Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

Yay!! Season 4 of one of my favourite shows. You have no idea how I have controlled myself not to watch the episodes the day that they were telecast, since I am such a fan. But the fun of binge watching all the six episodes was too much and so I waited till all episodes were aired and first thing I did was watch the whole season All my memories from previous seasons came coming back and I am glad that they did a quick preview of sorts from previous seasons to refresh your memory. That was definitely a good touch. Sadly this season had only 6 episodes. Josh & Arnold are still together but clearly something is missing. They try threesome but the third doesn’t like Josh as much. A small divide occurs between them and on a trip to celebrate Hannah’s birthday Josh decides to breakup with Arnold. Meanwhile Tom and his girlfriend seem to begetting along well with each other and being very very supportive of Josh. The girlfriend clearly enjoys Josh’s company a lot more, since he is fu...

Oh my god!! What a utter piece of garbage this film was. Yes! I said it ! Unbelievable!! How can someone be so self-absorbed that they have no idea of what they are doing, or someone around them to tell the makers that they should not be doing what they are doing. The story is straight forward. A young man travels from Ohio to Seattle for an interview. In the hotel, he meets a male prostitute, a young mysterious man, who talk about stuff, have sex and the guy leave sin the morning. Thats it!! Yes, trust me; Thats it!! This 70 min long film could easily be made into a 4 minute short film. How long can one watch the protagonist looking outside his window, or doing stuff on mobile or laptop, or just waiting for the elevator. The talking portions in the movie were barely 15-20 minutes. The rest is long yawning shots of random things. I feel that the makers in their mind thought that they are making a tribute to ‘Weekend’ or something (at least I get that feeling). The direction was...

I don’t know why but I had many expectations form the film. Something about the poster, the story about an Arab teenage got me all very intrigued but alas as always expectations kill a film. I did not know until very recently that the film was based on the autobiography of the director, which in fact surprises me because then the maker should have taken the best parts of the film. Film primary focuses on Abdellah, a young teenage boy who lives with his parents and 6 siblings in Casablanca. His father and elder brother have their own room whereas his mother, 5 sisters and younger brother all share one rom which gives him the familiar feel of intimacy and closeness. Abdellah is a quiet kid, slightly bullied by everyone and a boy struggling with his sexuality. He looks upto his elder brother Slimane and has a huge crush on him. But since he cannot do anything with him, he finds sexual release with older men in the neighbourhood. Its not very clear if they use him or he uses them. Sli...

A teenage love drama, a story of coming-out and acceptance, a story of bullying etc etc. We have seen them all, heard them all; but the makers keep coming up with more of these films, which I am glad because the situations haven’t changed much in a lot of places and we need to continue to educate people around us regarding these issues. Its important to keep them in focus. Nathan, a 16 year old, lives with his single father Stephan, who is a cop. They have moved to a new neighbourhood and Nathan is adjusting in his new school. Within a few days, a picture of him kissing another boy surfaces on facebook and soon he is an object of everyone’s bullying. The situation is bad that even his father completely stops talking to him. Nathan tries his best to protect the identity of the other boy, who happens to be Louis, another guy in his class. The bullying takes harsh turn and one day he gets beaten really bad, primarily by Louis  This shakes up his father completely and he star...

An interesting film where ex-lovers reunite after 15 years. I think the film is supposed to be a delicate and mature touching love story with heartbreaks and everything intercepted in between to make it watchable and more realistic. Somehow the parts of the film made it a bit hard for me to believe. The simple fact of why would there b still so much passion and love for someone who you spent a summer 15 years ago. Isin’t that a long long time ago? By the way, the title of the film comes from the eye condition that Dean has. Dean, who works as a graphics designer in LA, is a bit bored with his job and how his life is going. An out-of-the-blue email from Alex brings a kind of storm in his life. We find out that Alex and Dean spent a summer together 15 years ago before Alex abruptly disappeared and now wants to reconnect with Dean. After an initial reaction of “Fuck off!”, they start exchanging emails with a bit of flirtations and finally decide to meet each other. Dean Dean invites Al...

We have had very few mystery/thrillers in gay genre. I think if we tried, we would easily be able to count them on fingers. This film although may sounds just a standard, simple police-procedural crime thriller but the director has used a lot of homo-eroticism (not just for the sake of it) and that is what makes this film even more charged and exciting. Also important to note is that the film is set in 1980’s in Argentina. The film starts with the murder of a wealthy gay member in Buenos Aires who also happens to be an art collector. Rookie cop Gomez, ridiculously good looking, is at the scene waiting for the cops to arrive. Detective Chavez, a family man and a tough cop is given the responsibility to close the case soon as possible. The initial suspect is Kevin, victim’s lover who left a message on his answering machine. Chavez asks Gomez to join his team and goes as an undercover into the gay circle to get more information. Gomez befriends Kevin and extracts information from him w...

