When Love Comes (1999)

Sexuality saturates the screen in this complex urban love story set against a vibrant world where creative energy runs rampant, illicit substances fuel artistic juices, and sex is always available, but love is elusive. In his second feature, Garth Maxwell captures all of the outrageous decadence of the music business while creating a truth in his characters that speaks to how people really live with ambition, regret, broken dreams, and fear of intimacy. Katie Keen, an aging singer who has seen her star rise and sputter in Los Angeles, comes home to Auckland, New Zealand, to reassess her life and reinvent herself if she can. Even though she's being pursued by her hunky boyfriend, Eddie, she moves in with her best mate, Stephen, the only person she allows herself to lean on. Stephen has been playing all her old hits, much to the amusement of the youthful object of his affection, Mark, a promising lyricist who writes through a haze of alcohol, dope, and confusion. When Stephen asks for more maturity than he can deliver, Mark cavorts with his fellow band members, Fig and Sally, an extreme pair of girlie punk rockers hell-bent on stardom, who idolize Katie and urge Mark to bring her into the band. Bohemian in both form and spirit, When Love Comes is driven by vivid characterization, gorgeously imaginative imagery, and an economical script empowered by emotional abundance. Rena Owens delivers an electrifying performance as Katie, while Sophia Hawthorne and Nancy Brunning give Sally and Fig a kinetic and irresistible sexiness. Inspirational and deeply moving, When Love Comes is a testament to the redeeming powers of love and honesty.