Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

Sexual abuse within the Catholic Church is a topic that has long fascinated film makers and we can find plenty films in this zone from various countries. Manipulations, suicide, fear and the shame are some things that these priests often use to lure kids and get the kids in doing things they don't want to. I remember having seen a few already (full length and documentaries both), but there are many more to follow. It's always a dilemma on whether or not to add these films on my blog and review them, but here we are. Gabriel, an adult now is reminded of his childhood when he hears a catholic school's now famous choir cd. Through flashbacks we are told how he was admitted in the school run by Father Vincey. He was mesmerized by Gabriel's voice and soon he became close to the priest. A couple of students are a bit abusive to him but Gabriel soon realizes that something is off between another student and a priest. That student died in a car accident. We see how systematical...

Oh God!! This was such a waste of time. I mean, I knew that this one is going to be bad, based on my historical experiences, but who knew that this would be so unbelievably bad. 13 episodes of sheer torture that lasts for almost 15-20 minutes, this sho made no sense. Sure, they have chosen some very hot looking black men, but after a while I could barely differentiate one from the other. It didn't help that the so called acing and dialogues were bad throughout and consistently. Also son't ask me why the name of this show? I have no freakin' idea. This is what the official synopsis of the show says on imdb: "Steel River, set in Atlanta Georgia, captures different emotions that are seen through the eyes of four gay men, stifled, damned, immune, and jaded. Some of the poignant disasters in their lives come from the idea of what they thought they were going to become. Life as you well no, does not always work the way that you wanted." How we wish the reality was at le...

This was actually a pretty amazing documentary. It almost felt like a film. This raw, tragic, and endlessly compelling look at Dudu and Nino as they navigate life on the streets of Tel Aviv as male prostitutes hits you quite hard, if you watch it with some emotions. Their story of childhood, struggle, living day by day using prostitution and drugs to just survive was gut wrenching and watching things like this, make you wonder why some people have to go through this shit. Why can't there be some semblance of more equality out there. Garden is the seedy area of Tel Aviv, where a lot of male prostitution happens. Drug addicted, young gay prostitutes and transvestites (Israelis and Palestinians) share the same working space in uncommon harmony and some even as friends. To bring these points home, and make a few more, the film makers follow two young men who "live and work" in the Garden. Nino, a 17-year-old Palestinian living illegally in Israel, in and out of jail and refor...

This film feels more like an educational pseudo documentary film rather than an actual feature film. I couldn't find too much information about the film, but it feels as if it was made for TV to educate and make people aware of hardships of queer people and the challenges of creating a family. It also brings to light the struggles the community has to face to be accepted by not just the society but in many cases, their own family members. Kim is a new lawyer who takes up the case of helping a lesbian couple to adopt a child without any support. He is heavily inspired form his father who was always about helping people. He knows that this going to be a long and tough process, but he is still willing to take it. During the process of getting his clients through the process, he decides to spend more time with them so that he can understand them closer and make a case. During this time he meets two other individuals who will have a significant impact on his life and understanding of th...

I am not familiar with the name Jean Cocteau. He was apparently a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. This musical film focuses on his love life with a. Much younger man Raymond Radiguet in the early 1920s and also his addiction to Opium. In the early 1920s, Jean Cocteau fell in love with the writer Raymond Radiguet. Cocteau was 30, Radiguet 10 years younger. It was an unhappy, addictive love affair. When Radiguet died of typhoid in 1923, Cocteau sought solace in opium, plunging from one addiction into another. The film tells this fascinating story as if narrated by Cocteau: associatively, surreally, fantastically. Besides the lovers, the third main character is the music, which as a sounding board reflects a feverish epoch. The film shows Jean checking into rehab and then into flashbacks on how the things unfold with on musical number after another. In my opinion, this musical is so lubricious and poorly made, that it fails to hold any att...

For some reason, this film felt more like watching a play than a movie. Right form the premise to the way the acting was done and the enunciations, it felt as if I was watching a play. Now there is nothing wrong with that, it's merely an observation. The story follows two best friends who find their world of detachment shattered after they fall in love with the same young man. Genevieve and Adrian, two young artists living in San Francisco, become disillusioned with romance after their respective relationships end. The friends undergo a change of lifestyle, and direct their attentions to the chic and superficial. Genevieve begins rehearsing for a play, and Adrian writes his first novel. They individually meet Max, a charming young man who brings color into their synthetic world. The friends begin dating Max, keeping their affairs a secret from one another. When Genevieve and Adrian discover they have been seduced by the same man, their friendship with one another as well as their r...

This funny little show debuted in 2012 with a six episode season 1, followed by 10 episodes in season 2 in 2013. Chronicling the lives of 4 gay men in 50s or reaching 50s, specifically focussing on their love and sex life through mini skits in each episode. An  an enjoyable farce about a group of middle-aged Gay guys toiling in the West Hollywood district of Los Angeles, this series doesn't pretend to be super smart or anything. The comedy wasn't over the top but realistic scenarios and tiny bite size episodes made it a fun watch. I think I would have enjoyed it a LOT more ten years ago, but even ow, I think this was a decent harmless fun. The series introduces us to its primary four characters coming together for Nathan's 50th birthday. Nathan is a talent scout, single and as you can imagine sad and depressed that he is turning 50. He introduces us to Muscles, a gym trainer on whom many men drool , but since he is looking for serious relationships and love, he hasn't h...