An interesting story of someone trying to relive his past in an effort to fix it or make it better. The film is one of the few in the genre of a road-trip film in queer cinema but still it does not completely succeed in keeping audience’s interest peak for a long while. At least I had to watch film more in a fast forward mode, just in the hopes that something more worthwhile will happen. Jonathan, a middle-aged man travels to find a young male escort. After a few tries, he hires a young male prostitute to accompany him for a road trip to Grand Canyon, with the condition that the entire trip will be about role play. The young man is playing Brandon, a young, temperamental, rough around the edges kinda guy who is Jonathan’s boyfriend and they are madly in love with each other. As the young man, he is more interested in finding the true reality but Jonathan insists that he stick to the role he was hired for. Slowly, he starts to put small pieces together to understand who Brandon rea...

Now this is how you can make a very ordinary and simple story, gripping for an audience. The treatment, direction and emotions is what it matters when a viewer watches a film. You have to be able to empathise with the characters ad feel their pain and angst and happiness and other emotions and only then, in my opinion, you can justify the money that you spend on a film. I am not saying that this is a great film by any means but it is an excellent example of staying focused on the core issue without getting unnecessarily dramatic or anything. We meet James, a 19 year old young teenage boy, who is just returning home after being part of a religious reparative therapy called ex-gay conversion therapy. He comes home believing that he has been “cured” of his same-sex desire. He hopes to go to college soon but after his mother’s death, his father is struggling with money and cannot afford to send him to college. After a spat, James decide to go to community college and help him at his orc...

What a wasted opportunity!! This was the first thought that came to my mind after I finished watching the film. The one person who should immediately be fired is the casting director, followed very closely by the director, who couldn’t see what was going on. I feel so sad and disappointed when something that could have been so wonderfully fantastic ends u being so cheap and terrible to watch. The story is based in a college where Jeremy lives with his partner Elliott for the past 2 years. However, Jeremy has had enough of betrayals and mistreatment by his partner and he decides to break-up. Very next instant we find him moving in with Scott, who he had met just a few days back. A charming young man, Scott genuinely likes and care for Jeremy. The relationship is going fine till its time to meet parents. When Scott’s father comes to meet the couple, he is very visibly unhappy and disapproves of their relationship. Thankfully Jeremy’s parents are much more positive but shock comes wh...

Birdbath (Australia) A young Oz-Malaysian couple struggling with their relationship. The asian guy is not sure if his family will accept their son’s sexuality and relationship. A Brief History of Princess X (France) A history of sculptor Constantin Brancusi’s ‘Princess X’, a futuristic bronze phallus that is actually a bust portrait of Napoleon’s equally infamous great grand niece, Marie Bonaparte. Curmudgeons (USA) A pair of senior citizens in 80s have a relationship that shocks both their families. When the grand-daughter comes to visit, Ralph couldn’t possible imagine the surprise she has in store for him from his lover Jacky and his grand-son. A potty-mouthed, but endearing, comedy. Realness With A Twist (Paris) A young man searching for identity and acceptance as he splits time between the normal everyday life (pretending to be playing football) and the thump and excitement of the Parisian voguing scene. Una pared (Cuba) [A Wall] Tommy, a young construction w...

What a beautiful film!! I did not have much expectations from the film and did not have any idea what the film is all about but I was pleasantly surprised. Agreed that the pace of this film could be found a bit too slow for a lot of viewers but in my opinion that just made this film even more beautiful and an experience to watch the relationship between the two friends. The film is told in two simultaneous generations. Childhood friends Matias and Jero spend many summers together in the Argentinean wetlands of Esteros. They both are really close to each other, just like their families. The boys spend all the time together and one such summer night, they get much closer and intimate. Unfortunately, their mutual attraction never finds a conclusion because Matias’ father agrees to a job in Brazil. Present day, Matias now has a girlfriend and the two are visiting his hometown for her cousin’s graduation celebration. Matias and Jero reconnect and you see the initial awkwardness soon tu...

I love fucked up family dramas. They give an insight into human emotions and what they are capable of. Its also goos to see that not all families are happy-go-lucky. They all have some real issues that they have to deal with. Beatrice and her son Elliot arrive somewhere in France to pack their bags and empty their summer house, because it is sold now. A decision that was taken by Elliot’s father, Philip (who doesn’t show up until later). We also have Clement, a young boy form Paris, visiting his aunt in the same town because of a family turmoil. Elliot falls for Clement in their first meeting, which he knows but Clement is very indifferent to it. He agrees to their invitation to help them pack giving Elliot an opportunity for them to hang out. Clement is friendly and proves to be a sympathetic ear to Beatrice, which makes Elliot jealous. He thinks she is now his rival and wants Clement. Elliot knows what he wants and he is vocal about his feeling to Clement who just ignores it. Cl...

