Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

I have said this a few times that movies like this would have been acceptable back in 80s or 90s, but stuff like this coming out in 2007 is a bit unacceptable. It had a terrible story, if you can even call it that, and the way that it was written and produced just made the movie look and come off very badly. Not even half decent actors can save a shoddy plot and. abad direction. Horror novelist Stephen Grimes has to finish his novel 'The Shadows' in 2 weeks. The problem is he is blocked just after first paragraph. One night on a late night drive, he hits a young man Emett, who happens to have the same last name and rushes him to the hospital. A tentative friendship between the two men erupts into a heated affair. Eventually, Stephen decides to give up his demanding "real life" with Emett and his friends helping. Soon thereafter, Stephen finds out that he has been the patsy in an elaborate con, and looks for the answers in the shadows of his former life. From now on, w...

Mani (Iran) This is the story of a day in the life of Mani, a 12 year old boy, who is in love with his family's personal driver, whom he finds out is having a secret affair with his mother. The little boy is brilliant. Leatherboy (USA) Max, a young gay midwestern teen, has struggled for a long time with a budding attraction to leather. Finding a vintage leather jacket at a neighborhood garage sale may change things soon for him. Boldly Go (Australia) A young gay man is hiding an embarrassing secret about his body. When a long-term crush begins seducing him at a party, he is forced to confront his shame and expose the truth, to the boy of his dreams. Bender (Australia) On the eve before the results of the Australian Marriage Equality Postal Vote are announced, two men hook up after meeting online but their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. I'm Not Gay (Macedonia) A comedic short film about two guys refusing to confess their sexual attraction towards each other. The Che...

The film is set in the red light districts of Thailand focusing on the problems, issues and things that sex workers face on a day to day basis. Unfortunately, a shoddy direction combined with bad acting makes this film an unbearable watch. Ahh Fat is a “shemale” sex worker at a bar owned by terrible owners who only cares about profits and gangs. She is going through some psychological turmoil and is looking for redemption. She ends up making friends with 2 other co-workers: a sex worker who simply chores through life after a mysterious event that turned her from being the boss of the bar to being used as for sex and a male gay gigolo Pumpkin. Ah Fat finds a strange, unique sort of happiness in friendship that had evaded her for a long time. Then comes a turn of events that changes everything; Ah Fat will have to choose between saving his friends by killing the evil shop owner, and standing idly by. This is the final straw; Ah Fat is pushed to the brink, all hell breaks loose. After try...

Most of us should have heard the name Christopher Isherwood (writer of the hugely popular 'A Single man'), whose many stories have been made into films. But we dont know much about his artist partner Don. This documentary chronicles the lifelong relationship between the author and his much younger lover. Chris & Don combines present-day interviews, archival footage shot by the couple from the 1950s, excerpts from Isherwood's diaries, and playful animations to recount their romance. Chris & Don tells the story of a romance that began on the beaches of Santa Monica in the 1950s, when Christopher Isherwood at age 48 met Don Bachardy who then was eighteen years old. Isherwood, an established author with works such as The Berlin Stories, which helped inspire much of Cabaret, helped Bachardy discover and develop his affinity for drawing and painting as he became a renowned portrait painter during the second half of the 20th century to the present. The film, told through D...

I had never heard of Robert Mapplethorpe. He was a very controversial photographer in 80s in NYC whose relentless canvases of naked men specializing in Satanism, torture, bondage, sadomasochism and erect penises were labeled both art and pornography before he died of AIDS in 1989. The film starts with Robert in college, a budding artist who meets Patti, a wannabe poet at the time. Romance develops soon and the girl is even introduced to the family but soon Mapplethorpe's interest starts peaking into male body and genitalia and as soon as his homosexuality becomes evident Patti leaves him. A chance opportunity into taking photographs takes Robert's passion to the next level. He soon ,meets Sam, an older patron who sort of takes Robert under his wing and help him grow his photography skills, introduces him to the world of art and they both eventually become lovers. But soon Sam leaves him seeing that Robert needs to grow in his experience of various men and art. Robert's youn...