A collection of gay family dramas. After a long time, I have to say , I saw a collection that was good. I had seen a couple of movies before as well. But watching these as a unit somehow connected with me more. I guess this series is a continuation where many years ago, I saw the collections of Boys Briefs, Blue Briefs and Black Briefs. I guess this as always in my collection but I somehow missed it. PRIDE - On the morning of his annual gay pride party, Stephen is forced to take in his homophobic father who had disowned him over 20 years ago. Now suffering from Alzheimer's dementia, the father gets a crash course in all things gay from Stephen's eclectic mix of friends. Seeds of their turbulent relationship come to light as does hope that the two can move past their fears, accept and forgive one another. THE COMMITMENT - Robert and Ethan are an interracial gay couple fulfilling their dream of adopting a newborn baby. After they meet the expectant Asian birthmother, however, t...

Ok, why would anyone watch this film? I have time and again said that I am all about experimental films where film makers get to show their creativity, but it baffles me that some of them take over indulgence to another level. Touted as an edgy, bold and passionate love story between two young men who are sometimes afraid to love each other, this film is almost 99% silent film with a couple of dialogues here and there. Also I really don't know the reason behind the title of the film. If you know it, please let me know. Greek Translator Yiannis is looking for a room to live in, when he comes across the one that Chris has to offer in Berlin, they end up sharing far more than just the apartment. Filmed mostly in the interior of a flat, the movie's a voyeuristic portrait of the intimacy of two lonely souls, from the moment they met until the inevitable end. We get to see them interacting, making love in the kitchen, or just arguing, like any other couple. We literally just see this...

This very interesting documentary is about a group of Pakistani sexual minorities, raising questions about transgender activism, religion, underground gay life, social acceptance and collective familial customs of transgender women in urban Pakistan. The film features four individuals and focuses on their internal conflicts and their constant play of 'hide and seek' from the mainstream population in the urban areas of Pakistan. The film presents the experiences, the interior conflicts, the rights they are denied, the distress and, above all, the impossibility of loving in a country deeply influenced by Islam. The film starts with Neeli, an aging transgender, who has fully immersed herself in activism. She had an important role in the decision by the Supreme Court to legalize the “third gender”. We meet her, her friends, how the birthdays are something she and her group looks forward to and the struggles she faces. We then meet. Jenny is a transgender university student, who has...

This extremely slow film, for the most part, is a depressingly grim study of loneliness and sexual repression as well as of old age and family relations, in this case between a father and son. Not much happens and here is hardly any communication between characters (maybe spoken words are just about 15 minutes in the entire duration of the film). It is not an easy film to watch. I would also not classify this strictly as queer cinema and one of the chaplets is also about repressed sexuality here. Helmer is a single farmer in his fifties who lives with and cares for his aged, bedridden father in countryside. His working days are marked by the visits of milk collector, a man of his own age for whom Helmer holds a secret fascination – a mutual need is evident but unspoken. One day Helmer decides to renovate the house, buying himself a new double bed and moving his father upstairs. His life gains even more momentum when adolescent farmhand Henk is hired to assist. Surprisingly, the young l...

With just under one hour, its a simple sweet love story. It's relatively short but probably just right to fit in all the ingredients and hold interest with no padding. I like the fact that it was just straight forward, to the point and no unnecessary fluff added just for the sake of it. Souta and Doumoto are very much in love and have finally moved in together. However, the couple's happiness is short-lived since Souta's older sister, Kozue, unexpectedly arrives after fighting with her mother. For some reason, seeing the attention Soumoto gives to her, Souta ends up being jealous of his sister thinking that his boyfriend is into her. Its only later he finds out that Doumoto has been supportive of her because she has been dumped by her boyfriend and his mother just because she cannot have children. Souta finally sees sense and together with his boyfriend they decide to take revenge on that guy. A hilarious scene follows where he pretends to show up as the boyfriend of this g...

This film is a collection of three different stories. I have a feeling that makers tried to show some sort of connection between the three (as if it was the story of the same couple and what they have been going through over a period of time, and hence the title) but there are enough concrete scenes to prove otherwise. So for now we will just go with the fact that it was three different stories. The first story introduces us to two young boys who are best friends. One night when they stay together to finish work, one of them asks to practice kiss with the other one, since he has never done it before. Soon enough both of them realize that they have feelings for each other and they would be better off as boyfriends. The story ends with them going on a holiday together happy and cheerful. The boys here were very cute and thankfully the story wasn't stretched at all. To the point and focused.  In the second story, we meet a gay couple who have been together for two years and they are a...

