 Bound was praised for being perhaps the first mainstream film to have a lesbian relationship at its heart without homosexuality being central to the plot . Despite the presence of " unapologetically gay " lead character Corky , it is not commonly considered a " lesbian movie " . Emanuel Levy said that this is a weakness , that mainstream films with broadening storylines " do not necessarily represent a positive development in the making of gay and lesbian films " and that Bound has " little , if anything , to do with lesbian cinema " . Jonathan Rosenbaum for the Chicago Reader called it a " welcome change " to have a lesbian couple as the main characters in a mainstream film . Sarah Warn for AfterEllen.com called Corky " the closest thing to a realistic and sympathetic butch lesbian we 've seen in a mainstream movie " . Barry Walters for the San Francisco Chronicle praised the film for showing gay characters that have an active sex life . The sex scenes , described as explicit and steamy , were admired for being tasteful , discreet and realistic . Warn called them " some of the best lesbian sex scenes to date in a mainstream movie " . 