It's always interesting to see and read what being gay was like in earlier years in different parts of the world. This popular film is set in Taiwan in 1987, right after martial law is lifted but the society as a whole is still very conservative. This film about two boys falling into romantic entanglements amidst societal, religious, and psychological pressure has been apparently one of THE most popular and talked about films of the year 2020. The film opens up with the protagonist, Jia-han meeting his school priest and band leader Father Oliverto discuss the fight he had just gotten into. The narrative flashes back to the previous year, when Jia-han, a recent transfer, pulls up next to Birdy in the pool. They share some sort of awkward, unspoken acknowledgment. Birdy is outspoken and rebellious, and therefore teased & bullied. But the two bond immediately, their schoolboy camaraderie providing cover for their growing intimacy. Heads rest on shoulders during train rides, bodies...

Another modern, post-pandemic story of two boys falling in love with each other online, just a few days after I finished watching Game Boys. In principal, the idea is similar that courtesy ongoing pandemic, everyone's interactions have been limited to video chats and zoom calls, but you can still go through ups and down in friendship and even possibly meeting your love of life and still go through the typical phases many real-life couples go through when first getting to know each other. Mico is a book smart nerd who usually hangs out with his three best friends he affectionately calls the "Young Padawans," and the four are a good support structure for each other. On a night when they are organizing a quiz night, the school's popular basketball player, Xavier, joins in and insults them. Little does he know that soon enough he will be paired with same Xavier for a school project that Xavier desperately needs to pass. Xavier is handsome, hunk, popular and straight with ...

Ever thought of the question: How do you support someone dealing with something life-altering, while you yourself need to find a way to heal from something altogether different? Th is film doesn't have answers to that, but it makes you think, through this story, when two "broken" people get together and are totally in love, the challenges that they do go through. The film is set in 2013 during the Jerry Sandusky trial, who was convicted of several child abuses while he was football coach in Penn State. Ben has finally come out to his mother as bisexual but his days and nights are filled up hook up sex sleeping with anyone and everyone and wherever who catches his eye. One day while browsing books, he meets Sam, a tall handsome black man and Ben feels he can have something more with him. turns out Sam despite being intimate and passionate is not comfortable holding hands in public to show his emotions. He has not come out. We find that in past Ben was shot after a hook u...

Set in 1994, the last few days before the curtains are drawn to the high school, this story is the story of 5 theatre geek students who decide to spend their last time together at a costume murder-mystery theme stay over party. Over the course of this one consequential night, secrets are revealed, relationships are tested, and a ton of pop references are acted outSondheim references abound. The film starts with Gene who has decided that tonight will finally be the night that he tells his friends he’s gay. The gang consists of 5 students: Rose is the host of the party, a flamboyantly theatrical one who is off to NYU the next morning, Ally is perhaps a bit too cool for this group and sees them all better than they see themselves. Claire is the repressed one, not even sure she likes acting but just happy to have friends while having a crush on Gene and Oscar is the guy who is a good actor, Gene's best friend and on whom Gene has a crush on. Things are off to a good start in the party ...

One thing positive that came out of pandemic and lockdown is innovative ways of story telling. Stories that we can still connect with and also feels very current and for today's generation. Everything is moving so fast, so these stories help us stay current. This Filipino series is a love story about 2 gamers who meet online and eventually build a romantic relationship and were forced to stay at home as the world faces a pandemic.  Cairo is a live-stream gamer who is having a family and peer issue. He recently came out to his family and given the pandemic, his father is in hospital because of Covid. Gavreel, a non-gamer happens to see Cairo online and has instant crush on him. To get Cai’s attention and a chance to have a date with him, Gav entered the world of online gaming, and starts talking to Cairo. Before we know, Cairo starts getting a lot of "Hi Baby!" daily. Gav is hot, sexy and very outgoing in complete contrast to Cai's soft introvert persona. As expected, ...

