Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

These days romantic films could be a hit or a mess. This film tat I just saw had just the right amount of romance. It was not cheesy, mushy, over the top and overall it felt to me that it was a very mature love story. The confrontations and issues were treated with respect and result with maturity. The film starts with the Malaysian flight going off radar and Yu Hao comes to the airport looking for is boyfriend. The film then goes to flashback. Yu Hao moved to Beijing from a small town. He starts looking for a job and in the process meets Wang Feng who is a painter by profession and paints nude male models. When Yu Hao meets Wang Feng looking for a job he is initially not sure but eventually give in to become a model for Wang Feng. Before you realize the two men fall deeply in love with each other and Yu Hao moves in with Wang Feng. When the duo meet Wang Feng' mother she suspects that something is wrong and confronts her son. Wang Feng gives in to his mothers pressure to marr...

The debate of porn vs art will never end. Tis film for me was primarily porn in which was hidden a love story, of sorts. The fact that you can easily get away from all of those explicit scenes and not make any impact on the story tells you clearly that these scenes were added purely for excitement. And wen your film as 80% of its time dedicated to explicit sex scenes in full glory, it stops being an art. Two Japanese men in Berlin are seeking genuine connection in their own ways, and in doing so come together and drift apart over the course of a few lusty weeks. Ryota moves from Tokyo to Berlin after online flirting with a guy. When the guy refuses to let him stay with him, he meets Koichi at a bar, who allows him to stay with him in exchange for sex. But soon, Ryota starts meeting various guys for sex and comes back home to tell stories repeating the entire sexual act with Koichi. Even tough he is getting sex, Koichi is a bit jealous since e is getting attached to Ryota. Wen R...

There was so many parallel stories crammed up into this series, that you dont really get time to connect with the characters. I mean, as it is the series is struggling with acting and direction, had they focused on just on the boys love, things would have been much better.  Everything else around distracts you from the main story. Nguyen is a college senior, who left theatre club because of an accident, even though theatre is his passion. `enter Bao, a fun and active freshman who just joined theatre club alongwith his best friend. Bao gets to play the role of Romeo in the popular play. The theatre club president Khanh reaches out to Nguyen to share and mentor the new actors. Khanh is dating his best friend. After a few days of rehearsal, Nguyen and Bao have started to find a common ground. And even more, the chemistry between the two have gone past the stage of just pure friendship. Nguyen even tells Bao that he likes him but Bao stays quite. He is in fact shocked. But this ...

It's after a while that I watched an easy breezy romantic comedy, coming of age film. This movie was no great shakes by any means but it wasn't bad either. Sometimes, it doesn't hurt to not have to think too hard about what's going on and just enjoy the proceedings. this was definitely one such film. Good looking Nate is a struggling musician. Before dying his mother took his promise to take care of his two sisters Samy and Jace. Of course both of them are a mess in their own way. Samy was seeing a married man and is now pregnant. Meanwhile Jace's boyfriend cheated on her, so she cant live with him anymore. All this happens around the time when a new neighbor Jonny is giving full attention to Nate. Nate, unsure of his sexuality can't resist Jonny's charm and there is a clear spark between the two. Nate's life goes for a spin when both the sisters come to live with him and he has to put their needs above his own. Jonny is openly gay and comfortable...

I wont say that this show was bad, it was just silly in my opinion from every angle. Firstly I don't understand whats the point of making multiple episodes. There are 15 episodes of average 5 minutes duration and pretty much the episode starts where previous one left off. Could have as well released as a film. But even otherwise, there isin't really much that the makers are trying to show here. Story is about 5 men living together on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. All claiming to be straight, we slowly find out how every single one of them is living a so called DL life. We meet Swell, who is visited by his secret hookup Brett, who wants more. Brett is married with kids and Swell has a girlfriend and neither of them wants to be known to have any gay tendencies. Then we meet to other slightly older guys talking about blowjobs. One of them convinces the other to try to go for a website and try it out. A couple of failed incidents happen for both of those men and some stra...