When you read where the plot says that the film is a intricate gay love story between a musician and a bully set in Russia with landscapes of Moscow in winter, I was really looking forward to this film. I mean how many movies have we ever seen from Russia of all places, but gosh!! this film went over me so badly. I am not really sure what it was trying to say, but besides an intriguing plot, the execution left a lot to be desired. Eric, a budding musician, is preparing for an important audition and his teacher is not really happy with his progress. The day gets worse when traveling in bus, a ruffian Lyokha simply takes Erik’s headphones and phone, leaving his keychain behind. Even though Eric's teacher advised him proper rest, he decides to spend a night with his boyfriend(?) and his other gay friends all night drinking. Lyokha uses Erik’s stolen cell phone to get hold of Eric and ask him to return his keychain. This brings the two together again and initiates an uneasy dance of so...

This film is so many things. Drama, tragedy, coming of age, comedy but most importantly its the story of building relationships between an otherwise estranged father and son. Parenting is never easy and people learn on the journey, and this film tries to give us that glimpse. Its not really a gay film per say but since father-son relationship evolution involves the son exploring his sexuality, I am reviewing it here on my blog. Teenager Florian lives with his parents. He has excellent relationship with his mother who is everything to him, but not so well with his father, who is always struggling not knowing what to do with his son. Florian is fat, not interested in sports or girls, has two left hand. When the mother gets a stroke and is in coma, the father son have to reevaluate their relationship with one another. The father is a swimming coach and he takes Florian along with him to the pool. There Florian meets another boy and he starts to have feelings and sexual awakening to that b...

This documentary has its heart in the right place but gosh! It is so bland and boring to watch. Don't get me wring, like I said, these stories are important to be told, but if you want the attention of your audience, you do have to put in that extra effort. What's the point if no one is even gonna watch it. Istanbul and Turkey will always have a special place in my heart, so a documentary from the country focusing on o parents of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals, and the intimate stories they share in front of the camera does sound good. We meet about 7-8 parents, who recount their growing up years and how and when they found out their kids were gay, lesbian, trans etc. They share their experiences very intimately, recounting every little detail (sometimes hard to talk about). And share their stories. They are personal. And then they talk about how through support groups, they eventually got to know one another. How these groups are helping not just kids but m...

Are gay men born gay? It seems the evidence says they are, but if that’s the case, how could same-sex attraction, a trait that prevents reproduction, evolve into the human race and survive generations of history? This question boggles the mind of proudly gay filmmaker Bryce Sage, who sets out on a cross-country adventure to understand the science of homosexuality and uncover the truth. The film follows Bryce on a fabulous expedition across the globe, as he seeks answers from top scientists. He first goes to Chicago and gets into testing of his penile erection after watching few videos and similar test is done for his brain scan. Bryce's arousal pattern and MRI results are unsurprising in that he perfectly fits the homosexual profile. But The documentary wants to focus more on evolution. He  interviews a range of experts from zoologists to anthropologists, each with their own intriguing theories as to why homosexuality has survived natural selection. His quest takes him to a farm wh...

I still don't know this film was actually fiction or a documentary. Either way I was hoping to see more content or drama to explore the purpose behind, but I saw neither of it. I would have liked to see the issues and lengths that our protagonist goes to get her sex change surgery, but instead all we get to see is her going about her daily life doing things that she likes to do. Meh! Thirty-year-old Yermén is a transsexual woman who works as a spiritual adviser and fortune teller. She enjoys filming her neighbors and street dogs in her neighborhood in the suburbs of Santiago de Chile. Her unclear identity frightens the people she meets. She dreams of  sex change but doesn't have enough money to go for it. When she hears about a reality TV contest, she signs up for it because  the main prize is the plastic surgery of your choice. There she meets an enigmatic immigrant who wants to get an operation to look like Naomi Campbell. Rest of the film is all focused on Yermen going abou...

​​ American Vagabond is a documentary film about runaway queer youth living in the shadows of the promised city. As interesting as the topic sounds, let me assure you that it is very heartbreaking to watch. Its not the visuals that you see but the story in the background told to us by the protagonist about his journey anyhow he became to be homeless and what happens thereafter is what breaks your heart. James, barely 18 leaves his hometown forever with his boyfriend Tyler who is a year older to him. His father's constant threat to put Tyler in jail because he had sex with James when he was under 18 is the last straw that prompts him to take this step. With opes in their eyes, the two boys move to San Francisco. But it's no mecca for them. It's expensive and jobs are scarce. The gay men in the Castro look down on the scruffy, penniless, hungry boys. They mostly sleep in Golden Gate Park where they hide from the police with other gay vagabonds. Sometimes they are so hungry th...

This was not only a silly film but also quite bad actually. It started off decent but pretty soon , it was all over the place. It was trying to cram up way too much into its short 90 minute duration. Gay, straight, jealous fiancé, career, mafia, news reporting etc etc. Story is simple. Two life long friends are in their early 30s and are not doing well in life. Ricardo is a wanna designer and Frederico is a massive failure with a younger brother to take care of. One day Fred sees an article in a paper providing grant for young businessmen. They decide to partner to open up a fashion house, but pretty soon they realize that the grant is open for only couples. Because of intervention by newspaper director (who is closet gay himself), they decide to pretend to be gay. Ricardo's girlfriend freaks out and meanwhile an investigative journalist starts falling for Frederico. Soon their secret is out, but an emotional speech by the director, their grant stays and the two friends soon become...