Teenage rom-com about gay boys is something we have seen many times but its the treatment that makes a film different. An unlikely love story between a gay boy and a lesbian girl in a rural town of Ireland sounds very similar to a lot of stuff we may have seen in the past, but this film is witty and there are some really funny moments that make it more relatable and enjoyable in my opinion. The film is set around 1995. 17 year old scrawny Eddie is preparing for military just to follow the combat-booted footsteps of his dad, because thats what the town expects (thankfully not his family). But he is also made fun of in school and an intervention comes in the form of Amber, who like him is sort of outcast in school being bullied as a 'lesbo'. It’s Amber, finally, who points out that this mutual bind makes them an ironically well-matched couple, minus the sex part. Why not just date until school’s out, to get everyone off their backs? Things slowly start to get better for them and ...

This film is made by a  Swedish-Georgian director, who wanted to shoot Georgia's first explicitly queer feature film, a coming-of-age story about a traditional dancer; but as you can expect was met with a lot of resistance. If anyone asked, he’d say, the film is about a French tourist who comes to Georgia and falls in love with the culture. Since the film is about Georgian dance and masculinity, it is important to understand that the Georgian folk dancer is an image of masculine stereotype. His movements are martial, virile; they simulate war, hunting, and the courtship of his beloved. And this message is repeated and stressed upon more than just a few times in the film. Upcoming dancer Merab is part of a dance troupe who is also preparing to audition for a part in the main troupe. But every single time, his oppressive trainer reproaches him for being too soft, too feminine. Dance has been in his family with his grandmother, father, mother and even brother following the same path a...

Some coning-of-age stories can still melt your heart, how much ever you think that the genre is over used. Set in 1972 in South Carolina and New York, the story is as much of Frank as it is of his family and their acceptance, as seen through the eyes of Frank's teenage niece Beth. Betty is a young shy ten girl growing up in a conservative southern family in early 70s. She always feels a misfit and adores her uncle Frank, an unmarried, unconventional guy who left home to become a literature professor in New York. He instills faith in her to be whoever she wants to be. So, 4 years later she reconnects with Frank having gotten into NYU and changed her name to Beth. She isn't shocked when she finds out eventually that Frank is gay and lives with his partner Walid of many years. When news of Frank's father death comes, the trio decide to take a road trip, including Walid much to displeasure of Frank. Beth and Uncle Frank connect on the road trip and a we see memories flashing ba...

This Argentinian film is a story of a dysfunctional family (what family is not!) but seen through the perspective of their eldest son who happens to be gay. This film, interestingly, is not about coming out, but sort of how relationships change after that between parents and children and even maybe within the siblings. Manuel returns home earlier than originally planned for his parents big celebration of their 25th wedding ceremony. He secretly wants to ask them for money so he can visit his boyfriend in Europe. We find out that he had come out to his family sometime back. Even though everyone is happy to see him, he feels they are different. His sister is really happy to see him and they discuss various things. It's not like parents are unhappy but they just don't want to talk about either his sexuality or his boyfriend, despite various attempts by Manuel, which eventually frustrates him. Meanwhile, just after a day of coming home, Manuel's boyfriend dumps him leading to M...

'Funny Boy' is as much a luminous coming-of-age tale seen through the eyes of a relatable yet entirely unique experience, as it is a portrayal of the start of the long lasting civil war in Sri Lanka between the Tamils and Singhalese. The vicious ethnic conflict maybe specific to the region but tragically universal. Using lush visual images, some really good actors and a beautiful story line, without making it too heavy, the film maker creates a beautiful movie of this 1994 released novel of the same name. Set is 1974, we follow a upper class Tamil family and their middle child, the effervescent 8 year old Arjie. For his mother, he is creative and adventurous but to his strict father, his "funny" behaviour is not acceptable. No one has an answer for the boy when he asks “Why does everyone say I’m ‘funny’? What does that mean?”. Just as his concerned parents attempt to clamp down on Arjie’s gender fluid play, in walks Auntie Radha, a lifeline who brightens his childhood...