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Showing posts from September, 2009

Venkovský ucitel (Czech) [The Country Teacher]

There was something raw, real,fascinating, natural about this movie that I loved. It was not filmy or made up any away. It was very real, the actors were real, story was real, it was different but nice different. With a completely original story line and direction, this movie is worth a watch. Peter, a gay schoolteacher from from an elite school in capital to tach in the country because he felt dominated by his mother in school. Later we find out that he also broke up with his boyfriend whom he actually never loved. So basically he is trying to run from everything and everyone. Peter who is always depressed soon meets Marie, a farm working widow who has had her troubles in life and her teenage son Lada who is young and beautiful but lives in guilty complex because he thinks he is not smart. He has a girlfriend who comes to visit him every weekend from the city. Together Marie and Lada run a dairy farm. Everyone is frank and open and there is nothing hidden. Marie once shows some intere

En Forelskelse (Danish) [Awakening]

This film was actually a short film (about 40-45 minutes) long but it was still beautiful to hold your attention and pass on a message. A sexual awakening of sorts for a young teenage boy. 16 year old Carsten has just started dating Melissa. He is introduced to her parents who have an instant liking for him and they welcome him very warmly in their house. There is a warmth and tension that Carsten finds in her father. On a weekend trip to their summer house, Carsten cant control and ends up kissing her father who returns the favour but quickly backs off. There is then a strange tension between them. Carsten is confused and visits Melissa's house when he knows only her father would be there at home. after initial awkwardness, he starts crying because he is truly confused as to what is wrong with him and he can't figure out. The father gives him his shoulder and empathizes with him and soon they are making out. They are disturbed by Melissa and the mother but no one sees any

Cachorro (Spanish/French) [Bear Cub]

I have to say it right away because I can't wait for the end of the post. I loved this movie even though it was my second time. Having a teenage nephew myself and how much I love him, I mostly empathized in the movie with the relationship that uncle and the nephew shared with one another. This is one of those feel good, entertaining but message driven film at the same time which leave you with no complains. Pedro, a gay bear has avery active social and sexual life which includes parting, drugs, sex etc. One day he finds himself taking care of his 9 year old nephew Bernardo because his sister (a totally mentally fucked up and unstable woman) wants to go for a trip to India with her boyfriend. Initially both the people are reluctant of each other but soon grow into each other's company. Pedro tries to straighten his life a little bit but Bernardo understand everything. He is ok with his uncle being gay. You hart goes out for the kid when he prepares meals for his uncle because hi

A River Made To Drown In

This is one of those films for which after watching I can't decide whether I liked the film or not. There were parts of it that were really interesting (longing for love in your last days) and then parts that were really boring (the theatricality by the lead actor) that overall it leaves just an average impression. Plus with the setting of the film, it is more suited for maybe a play rather than a film. Allen is a struggling artist who is having an affair with Eva, a wealthy woman who owns a gallery store. He is soon given a surprise visit by Thaddeus, and old man. Not instantly but later you find out that Allen was one of Thaddeus' lover from the days when Allen used to hustle on the road. Thaddeus confines to Allen that he is dying of Aids and wants to spend few days with him. He asks Allen to find Jamie, another hustler on the road whom he loved and whom he thinks he could have passed on the disease to. After initial apprehensions, he agrees and finds Jamie but he refuses t

Eating Out

I know I reviewed the sequel first but I had to watch this one again before I could review it. I clearly remember it was my first few gay films that I started watching it and I really liked it but since then (4 years) I have seen so many more better films and crap films as well, for this one I dont know for sure what I thought of it the second time I saw. After being dumped by girlfriend Tiffany, caleb is sad and mentions to his gay roommate Kyle that is he was gay he could score with women. We are then in a party where fag hag Gwen dumps another guy who tells her he us gay. Her room mate is hot Mark whom Kyle always has an eye on. Caleb likes Gwen, so Kyle says Caleb is gay and Gwen is immediately in him and introduces him to Mark. Kyle figures that Caleb can use Marc to get to Gwen, while Kyle uses Caleb to get to Marc. Also, Tiffani lives next door to Gwen and Marc so seeing Caleb date Marc would make her crazy. After their first date when Caleb and Mark come back home. Caleb is fr

Hijras - The Third Gender (Documentary)

This is a documentary film which tries to educate people and enlighten them on the social outcaste, trials and the plight of hijras that they face in the Indian society. This documentary focusses on interviews, stories and other talks with hijras, social workers on how the life can be improved. Most hijras are genetically born as men, but believe they are women within. The rest are hermaphrodites with some abnormality in genitalia. For those born men, becoming a hijra is a painful process that involves removing the entire genitalia in a secret ceremony that is often undergone without any anesthetic. Currently, most hijras have only three ways in which they can make a living: prostitution, begging, and as performing shamans removing bad luck and/or spells from suspicious Indian households. Sex work is one of the only options for hijras because there are few employment opportunities available to them. Hijras are most commonly seen knocking on car windows, begging for money at stoplights.

