Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

Based on the story and summary of the film, I honestly would not have reviewed this as a gay film, but then I found that this film was actually screened at a lot of international LGBT film festivals. So< I guess, at some angle, the makers were trying to cache in on the queer angle, although just like everything else, this film is a lot about emotions, relations, family an individuality than anything else. Sinan & Selma are a couple, who are happy on surface. She is a doctor treating refugees and he works in a shipping industry undergoing major changes. Their son, teenage 17 year old Umut, is a intelligent and loves water polo hoping to get scholarship out of it to go to US for further studies. We are clearly not told but both parents are probably having affairs, they are both indifferent to one another but its their son Umut that keeps them together. One day Umut comes to help a young boy being bullied and beaten up. One of his teammate takes a photo of the moment compassionate ...

What a royal mess this film was. I am really not sure what the makers were going for here. Was it a coming out story, a bullying story or just a myriad of scenes put together for audiences to watch a very cringeworthy story and its bad execution. The story is primarily about three teenage boys. Peter, is an artist, whose mother knows he is gay but his father refuses to accept this and wants him to become a man. Miles regularly bullies Peter caling him faggot, but he is himself closeted gay. At home he has a very hostile relationship with his mother who resorts to prostitution for drugs. It turns out Miles has been using Jack for his sexual pleasure, who suffers physical and verbal abuse at the hands of his alcoholic single dad. When Peter goes for a hunting weekend with his father, they end up in a cabin where nearby Jack lives and somehow Miles and his girlfriend are also either passing by or live there or something of that sorts. Somehow Jack and Peter both run away form their dad, m...

This is again one of those films where being gay (or bi) just happens to be there. That is no what the core plot of the film is. The film is about relationships, family, future and at the core, what I important to you as an individual and the people that come in your life tome it special. The film was Avery pleasant surprise in sense that it had my attention from the very get go with its beautiful laidback countryside charm and the chemistry that its two leads bring. Mitsuomi quits his job and Tokyo to come back to his hometown hoping to join his father's furniture business. But the father hasn't forgotten how 10 years back his son rejected the same job to do something on his own. Mitsuomi meets Yamato, who has a noticeably perky and bubbly personality. He is the adopted son of a family friend and same age as Mitsuomi. Eager to befriend the new arrival in town, Yamato invites Mitsuomi to work at his grandfather’s farm. Although Mitsuomi is reluctant at first, he starts helping ...

This film can be a good case study of how a badly directed and an extremely badly edited movie can ruin whatever little spark a story idea has. The film hots one wrong note after the other with random scenes interlaced over one another at odd time, making you think why was this film ever made and what was the point. Jason, an aging pianist is lonely and playing music. He has a past and secret which we do not find until later, but apparently he has magical healing capabilities through his music. He works playing piano for a ballet company. A student Brandon, who somehow knows about his power, arm twists Jason into practicing with him every night to prepare for New York Ballet audition. The two men have sort of attraction, while Brandon is also dealing with a very abusive boyfriend Adam, who has cancer and also has some issues with his father from his past. Before you know Brandon moves in with Jason and they are having an affair, while Jasons kids disprove. Turns out his wife and kids d...

This 6 part Japanese series was a very pleasant surprise. To be honest, I was expecting anything, but something about it was good. Very good. Just when all the teenage BL series were starting to get repetitive with there story arcs and setting, this series brings to us a very mature love story, that is more practical and real in the story and treatment both in a very novel and interesting setting.  Kijima is an award winning novelist, who has lost his mojo an dis now struggling for money. He gets reacquainted with his college classmate Kido, who is now an editor in publishing company. Kido was recently kicked out by his girlfriend, so Kijima invites him as roommate in return for expenses. At his work, Kido deals with erotica novels that Kijima looks down upon. Kido suggests that Kijima start writing erotica too to make money. Initially very reluctant, the growing debt on Kijima makes him accept this and hid stories to be published under a fake name. Meanwhile, Kido's company also p...

