Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

How I wish this film stayed being a gay love story, bit instead the love story angle is a small part while the film is based on the harsh living of two Mexican boys to noir-ish crime thriller to social-comment drama. For me, it would have been so much better had the film stayed central to the love aspect and created some drama around it. I am not saying that the story being told here is bad at all, it is just my wish here. Miguel is a pretty young skateboarder from a middle-class family in Mexico City who is having a torrid love affair with the son of his family’s maid, a fellow skater Johnny. Besides the barriers of class and social status between them, tensions are also heightened by the bisexual Johnny’s ongoing relationship with a young girl, Adri, a dysfunctional love triangle constantly shaken by angry accusations and jealous tantrums. While this theme hovers in the background, the central theme is around how Miguel and Johnny have been making money with a petty criminal scheme w...

'Yaoi' - an anime genre that depicts feathery romances between beautiful young men. This is a reminder for me, because I keep forgetting. Started as stories written by females for young female audience to enjoy nonthreatening romantic fantasies. Interesting that this film came out in 2016 when I was personally not very familiar with this genre. Of course, over a period of time, now I have seen so much BL content from Japan but still only a few anime. With a duration of just one hour, this nicely edited anime focuses on the budding romance between two classmates, whose chance encounter makes them feel all kinds of feelings. This is the story of Kusakabe and Sajo. They both study in an all boys school. Studious and nerdy Sajo can’t seem to master his part for the singing competition in his all-boys high school until slacker guitarist Kusakabe, who is in a music band teaches him to read music. With both getting along, they agree to hang out and practice in free time. As the days g...

A very fascinating documentary,  “Memories of a Penitent Heart” is about woman trying to investigate what truly happened to her uncle Miguel, a homosexual Puerto Rican who died in the midst of the AIDS crisis, when she was herself just 6 years old. Working backwards through a network of friends, family photos, and newspapers, the film maker uncovers a story of heartbreaking tragedy, of loss and pain and fanaticism. Coming from a religious catholic family, with an extremely strict and conservative matriarch, young Miguel (renamed to Michael in NY) left his home in Puerto Rico and moved to New York to become an actor. He quickly made friends in the art circuit and before you know he was in a relationship with a gay ex-priest Robert. The maker tries hard to locate who this Robert is so that she can uncover the truth, she eventually succeeds in tracking him down through the film's Kickstarter campaign. He now is a Roman Catholic priest going by the name of Father Aquin. Thankfully the ...

This series had been on my list of TV shows to watch for a while. But man, I was so disappointed. The show is primarily about young gays on their own and making a life in Memphis, Tennessee; about love, loss , friends and survival, but it just did not connect with me somehow. Billy is dealing with life after the loss of a relationship.  Daniel is trying to figure out how to express himself without hurting others.  Their friends are working on other issues like coming out and addiction. The only big difference here was setting it up in a small city instead of the two coasts. The show is 8 episodes of about 18-20 minutes each. Story is about these two friends and roommates Billy and Daniel. Daniel is an average promiscuous young gay man/wannabe artist with a huge personality and a fondness for a bit of fun with whoever comes along. HE also secretly has drug issues. Billy is a more reserved and laid back independent movie director who is on the look for something a little bit mor...

I think most gay men will admit that having sex with a straight guy is something that they find very exciting, so it comes as no surprise that there is a disproportionate percentage of men working in gay porn who identify as straight. This documentary from few years back takes this fact and tries to get answers to some of the questions that we may have been thinking for a while now. Why would a straight man do gay porn? What motivates him to try this or make a career of it? But more importantly, why is the consumer of the gay porn so interested in knowing the personal sexuality of the actors. And why do we skew the numbers towards them so much that the percentage of straight men in gay porn is higher. This documentary interviews many gay4pay performers who themselves explain from their own experience their point of view what means and feels to be a straight man in the gay porn industry, and how it affects their own lives. For the "straight" men, they talk about what motivated...