Searching 4 Sandip

Zero expectations from the film led me to completely like this film that I saw in the recently concluded film festival in NYC. Made in a documentary style, this film was unexpectedly funny with real love and emotions. The film starts with Australian girl Poppy looking for love after her break up. She turns to internet like most other people and find an Indian girl named Sandip. Incidentally Sandip lives with her Sikh parents and her younger sisters in UK and is not out to anyone. The film then explores their journey (which is true) right from their first meeting in Malaysia where they had decided to take a trip together. After their first holiday, Poppy is not content with anymore long distance stuff and decides to move to Uk hoping that Sandip would be there to help her out. Things are not so smooth as expected. By the time Sandip comes out to her family, she is forced to choose between family and Poppy. She choses Poppy, moves out of her house and they start living together. As expec

Poco più di un anno fa (Italian) [Adored: Diary of a Male Porn Star]

Sometimes a film can spring surprise. You read that its about the life of a porn start and you already make up your mind but wait till you actually see the film. It is definitely a good film and worth watch. The film begins in 2014 with some documentary film makers trying to find details about a porn star Riki who did in 2002. They are trying to get information from Federico who we later find out wis Riki's brother. The movie then goes in flashback. Riki and Federico were born in a rich wealthy family In France but after his mother died, Riki fled home to go to Rome. Since then him and federico had no connection. Their father has now died and Riki comes back home. Federico learns that their fathers estate is in debt and that actually they are not as rich. He also has an ex-wife and a child. Federico wants to learn more about his brother so he decides to go to Rome with him. He sees that his brother makes very good money but doesn't know what he does. Incidentally one day he fin

I Can't Think Straight

You definitely would not have seen many reviews on lesbian themed movies and the reason is because I rarely watch them. But this one I had to. It had Indian connection to it and to watch gorgeous Lisa Ray in her second film as a lesbian would be interesting.  In the upper echelons of traditional Middle Eastern society, Reema and Omar prepare for the marriage of their daughter Tala. But back at work in London, Tala encounters Leyla, a young British Indian woman who is dating Tala's best friend Ali. Tala sees something unique in the artless, clumsy, sensitive Leyla who secretly works to become a writer. Leyla had always suspected of herself being a lesbian but had been fighting against it by trying t date men but ever since she met Tala, she can't help it. On a trip to Oford, the 2 women end up sleeping with each other. Leyla want some meaning to their relationship but Tala is not so sure considering she is already getting married soon. Leyla comes back home and comes out to her

Nowhere

The title of this film is totally appropriate because this film actually goes nowhere. Nowhere constantly introduces kinky and eccentric characters, each and every one of them suffering from modern diseases and problems like drugs, eating disorders, nymphomania, hallucinations, aggression and even suicide! Araki even touches the more daily problems like popularity and faithfulness.  Nowhere chronicles a day (and night) in the lives of a group of 20 or more alienated Los Angeles teenagers in their personal lives of despair, alienation, failing relationships and more. Centering on one 18-year-old named Dark, an alienated UCLA film student; his bisexual African-American girlfriend Mel; her purple-haired, acid-tongued lesbian girlfriend Lucifer; Dark's homosexual classmate Montgomery; and Montgomery's poetess friend Alyssa. Other characters include Dark's friend, a queer industrial rock star named Cowboy; his drug-addicted lover and band mate Bart; the local drug dealer Handjob

10 Attitudes

Sometimes I wish I had completely forgotten what films I have seen but not reviewed because that would save me the pain of having to watch a trash movie 2 times. A horrible acting job by the lead character who all h does is complaining and whining, this can be in my list of top 10 unbearable movies. Josh is a thirties-something gay caterer in a long-term relationship of 10 years when he realizes that his boyfriend has been cheating on him. Devastated and disillusioned, Josh wants to leave West Hollywood and return to Cleveland, but his closest friend Brandon (supports him by promising to arrange ten dates within a weeks' time. Brandon bets Jason will find a new love and remain in West Hollywood. If no new love is found, Jason will return home. Josh begins his arranged dating with 10 of some of the most diverse types everyone who has played the dating game has encountered. None of the 10 "attitudes" works out and Jason is about to depart for Cleveland when things change.

A Jihad For Love (Documentary)

In a time, when Islam is under tremendous attack-from within and without-'A Jihadfor Love' is a daring documentary-filmed in twelve countries and nine languages. Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma has gone where the silence is strongest, filming with great risk in nations where government permission to make this film was not an option. A Jihad for Love is the first-ever feature-length documentary to explore the complex global intersections of Islam and homosexuality. Th film follows through the lives of few gay Muslim men and the trials and tribulations that they have ha to face in life because of being gay. They are from various Muslim countries and various society levels. Jihad for Love doesn't seek to vilify or reject Islam, but rather negotiate a new relationship to it. In doing so, the film's extraordinary characters point the way for all Muslims to move beyond the hostile, war-torn present, toward a more hopeful future. The individuals we meet only too briefly i

Dong gong xi gong (Mandarin) [East Palace, West Palace]

Now This one is hard to classify as a genre. I will put it as an artsy film and maybe exploration of one self done in a very artistic way. Its definitely not a conventional movie. A Lan is a gay man, rounded up in a park near the Forbidden City by Xiao Shi, a police officer. The plot involves A Lan's night-long interrogation, involving flashbacks of his hard life. A Lan clearly loves the police officer and I think the officer also through him wants to explore himself and identify his true feelings. Through a series of questions, A Lan talks about his childhood, his encounters with various men at the same time trying to tell Xiao Shi how much he loves him. The police officer shouts at him but is also very amused by whatever he was telling. After a while he lets him go but A Lan refuses to go. The officer then asks him to wear women's clothes. But that also does nothing. Xiao Shi is struggling a lot with himself, whether o 'cur' the gay man or to just give in for the love