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Showing posts from February, 2016

Unter Der Haut (Swiss German) [What's Between Us]

An excellent subject, a different take on gay relationship from the point of view of the battered wife but only if the direction could have been as effective as the basic story plot. The director has understood the subject well but has handled the situations in a very superficial manner where as a viewer you don’t empathise with any character at all. Alice and Frank are a happy couple with 3 kids and have recently moved to their new home. They have been married 18 years and have no issues at all and are a perfect family. One day Alice finds gay porn in browsing history of their home computer. Frank doesn't deny that the links are his and initially cites his interest as a sexual curiosity. Alice, though visibly uncomfortable, doesn't react in a cinematically conventional way. She opens up a dialogue about the subject and asks if Frank would like to experiment with threesomes. Frank dismisses it and tries to suppress his feelings but eventually can’t continue to fake and tel

How To Win At Checkers (Every Time) (Thai)

The way to win at checkers (every time) is not something that this film will teach you. Instead, it’ll teach you about the unfair nature of ‘fair’ systems, and how life is for the lower class residents of Thailand. What may seem like a story about 2 gay lovers facing the possibility of being drafted into the military; it is actually not that. The story’s focus is more on the brothers and the relationship they share. The fact that elder brother is gay and has a lover is just another aspect of the story not the primary aspect. The film is told in flashback when 21 year old Oat gets summoned for military lottery. He recounts the days and events, when his elder brother Ek had to go through the same. A decade earlier, after their father passed away, Oat and his elder brother Ek were living with their aunt. Ek worked at a local bar as bartender to support his family. He has been dating Jai, a rich young man from a respected family, since he was in high school. Despite everyone warning h

4th Man Out

Why do they do it? Maker come up with an interesting idea but then they put in every stereotypical events and things they can think of and then make the film just plain ordinary. The story of a man coming out to his closest buddies on his 24th birthday and how the friends react and response is the basic premise of this light-hearted comedy. Adam is a young garage mechanic who spends most of his time with his longtime best friend Chris. The other 2 of the quartet are Nick and Ortu and they do everything that you can think of stereotypical straight guys doing at evenings in a small american town including beer, games, chicks and gay jokes. On his birthday Adam break the news that he is gay. Chris tries to act cool and ok but others are haplessly frank in their bafflement. Upon realizing how vulnerable his best friend may feel in light of coming out, Nick devises a plan to help everyone acclimate to Adam’s sexuality by helping him find a man all his own. This leads the friends down s

The Danish Girl (UK)

This is a historical film in the whole transgender movement. Showcasing the life of Lili Elbe, the first male to female transition, her brave and pioneering spirit remains an inspiration today. Eddie Redmayne very deservingly is getting all accolades and nominations for his brave performance but in my mind, its Alicia Vikander who steals the show. More on that later. Einar is a very successful landscape painter. He lives with his wife Gerda, also a painter, but not as successful yet. Living in Copenhagen, they live a bohemian and carefree life. An innocent game starts when Gerda asks Einar to pose as a girl for her and then join her as a woman to one of the artists ball as Lili. Initially Einar is able to keep Lili as his alter ego and both hubsanad-wife are having fun but we soon realise that the problem could be seeded much deeper. When Gerda starts painting Lily in her feminine state, she starts getting very popular and gets serious attention from art dealers. When it becomes h

Carol

I know I have not reviewed many lesbian films here but its because of the simple fact that I haven’t seen many. There are realign excuses for that but I feel there are so many gay themed films out there, so I end up watching only those lesbian films that get quite popular. Needless to say that with Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara being nominated for Oscars, everyone’s expectations are already high and that was one of the reasons for me also to watch this film. The film is set in 50s. Therese is a young girl, who works behind a toy counter. She has a boyfriend and a group of male friends but something is missing. One day Carol, a very elegant blonde appears in the store. Their first interaction is business-like, but in reality it is a flirtatious scene, pierced with the thrill of danger. Carol and her husband Harge are separated and are fighting over their young daughter. We are given an indication that its probably Carol’s lesbian past with her closest friend Abby that is a reason

Parada (Serbian) [The Parade]

I can’t believe that I had not heard of this film before. Even more surprising is the fact that why is this film not popular among international circuits! It’s a shame. This film deserves to be seen for many reasons. A film that deals with very important subject of Balkan homophobia, but thankfully not in a dramatic. sad or depressing way. This film is perfect combination of cheekiness, humour, entertainment yet making a very strong point across. Gangster Lemon meets veterinarian Radmilo when his dog gets shot. They part but are destined to meet again. Radmilo’s boyfriend Mirko is an artist who also helps planning weddings. Mirko is also part of the LGBT activist group trying to organise pride parade in Belgrade. Doing that is no easy task because they get harassed and beaten up all the time. Lemon is now ‘reformed’ and runs  judo clubbing his finance Pearl is working with Mirko planning her wedding. The eventual meeting of the two couples goes horribly wrong with Lemon’s violent

Boys On Film 14: Worlds Collide

The next edition in this series. Worlds collide in more ways than one in this stunning collection of award winning short films. These films will make you laugh and cry, question your inner self and give life to your darkest fantasies. Want It (UK) An intruder breaks into a luxurious home. He wants it. When the owner returns unexpectedly, the tables are turned. An interesting take of role play between a couple. Brace (UK) On his first foray into London’s thriving gay scene, newly single Adam meets Rocky, a handsome and mysterious drifter. The two instantly connect, but Rocky seems eager to reveal more of himself than Adam is prepared to discover. And when secrets from both ends are revealed, it will not be a pleasant one. Un Mundo Para Raúl (Mexico) When thirteen-year-old Raúl is asked to entertain the local landowner’s son, a game of power and pride starts between the two boys. A young man may have to lose his innocence to keep his family going. Barrio Boy (USA) It s a h

Bizarre (aka Brooklyn Bizzare)

There cannot be a more apt title for this film, which totally lives unto its title. As a Viewer, you really can’t figure out what’s the purpose of the film, where it is headed and what’s it even trying to say. A truly bizarre film. set in Brooklyn about a young immigrant boy’s story trying to find his identity in a new city. Maurice, a reticent young homeless man, somehow manages to get by in Brooklyn; he spends his nights in parked cars until he finds himself at Bizarre, an underground club renowned for its burlesque shows. Maurice is fascinated by the club’s playful revues celebrating self-determined sexuality and creative otherness, and the two female club owners both adore him. He soon becomes a part of their self-selected family, and begins to bond with introverted Luka, who also works in the same place. But Maurice turns his back on Luka’s growing affection. There is a bit of jealousy when Luka gives in to Maurice’s straight friend who fucks anything that moves. Luka just ca

Webcam Boys (UK) (Documentary)

I am starting to realise that most BBC documentary follow a very standard tried and tested pattern. Pick a theme, identify 3-4 candidate who fit in the theme, follow a piece f journey of their life pertaining to the theme, give us details of things that we probably already know but don’t acknowledge, and finally end the deal with what the subjects are doing as of today. Ok! stop laughing now :) Its true, this is what they follow. Watch a few of them and you will know what i am talking about. This documentary looks at the growing number of young men who are stripping off for strangers online to make money. There are a growing number of young men taking part in the sex industry by putting their bodies online to make money. We meet martyr, who has been jamming with his straight friend for last 6 years. They are straight, have never touched each other but have a huge following and make easy money. All they have to do is strip and keep their clients happy. Martin is very serious about