I mean I knew this was a Signal23 TV's web series with black guys (popular for series like About Him shows etc); so I expected paper thin story, overacting or bad acting and a whole lot of sex. This show had it all. That doesn't mean that it makes it any better. It wad still as much of a trash as I expected. Also in certain places this show is knows as "First High" ; just in case someone finds it hard to find it. Latham’s high is blown when a pill pushing, pizza delivery guy, named Pax slips into his life. Instantly a lust-struck Pax is hooked on Latham - a handsome individual who indulges often in a mind altering affair with a medicine called ‘Pharm’. Latham’s delusional ex-lover Quentin and Pax’s desperate quest to settle his money problems adds unwanted conflict to their new bond that’s destined to become a formula for success - or disaster. I laughed so hard when I read that this from the director of the show "This series is similar to such shows as Breaking ...

This Cuban series is your regular detective investigation series with a few recurring characters. The basics are straightforward. Homicides happen and homicides need to be solved. I am going to review Episode Three which is entitled Máscaras. In the scalding summer of Havana, the body of a gay young man and son of a diplomat is found, leading Conde to a world of sexual possibilities. The episode starts with a man's body found dead in a park strangled dressed in a red woman's dress. Turns out that he is Alexis, the son of a diplomat, so the investigation has to be hush-hush. Investigations reveal that he was gay but not really trans, so why dress in red, then? Detective Conde meets his family and his caretakers who tell them that he left home almost six months back when he had an argument with his father. The cops then go to an older gay guy from whom Alexis was renting a room. The cops are frustrated because they do not wanna be involved in solving the case of a 'homo'....

People Like Us is a poignant reflection and insightful look at being gay in Singapore, following the lives of four gay men in Singapore as they navigate life and relationships. The series is raw and telling, never shying away from controversial topics while being respectful of the subjects addressed. There are 2 seasons, each with 6 episodes of about 7-8 minutes each. Singapore does have a weird standing where legally gay men have no rights, yet the city-state does have a very active, gay community.  We meet 4 gay men based in Singapore. Joel has been looking for love but somehow all his ex's left him after sometime. He meets Ridzwan, a Malay origin muslim guy who is in closet. Something about. Him attracts Joel and he pursues him relentlessly till he agrees to go out. Before you realize they begin to like each other, but the conflict arises mostly due to Ridzwan not being out. We then have a 20-something old Indian origin army recruit who is constantly on Grindr looking for Mr. Ri...

I didn't really expect much going into watching this documentary, but I have to say that this ended up being an extraordinary story of a trans female in her 70s living in Mississippi, her 4 sons and her grandkids. The director apparently filmed this over a period of 5 years during which they deal with questions of sexuality, religion, family history, and self-discovery. I can totally see this film being made to a movie. In fact, the name is missing me, but I do remember an old American film , where the father comes out as someone who works in a factory and loves to cross dress at almost retirement age. 70-something Jheri is unique and very openly talks about her life as a man. We get to know his time as Jerry Jones, who was married once , had 4 boys but couldn't lie anymore. Jerry ended up divorcing his wife then but because of hims wanting to transition and dressing up as a woman, his ex-wife sort of forbade him to meet the kids. Now that the wife is passed on, the documentary...

Starring John Hurt, this ITV film tells the secret story of First World War poets Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen and Robert Graves. Told in their own words, using their diaries, letters and poems; this film may not be everyone's cup of tea. Told in a very documentary-drama style where scenes have been enacted for audiences to connect, we are passively told their story. The three young men are gay budding poets, thrown together in battle. They soon lose their boyish innocence in the trenches. On the front line an officer’s life expectancy is barely six weeks. They all struggle to cope with the magnitude of the slaughter around them and forge deep, intense friendships. Together they give a voice to the rage of a generation. At the heart of the film is the story of Sassoon and Owen’s forbidden love affair, told through their passionate correspondence. John Hurt plays Sassoon in the 1960s, in the twilight years of his life. He is haunted by his experiences in the trenches and cannot o...

