. Sex Of Angels (2012), dir. Xavier Villaverde

Originally titled as El Sexo de los ángeles, this spanish film would've come first if I hadn't seen Professor Marston & The Wonder Woman just some 24-ish hours ago. It tells the story of young adults Bruno, Carla and Rai. Bruno and Carla have been dating for a long time before he, upon meeting Rai, starts to have questions about himself and his sexuality.

But just when you think this film is going to go down the typical trope of 'love triangle', it does a twist. It has a cute, warm end that just fills my heart and the actors are absolutely captivating, especially Álvaro Cervantes, who plays Rai.

[original picture courtesy of Relativity Media & Universal Pictures]
3. Savages (2012), dir. Oliver Stone

Objectively, this film isn't really that good, I think anyone would tell you (and there's also that sort of racist undertone with having the bad guys be a bunch of mexican drug dealers), but I just need to give this one a shoutout. Based on the book by Don Winslow, of the same title, Savages tells the story of best friends Ben and Chon, who grow some amazing marijuana, and their mutual girlfriend Ophelia "O".

What I really loved about this film is that it's an action film first. It does feature a polyamorous relationship and it is an important part of the plot but it's not the main focus of it. This is a movie with polyamory, not about polyamory.

[original picture courtesy of Villa del Cine]
4. Havana Eva (2010), dir. Fina Torres

Set in Havana, Cuba, this comedy/drama film is a production from my country, Venezuela, so that automatically gives it a special place in my heart. It tells the story of Eva, a seamstress who dreams of becoming a fashion designer. She has been dating her boyfriend Angel when she meets Jorge, who comes from Caracas and pretty much sweeps her off her feet.

The comedy in this film is good natured, which is pleasing because a lot of comedy out there is dark and/or offensive, and Eva's friend Teresa absolutely steals the show. But it's the ending of this film, that is unapologetic in its uncommonness, what made this movie worthy of being here.

[original picture courtesy of Alma Films & Bac Films]
Love Songs (2007), dir. Christophe Honoré

Les Chansons d'amour takes the last spot on the list mostly because it's one of the few musicals I actually like. It's divided into three parts and it revolves around the male protagonist Ismaël (played by Louis Garrel, who's like, the King of polyamorous/open-relationship french films).

Without giving much away, the story only briefly touches on its polyamory-side but it does show it so it's technically not inaccurate that I put it here. Even though it doesn't feature it much, the film still tells a pretty story and the songs are just good and soothing.

This was the last cut but there are really much more films featuring polyamory that are worth to mention (like Singing In The Rain, that's a polyamorous film in my heart), so if you're interested in more films with this particular subject that I can recommend, let me know in the comments.