This film is about two young men's first love. But more, it is also the cinematic memory of one of the partners some years later. So, it is first "about me" and then "about us" in my memory. Its actually a really simple film is some sense. Diego and Matheus met sometime back and there is an instant connection. The two of them slowly start to get to know each other and fall in love. Diego likes photography and dreams of making a film one day. Matheus is an architect who loves plants and gardening.They take walks together, hang out together, share passionate moments; literally every single minute together ad you can easily tell they are madly passionately in love. But Diego can't let go of his dream of making a film. When he gets into  a film school in California for 4 years, he decides to leave everything and pursue his passion.Ten years later, back in Brazil, he decides to make a film about their relationship. This biopic shows how passion can increase ...

Now this is one mini series that everyone should watch irrespective of their sexuality. Through very simple examples and situations, this series very smartly focuses on themes of homophobia, cultural difference, and family. IT shows eventually how people grow up and evolve. This 3 part mini series  of about 50 minute each, in my opinion is something so good and refreshing that I have seen in many years without being overboard keeping everything simple. Yaichi, a stay-at-home single father, lives with his daughter Kana in suburban Tokyo. They are visited by Mike Flanagan, the widower of Yaichi's estranged twin brother Ryōji, who has traveled from his native Canada for three weeks to learn about Ryōji's past. Kana is fascinated by Mike and is immediately accepting of him, though Yaichi is hesitant to accept Mike as family and worries will Mike hit on him given he looks exactly like his brother. While Yaichi is not overtly homophobic, Mike suggests that his tacit discomfort ove...

Its interesting how India film makers are slowly bringing in more gay characters interwoven into the story and treat them with respect rather than making a mockery or caricatures like how it has been happening for many years now. This film is not primarily a gay cinema but the chapter in the middle of this film brings so much freshness and love in an otherwise heavy violent film. The director makes some powerful statements about emotions, love, sexuality guilt and greed. Mulla is a young teenager in the beautiful Lakshwadeep and in craving to find the older brother Akbar, makes a risky trip to Mumbai. The latter, seen as both an outcast and a legend by the locals, had left his home long ago. Trying to escape the evils of Mumbai, not understanding the language, Mulla get stuck between prostitute Rosie and Bhai, the gangster who everyone dreads in that slum area. Bhai tries to sell Mulla to make money and Mulla tries to escape. When Mulla finally tells Bhai that she is actually a gi...

Just a few days back, I reviewed the very beautiful film "Die Beautiful". Its amazing to see that there is a worthy sequel to the film, taking a slightly different route. Barbs, as best friend of Trisha, was a secondary character but a very important one and it seems only natural to come up with a movie focussed on her character. also, the prequel was more emotional and drama; this film takes more of a comedy route and always keeps the proceedings very light. It's been sometime since Trisha passed away and Barbs now works full time at "Happy Endings" funeral home. She is in love with her boyfriend Greg, even though he is married. She breaks off that relationship when he hits her. On top of that when she also loses her best friend, Barbs decides to embark on a conversion therapy. She removes her breasts and starts to live again as Bobby. In the camp called Way of Light, she undergoes various activities, including a night out to a bar, that will cure her sexu...

This multiple award winning Bengali film is a movie that is powerful on one hand and sensitive on the other, a scathing commentary on the life of transgenders in contemporary Indian society on one hand and a beautiful love story on the other. No India film yet has so beautifully captured the essence and soul of transgenders and eunuchs in such a detailed and sensitive way. The film reiterates that love has no gender. The film is constantly told in 2 parallel timelines. The timelines change in the second half. Madhu is a Chinese food delivery boy who also plays flute in various religious kirtans across the city. Then we have Puti, who is transgender and he lives in eunuch community. The 2 meet, there is attraction and they fall in love much to the anger of the leader Guru-ma. Madhu and Puti decide to run away to another city to seek guidance from a successful transgender who was able to turn her life around and is a very respected school principal. They get good guidance on the s...