Talk about a train crash. I had no expectations from this show. But after 5 episodes, I was hooked, since it had a very intrinsic storyline and the charters were all well etched and I thought I am going to see something interesting. But oh man, how it just goes down south after this. The story just keeps moving in circles with no substantial addition to the overall thought of what the series was trying to say. The unfunny antics of school students was just annoying and I reached a point where I couldn't sit for this series to end. The fact that I am watching this show 7 years after it came out also makes it feel dated. The show has 12 episodes of 40-45 minutes each Bank, living in US, has just been engaged to his boyfriend and returns home for a trip to sort out some ancestral property. In flashbacks, the tory is told in present time and 8 years back. Bank and Gulf are stepbrothers and Bank's father makes him and his mother stay with Golf and his family. But Golf hates his fath...

This feels like a very indie sort of film trying to make. bold new statement. There ia bit of historical, political context as well, that I important to understand to appreciate this film, which is clearly explained here. Billed as the ‘city of the future,’ Serra do Ramalho was constructed in the 1970s in order to rehouse thousands of citizens that had been forcefully relocated. The setting becomes an important backdrop for this elegant, gentle film which is full of hope for a new generation building their own family of the future. We meet our protagonists. Milla is a young girl, a school dance teacher who is bisexual (we are old later and it's being a girl). Her colleague Gilmar is a god friend of her, but it tuns out he is gay and is in a relationship with younger boy Igor. It feels everyone around knows about this but also still doesn't really acknowledge. Milla gets pregnant by Gilmar who promises to look after her. A hurt Igor visits Milla who assures her that the baby wil...

The movie is about five different gay men from different backgrounds whose lives are peppered with struggles as they face the world trying to survive and make each day count. Thankfully, the film doesn't get into the stereotypes of being gay, or the stereotypes of gay films. It’s mostly a celebration of being true to oneself and fighting for the rights of gay people, not just because they are human but also because they are part of the society. The five narratives are connected by a leaked sex video of a supposedly straight famous actor Champ with another guy. Champ has now suddenly disappeared and his team is running everywhere to lessen the damage. Tommy is the marketing manager who needs to shoot a campaign with Champ, but can't find him. Also, unknown to him, there is sexuality discrimination against him at workplace and is sidelined for promotion for being gay. Thankfully he has a loving husband and two teenage daughters waiting for him at home. Gorgeous, a trans female is...

This pretend gay plot has been done quite a few times and used to be quite popular genre almost 5-10 years back. Of course, things are much different now, so watching this film from 7-8 years back, it was hard to connect with it. Regardless, I am trying to be objective about the whole premise. The story is simple. Toey has just moved to Bangkok and in a new school and class where he meets Aek and they become good friends which actually happens in a funny way. Aek always asks to stay back at Toey's place, only so that every morning he could walk with the girl he has a crush on. But these constant night outs make their classmates think they are a gay couple. So one day when Aek is practicing proposing to the girl with Toey, someone records it and the video spreads like wildfire in school. Suddenly their popularity increases. So one of their friend recommends them to continue to pretend to Begay couple and make money. The trio actually works and they become popular till one day Toey...

Todd Verow should just not make films. Just like many of his previous films, this film is an utter waste of timed self indulgence in the name of art. It feels like a random travel vlog with sex scenes thrown in between for good measure. Serial killer ‘NO1KNOWS’ managed to elude the police for years. In fact they didn’t even know he existed until, by chance, his video and audio recordings were found. By examining the recordings police were able to solve a number of murders around the world - although many men featured in the recordings were never found and it is unclear how many other victims there were since most of the video and audio recordings were destroyed (presumedly by NO1KNOWS himself). This film had absolutely nothing to look forward to. Had I not read the synopsis online, I wouldn't even understand what really is going on here. It is classic example of sheer waste of money, resources to waste audience's time. A self made video dear, this is something that the director...

