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Showing posts from July, 2012

Beginners

A pretty good indie film with art-house character study, embellishes some great performances from its lead characters. Mad win s a very small budget. Christopher Plummer deservingly won the academy award for his supporting role in this film. The story of the film is very simple and straight forward. The first half of the movie focuses on Oliver and his ailing father. After his mother's death, Oliver's father told him 2 things: first he has cancer and second he is gay. Oliver is shocked but he still tries to keep his calm and understand his father. Apart from his father's lover, he is always there for his father whenever he needs it, be it for any gay party, gay events or just taking care of him. We see a lot of incidents that Oliver and his father spend time with each other striving to cultivate their relationship and grow it. We also see Oliver's childhood in flashback where the parents are attempting to make the best of their marriage of convenience. After his fa

Gay Short Films : 13

No Soy Como Tú ( I am Not Like You) (Spain) A so called straight guy spends alight with a gay guy but refuses to accept his homosexuality. When city drama forces the 2 men to spend some time together, he realizes that he cannot suppress his feelings for long and it is time he opened his heart for some love. But its too late. (7/10) The Tie That Bind Me (UK) 2 men, supposedly straight, get into a conversation on a rainy evening. Filmed in a theatre setting, it has only 2 characters in their whity tights and just talking. And it seems that in the end, one of the guys is coming out. Totally random film. (2/10) First Time (Israel) A young gay guy arrives in Tel Aviv. He is supposed to stay with someone but cannot find him. He is now stranded on the streets. Till he meets another cute guy on a bus stop and after their eyes meet, he just follows him. (3/10) Keel (UK) Two teenage boys get stoned in a boat shed, lie in a boat and make an imaginary journey, until moment of intimacy

Hit And Runway

Hit and Runway was a formulaic film school comedy. A film about budding friendship, it shows how friendship between 2 most unassuming people just naturally grows. The film doesn't take anyone's side. It just shows how 2 people from 2 different world in terms of ethnicity and sexuality are brought together with a common goal: to become a good screenwriter. All actors are pretty unknown and hence the film becomes more believable.  Alex is a budding screenwriter but the reality is that he is not much of a writer. After his father passes away, he is forced to work at his family's cafe. He wants to write this major story but is hindered by his lack of screenplay writing abilities. He meets Elliot, a regular looking Jewish guy, at his cafe. Elliot is there to meet Joey, the server and part time actor on whom he has a crush on. When Elliot leaves his play for Joey to read, Alex finds it and recognizes that Elliot is the only one who can help him write his script. Overcoming his ph

Notre Paradis (French) [Our Paradise]

I am not too sure what the point was behind this film. Agreed the film had a lot of nude scenes, a few penis shots, decent looking boys. You could say the film explores or tries to explore the intergenerational relationships between gay men. Men in their twenties, thirties vs men in old age who rely mostly on prostitutes to get off. Also the constant murders and all were not really explained. Was this all for love pro for money? Vassili is 30 odd something hustler. He meets old men and murders them. The motive is not explained. He meets Angelo, a 19 year old boy, who is beaten up in one such hustling incident. Vassili brings Alex home and they start falling for each other. They together prostate as a couple and sometimes when guys are not into Vassili because he is old, they just go with Angelo. He soon tells Angelo about the murders. Initially shocked, Angelo still stays because he loves Vassili. Once they are out in a club, they see an old man whom he had once attacked and thought t

46-Okunen No Koi (Japanese) [Big Bang Love - Juvenile A]

This is a very new and different style of film making. A cross between cinema, play and musical setting, the whole arrangement of the film is different. The sets are minimal , modernistic theatre style. I thikn the film is set sometime in future. Even the narration style of the film is very different. Some of the scenes are randomly shown and then we see what happened that followed to that scene. Yes, it does you leave confused at many a times but still makes for a viewing pleasure. The movie has great potential if it is remade as a typical thriller movie with the same story but very different screenplay. After a very artistic start and a very beautiful dance, we are introduced to the 2 lead characters. Ariyoshi seems fragile and passive. He has come here for murder. He murdered his innocence and a man who was using his innocence. He years for love. Kazuki is tough and aggressive and picks up fights with everyone.He acts first and talks later. He is full of pain. The 2 characters are

Taxi zum Klo (German) [Taxi to the Toilet]

When you see this film, you have to remember that this film came out way back in 1981. Things were way way different then. Despite this disclaimer, I am going to review this film as what I felt today after watching it. What things left impression on me and what were the things that I was bothered with. Moreover, I strongly believe that the title of the film is just not suited for the story that was presented. Sometimes, the title make s huge difference. Based on autobiography of the actor-director himself, the film shows the life of Frank Ripploh. He is in 30's, gay man and a school teacher. He hides his sexual orientation from school but then is very very active in his sex escapades. He is constantly thinking whom and where to meet next. In fact, he even checks student papers in toilet while cruising. During one such instance, he meets Bernd. Their one night stand soon turns up into a stable relationship. Bernd has eyes for only Frank but this is not the same case with Frank. He

The Wise Kids

I am not big into religion but at the same time I do not judge anyone at all for what religion they follow and what their beliefs are, as long as I am left to do and believe what I want to. I don't judge and i do not want to be judged. I am not an avid or devout churchgoer but I would like to believe that this film touched upon some very real issues of faith in a way that were both authentic and unique.  A group of high school students who are members of a church youth group are preparing to begin their adult lives in South Carolina town. We follow 3 close friends: Brea is the minister's daughter, Tim is an aspiring film maker and Laura who is totally devoted to God and religion. Tim realizes that he is gay but hasn't acted on it. Brea is very comfortable with this fact but when Laura finds it out, she is shocked and frightened. She tries to help Tim reconcile between his sexuality and religion. At the same time, Brea is questioning her faith and prayers. Then we have Austi

Straight Jacket

Set in 1950's, this film is one of those over the top, romantic gay comedies, which I probably would have rated higher few years back. It is funny how perception on a film changes from an individual's perspective within a span of few years. My tastes in movies has also changed accordingly. These days, forced comedies don't do much for me and this is where this film also failed to keep my attention. It wasn't boring or anything but I just didn't get any laughter from any of the scenes shown.  Guy Stone, is a matinee idol and macho star who hides his homosexuality and leads a double life. He is the perfect bachelor for the outside world. In his private life, all he is looking for is the next male hunk who he can sleep with. Desperate to get the lead role in Ben-Hur, on the studio head's persistence, he agrees to marry the head's secretary Sally who is completely in awe of him. Everyone knows it is a sham except Sally. Some funny scenes follow with the closet h