There are very handful of series/films in queer space that show gay parenting. They can easily be counted on hand. So, with a title like this, I was actually really looking forward to watching this series. Unfortunately, this mini series from Taiwan is less of a parenting drama but more about the couple who happen to be raising a child. I am not sure if it will make sense to you, unless you watch it, but from, I was expecting more about parenting issues, challenges, pros and cons about being gay parent, but the series actually was more about the couple as a unit, who also just happen to have a child. Jerry is a young, ex famous you-tuber, stay-at-home dad who has been taking care of his son Kai for the past three years. His husband Damian is a successful restauranteur and the primary breadwinner of their family. Now that Kai is growing, Jerry wants to revive his YouTuber career by sending Kai to kindergarden. Damian is initially reluctant but eventually gives in. The discussion of who ...

To be honest, I really don't think that this 4 part BBC mini series needs to be documented here. Yeah, the main character was gay, but besides that the homosexuality angle is not really the core of this series. London, early 1960s. Harry Starks is a dangerous mobster, a club owner who loves money, rent boys, and Judy Garland. He's an East End gangster who, in grandiose Kray Twins style tradition, is not only prone to streaks of madness, depression and a violent temper, but homosexuality. His penchant for Spanish Inquisition style justice has handed him the Fleet Street moniker of "Torture Gang Boss". He revels in a nether world of minor celebrities, fund raisers, boxing, showbiz, gambling clubs and philanthropy, for the sake of public image. We witness story of Harry Stars through 4 main characters in his life Teddy's Story: Racketeer Harry Starks sees Teddy Thursby, an impecunious peer of the realm with a predilection for young men, as a means of joining the Esta...

Indie queer films have generally upped the game because audiences are not forgiving in todays day and time. So its especially surprising when a campy trashy film like this comes in 2020, with bad acting and direction where you have seen it all. There were a lot of cringy moments because of this, like the ending which was just one-liner after one-liner after one-liner, without any real end in sight. This I lay at the feet of writing and directing. Dwayne has just moved back to Providence after splitting with boyfriend and managed to get his job back as a bartender in the locally haunt Outhouse popular for drag shows. But within a span of 4 days, one murder after the other happens where gay men have been brutally murdered and their blood drained. No one is safe. Everyone is a suspect including Dwayne, the club owner Tony, the agin drag queen Gloria Hole and the new popular Janet Fitness and even the out of it, Tragedi. Gloria Hole is losing her place in the club, is agin and wants it all...

This documentary film is from way back 1998. It is always interesting and educating to see things that have happened in the past in the whole spectrum of various gay rights movement. There are so many stories out there and with every different documentary, you get to learn something new. Its my personal issue that I do not remember most of the stories (am I getting old?) , but these stories are worth telling and worth hearing. The primary story is about Kelli Peterson , a senior in high school in Utah, who was the first person to start a Gay Straight Alliance club in her school. What started off as a safe space for gay and lesbian people to be in their comfort zone soon turned into something that no one would have ever imagined. The event soon becomes political, where a small high school group becomes a national debate and before she realizes Kelli is fighting for her rights and eventually wins it. In between the main story of Keli, we are also told of stories of other very prominent h...

Quarantine gave film makers an opportunity to come up with novel ideas of shooting. The trend continues with this series as well which is set during the pandemic in Taiwan and the entire story is told through a series of video calls (think Gameboys), during which our protagonists meet, flirt, question their feelings for one another and take the next step till they finally meet in person. With 10 episodes of running time of 5-7 minutes, this is a very easy and pleasant watch where it never digresses from what it really wants to say. Bo Chun is a young Taiwanese university students who is into vintage cameras. Just when he is about to buy a camera online, it gets purchased by Sato, a Japanese writer, who wants to gift this to his ex-bf. Because of a mix up when Sato thinks he has messaged his ex for the camera, he ends up messaging Bo Chun instead who is now curious to get his hands on the camera. His uses his friend Liying's help for language and she starts liking Sato. Sato travels...