Club Church is a subculture within Amsterdam nightlife. This cruise club offering freedom, unprecedented sex and apparent absence of judgement has the film director constantly pushing his own personal boundaries, bringing out a side of him he didn't know existed. In this personal documentary the maker explores what Club Church means to him, while his late great-uncle, who was also gay, seems to watch over his every move. Robin Vogel bares all in a film about sexual identity, non-monogamy and bridging different worlds. The documentary starts with us meeting Robin's great granduncle, who also happened to be gay and together they shared a special bond and used to travel together for holidays. An elderly gay man who has never been able to live as freely as Robin himself. He is intrigued by the sense of freedom Robin gets from club chUrch. He then finds some candidates to interview and hear their perspective of the club and what it means for them which includes club regulars, his mo...

I have mixed views about this 4 part mini series. At its core, the story is about a young man searching for his brother but in the process he rediscovers himself and explores his sexuality. But, the series feels rushed and without a conclusion of any sorts, slightly frustrated me by its end. It was more like watching a chapter of our protagonists life. Bruno, a young military who has just run away from the army, travels to Porto Alegre in search of his brother, who he hasn’t seen in years. Unable to find him, he goes to a queer club and makes some new sexual fluid friends and ends up sleeping with two of them. The next day, the three of them are invited over by a very nice but old French neighbor for breakfast. This guy had met Bruno in the hotel the previous day. Bruno manages to find the bar, the last known location where his brother used to work and meets Stella, the co-worker. Together the duo visit a nearby beach to see the house where the brother, Stella and their friends used to...

This is a feel good road movie about two mismatched Roman teenagers spending a summer in US. To be honest , from a story perspective there really isn't much that's happening here. The film is about friendship, coming of age of two teenagers who end up spending their summer with a gay couple and unexpected friendships develop. Marco is about to graduate school when he gets 3000 Euros for accident compensation. At his friend's suggestion, he decides to take off to California to stay with someone whom his friend recommended. To his horror, his friend also made the same promise promise to Maria, a good girl from school, whom he can't stand. Marco and Maria are to stay with the gay couple Matt and Paul in San Francisco for a couple of days till they make their next move. Maria makes her displeasure about them being gay, but the couple takes it ok. Over the period of time, we hear the story of how Paul and Matt got together and how Matt was bisexual. Also Paul is unhappy in h...

This truly felt like an indie film. The way the acting was done, the very natural dialogues and the whole presentation was real. The story is firmly places in the realities of human conditions, of relationships, of sex, of friendships, gender and/or gender preferences, of love and how it has the power to triumph despite all odds and yet, at the same time has the ability to bring you to your knees and leave you feeling empty. Yes, the film does test your patience with it being a very conversation focussed story and probably also nicely suited for a stage play, but there still was something charming about the film. Brad And Emile are best friends for a very long time. Brad is straight and a struggling musician, while Emile is gay and works as an actor. Emile, has a roommate Michelle, who is a dancer and has just returned form her East coast tour. When Brad gets evicted from his apartment for non-payment of rent, Emile asks him to move in with them. Emile and Brad's friendship start t...

I have realized that gay themed films from China, even though far and in between, are made with certain reservations and rush where stories are pretty ordinary and sometimes they are not brought to proper conclusion. The 70 isa minute film has a very ordinary story, something you have seen a zillion times, yet it leaves a lot to be desired. School's popular boy You Xie is in a steady relationship with his girlfriend. When a new student Chang Jie joins the class, things change. Because of his interest in music, he and the girlfriend end up becoming friends. You Xie pays no attention to him, but one drunk night the two guys get into a one night stand and You Xie decides to do the right thing. He breaks up with his girlfriend and asks Chang Jie to be his boyfriend. The girl friend can't take this insult and will go to any lengths to bring back her love. But every single trick of hers gets exposed and it is increasingly hard for her to break apart the lovers. She then lets You Xie...