I think this film was too ambitious for its own good. The exposure that I got to what Taiwan's gay life is like with this film has never happened before, but besides that there is really not much of a story to offer. It's as if you are peeping into the lives of many gay characters in a friend circle or group and being a witness to their day to day activities of sex, drugs, love and drama. Red House is the gay district of Taipei and The Stone Bar is one of the famous gay bars. As expected, the gay life is very superficial and eventually what matters is what your body looks like and if you are hot. Lin, who runs a flower shop, recently lost his boyfriend. A new employee at Stone Bar Josh gives attention to Lin but he constantly keeps shying away. Lin, who wants to fully explore the gay world goes around literally sleeping with everyone and starts seeing Sean, a clothing store owner and gets into some threesome. Then we have the bar manager, who also tries to sleep around w...

This film is not a typical gay themed film. The relationship between boys is that of a deep friendship with one of them having feeling for the other, and hence it easily qualifies to be reviewed here. It's a nice , feel good film, but please don't have any high expectations. Only then you will be able to enjoy it. Kohei is a college student who has distanced himself from others unconsciously because he is hard of hearing and it keeps causing one misunderstanding after another. One day, his classmate Taiichi stumbles into him and notices his delicious bento. Kohei gives Taiichi part of his lunch, to Taiichi's delight, but leaves without saying a word to Taiichi. Taiichi only later finds out from others that Kohei is hard of hearing. Taiichi makes Kohei a deal. If Taiichi writes up Kohei’s notes for him in class, he can have part of Kohei’s bento everyday. Taiichi has a bright personality to the point of foolishness, and Kohei is a shy guy. Their friendship eventually ...

Oscar Wilde, as we all know is one of the most famous playwrights in the history. Wilde's personal tragedy would be of little lasting interest were it not for the enduring popularity of his work and the sensational nature of his fall. I had reviewed another biopic addressing similar story line of Oscar Wilde's life. Finally I got a chance to watch this film that came back in 1997 and starring some of the very big names of today's cinema. The film starts with Wilde's return from his trip to US. Soon he gets married to Constance and they have two sons in quick succession. While their second child is still an infant, the couple hosts a young Canadian named Robbie Ross who seduces Wilde and helps him come to terms with his homosexuality. And soon after Oscar meets Lord Alfred also known as Bosie, played by Jude Law, and is immediately drawn towards him. The two fall into a passionate and tempestuous relationship. Sadly, Bosie doesn't believe in monogamy and constan...

Die Beautiful is one of the few films that really take an in-depth look into the everyday experiences, joys, and struggles of being transgender in the Philippines. It is rare in the sense that so far we have seen a lot of films where flamboyant gay characters provide a good comic relief especially in Asian films, so to see a film like this which gives the respect and sensitivity this subject deserves was very heart warming. This is story of Trisha (born as Patrick), who has always had one dream: to win a beauty pageant. Shunned by his family for being gay, he is taken in by his best friend Barbs family. From hereon everything they do, they do together. The duo go internal pageant after pageant but never taste success but Trisha never loses hope. She also gets to become a mother by adopting a girl Shirley Mae and showering her with love and dreams that she never had. Trisha is now dead and as per her last wishes, Barbs is preparing her with seven different unique looks that Trish...

Furiant (Czech Republic) [Peacock] A twisted gay romance set in the 19th Century telling a tabooed true story of the writer, Ladislav Stroupeznický. Suspense, laughter, violence, hope, heart, nudity, sex and happy ending.  Thirty-Six Hours (France) Two men. A way across desert. The beach and a house. Words and gestures. Real or imagination? Not exactly a story but seed for emotions and reflections.  Authentic (Australia) A sex-addict, who has spent his life trying to find the reason for his unhappiness, discovers that the answer is closer than he thought in a man and not girls, who happens to be his neighbor. Stories That We Could Have Told (Belgium) 2 friends walk around, discussing various topics around all the things that they could have done and should be doing. Are they more than friends? Negative Two (US) A fresh look into the world of online dating through the eyes of a young Chinese New Yorker longing for connection. We see his exchange...