This is exactly the kind of films that get created from independent makers in the name of queer cinema that's total blasphemy, at least in todays time. This, ten years back, would still have been ok. But in the same of comedy, when trash is presented to you, in times when audiences' tastes have dramatically changed, I am not really sure, who is the target audience for the makers. I didn't even get a chuckle, forget laughing at this film. 2 failed cops are sent by their sheriff as DEEP undercover agents in a porn movie production. The cops have had complains about two porn stars who also hustle on the side, who have sex with Republican politicians and they make their videos to blackmail. These two 'straight' cops need to take up this job as they do not have any choice and even be prepared to have sex. While on the job, they realize the intentions behind them blackmailing the politician is a noble one and is to safeguard an old age home. IN fact, one of the cops, who ...

I had hopes that season 2 will cover the huge flaws of season one and actually focus some of the much needed discussions that need to happen in industry and in general anyway, but even with season two, the makers haven't really improved much on things they should have focused on. Marco is still continuing his support for traumatized Bas, who is still very afraid of taking any action for the weird producer. He is too scared to get his career affected and is fearful of disappointing his parents. But luckily Marco manages a video of Tee trying to get funny with Bas again. But Bas is still too scared even contemplating suicide. Meanwhile James and Ait continue with their relationship. There is bit of jealousy from Ait when he sees Marcos confess his attraction o James but agrees to strictly be friends. When news of issues in the series comes out, the producers decide to hold a press conference and ask James and Ait to keep their relationship a secret, but James confesses and Bas also e...

A gay man and a single father, is in his 40s is going through all sorts of crisis in life. He shares a complex and intense relationship with his daughter for many reason. This film is about a crisis in a man's life and his continued downward spiral primarily arising due to his loneliness and his inability to find love and stick with it. Our protagonist is impulsive but in desperate need for love. The film starts with a gay orgy, where we meet our man Santiago who has gone there for some connection but doesn't find it. He comes back home next day to his angry teenage daughter Laila. They have a playful but love hate relationship. She is mad because he didn't let her go to party and she gets back saying to him that the best thing in his life was his ex Luis but he let him go too. He suddenly decides to show up at Luis's house with his mother and daughter hoping to rekindle his relationship with Luis but instead creates. Ruckus and drama. We are not clearly told what went ...

Is this really a queer film? Probably not! This film is more about self acceptance for being who you are, proud of being who you are and trying to do do the right thing. This is a story of a father who is torn between an unexpected love and the love and respect of his daughter. Ah Ming lives with his daughter Xiao Feng but they have a troubled relationship where the daughter doesn't talk to her father at all. Turns out her mother left her when she was a baby and Ah Ming has been taking care of her even though he is not his biological father. One day she suddenly disappears and through police he finds out that she was seen in Taipei. Turns out that Xiao Feng went there to meet her online friend, another guy but the guy who shows up is an older man. When Ah Mind finds them both, the old guy is rushed to hospital and now Ah Ming and Xiao Feng are both interested in finding the truth behind that man. With Unearthing the truth about the old man, Ah Ming also needs to confront and tell t...

I had really enjoyed the season one of this statical sitcom and was eagerly looking for season 2. The comedy, laughs and gigs remain intact. The four sis still on these 2 siblings and a little more on the mother as well this time. Chase has gone from being famous singer to just ok. Meanwhile their mother Pat has become a famous talk show host and really popular. Older sister Brooke feels she has perfect skills to b a talent manager and is scouring TikTok looking for the next ChaseDreams to advance her managing career, while older brother Cary has a suddenly semi-lucrative career as the token gay host on sites like BuzzFeed, Thrillist and BagelBitesTV. Neither Brooke nor Cary is exactly happy, but Drew has a boyfriend, which he thinks counts as happiness in the short term. Like its predecessor, each episode focuses on different aspects of these 2 individuals. And their growth, setbacks and positive movements in life. Brooke eventually becomes co-manager for her mother along with Scooter...