Light Up is an intimate documentary that focuses on the lives of five people in Atlanta—four Black gay men and one Black transgender woman. It’s a really personal look at their backstories and how they’ve dealt with prejudice and mental health struggles because they felt they had to hide who they truly were. The big thing they all share is that every person interviewed has found a way to push through those hard times. Now, they're all at a place where they feel totally comfortable being themselves and speaking their truth. The five people sharing their journeys are Simone Tisci, Derek Jae, Octavius Terry, Obio Jones, and Benjamin Carlton. Derek Jae is already pretty well-known from reality TV, while Simone Tisci is a successful makeup artist who is now working on breaking into acting. Then there’s Octavius Terry, who used to be a record-breaking track and field star. He actually cut his athletic career short because he was so scared his coaches and teammates would find out he was ...
A film if done by an experienced director and well known actors, could have done wonders. A sensitive film about the growth of love between two music students with very different characters. One man who is not committed to love finds interest in another boy whose life is only dedicated to music. A very interesting plot can be created with this premise but the treatment also should be equally worth it.Maki takes pain classes and is not very good in it. He is gay and not ashamed about it. The class also has Ruiku, who is the best on the class but is always quiet and never smiles or talks to anyone. Maki starts taking interest in him. Initially only for a hook up, he soon starts developing feelings for him and obsession to get his love. He gets Ruiku to give him piano lessons so that they could come physically together. Maki makes advances on him but Ruiku snubs back even though he likes it, saying he can only love music and nothing else. The music teacher also happens to be a screw ball and also has eyes for Ruiku. When Ruiku has a tragic accident and hurts his hand, he is in no position to give his final exams and the teacher refuses to change the exam date for him. The teacher suggests Ruiku to sleep with him if he wants the date changed but Ruiku leaves. Maki meanwhile is so in love with him, he forces himself to take care of Ruiku, even when the latter snubs him and doesn't like his coming to his house. When Maki finds out about Ruiku's childhood, he is determined to do anything to save Ruiku's career even if it means that he has to sleep with the teacher and get away from Ruiku's life forever for his sake.
Although the film doesn't end positive, but I think it was avery realistic ending. It gives you a feeling of reality ... the reality of impossible love between two men from very different world and values, and what true love leads to in the very end. I would really like to see , a good director taking this script and do something wonderful with it in the backdrop of some good music. Now that would be something very interesting to watch. As of this film is concerned, it left a lot to be desired right from acting, screenplay to the pace of the film.
A sensitive film which could be much much better. (3.5/10)
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