Now this was a weird film! When someone says that this film fans in a similar genre like ‘Strangers by the lake’; you automatically have huge expectations an thats where the fault lies. The film neither has suspense, nor content or skin show for that mater. The makers did try to make it a thriller but to a viewer like me it just seems like a wanna thriller, or was it a vampire thriller (we will never know). Carlos is a middle age bearish language schoolteacher who frequently visits the local cruising ground after work where gay men, lesbians and teenagers find fleeting sexual partners. One afternoon he recognises one of his students, Toni, wondering through the woods with his friends. After class the next day, Toni asks Carlos for a ride, and the two end up having hot and steamy sex in the back of the car. While Carlos is adamant this is a one-time thing, Toni’s youthful innocence makes him develop a crush on the teacher. Despite his wishes to keep it a one-night stand, Carlos and...

“Another coming-0f-age sexuality film”; this is the first thought you have when you see the title and ponder over what different can this film offer. But it does offer a lot more. Yes, the primary focus is on the two teenagers who are confused about everything and have feelings of fear and not knowing whats what! Combined this with the sheer beauty of the French alps, this film makes it for a spectacular watch. Damien and Thomas are the 2 protagonists, turning 17 and both a bit unpopular in school. Thomas is a quiet kid and not very good with studies whereas Damien is a smart intelligent guy and on one such occasion Thomas trips him and thats when fights between the two of them start. But Damien is too tough to just accept the bullying and he fights back. Damien’s father is a soldier and mother is a doctor. Thomas is adopted and lives with his parents in the mountains. When his mother gets ill, Damien’s mother treats her during which she also has to spend some time in the hospital...

This collection of short stories titled ‘Mexican Men’ is a collection of five encounters that are sensual & seductive and are the works of 2 very popular film makers of Latin cinema. Most of the films emphasise on the aesthetics of some handsome Latino men, and very little attempt to include a conventional plot. I had mixed feelings after watching the series. Actually not all 5 short stories are gay themed (sigh!) but they are still good. Trémulo (Trembling) Carlos, an adult teenager works in a barber-shop. One day his eyes meet with Julio, a customer. Julio returns in the evenings asking for a shave (or maybe to meet Carlos). They spend the night together, eating, chatting and even dancing getting increasingly close, with sexual tension building between them. They both know that this is short lived but was still amazing. The best film in this collection, this is the sort of film that you watch and anna be in love again. Brilliant! Young Man at the Bar Masturbating with Rag...

Being promoted as an original homegrown independent gay British series and something of a sibling to Queer As Folk, this series was a sheer disappointment. The show, focussing on a group of gay 20-Somethings trying to work it all out; doesn’t even come close to the above mentioned show or anything else decent for that matter. Poor story, bad acting and just a big mess all over the place. The show follows three characters – Kane, Kiegan and Tim; and we witness their lives over a course of three episodes. Each episode sort of concentrates on one of the characters. Episode 1 shows Kane getting dumped by his boyfriend in the middle of having sex because it was so terrible. He moves in with his mom (it looks like there is history there before) and we are introduced to the other characters. Episode 2 focuses on Kiegan. We are not told about the history with family but apparently there are estranged relationships. He has been asked by his brother to be his best man and now he has to visi...

The newest volume in this series is all about short stories from Britain. Sadly and disappointingly, most of the stores in this collection are below average. At least I personally did not connect with most of them. Closets We look at the lift of Henry in this time-travel coming of age drama, as a teenager struggling with his sexuality in 1986. Hiding in his wardrobe, he time travels to the present day where he meets up with a similar teenager, Ben, occupying his same bedroom 30 years later. Putting On The Dish This is London in 1962, a time when being gay is still a criminal offence.  Two strangers meet in a park and strike up a conversation in slang to talk about their experiences. I did not understand a word of what was being talked about G o’Clock After being called out to an emergency, Alex, saves the life of a young boy who had overdosed on GHB. He later arrives at a chill-out and meets Nik, a sexy young Spanish boy who he takes under his wing but soon discovers h...

These are a few short films with great stories, done well and are generally above 20 minutes plus duration. How Not To live Your Life - Don Goes Gay (UK) This is one of the episodes from the TV sitcom. Don is forced to question his sexual preferences when he wakes after a night of heavy drinking to find himself sharing a bed with Samantha's brother Jamie. Unaware he is actually the victim of one of Samantha's pranks, he decides to open his mind to homosexuality, and asks his apparent bedfellow out on a date. Eventually Don realises he is not gay after Sam's brother performs oral sex on him. This episode was hilarious. All the small things that Don thinks on why he is gay was brilliant. I think I am going to use the term 'Gayman' going forward. Funny! Tranny Trainer (USA) An interesting concept and thankfully made into a short film. Forrester used to be an athlete and famous but is now old, down and out and works as a personal trainer in a gym. When nothin...

Finally, the mother of all gay films. Of course I had seen the film way back when it released on the big screen but I started writing my blog only much later. So, it was in my TODO list to watch the film again, so that I can review it for my blog. Whoever watches or has any slight interest in gay films, knows and has probably even seen this film. I finally got to see the film again with a buddy who is just getting into the world of gay cinema, and what better film than this to onboard him to this wonderful world. The film begins in 1963, when Ennis and Jack, about 19 years old, get a job tending sheep on Brokeback mountain. Ennis is a boy of very few words. He learned to be guarded and fearful long before he knew what he feared. Jack, who has done some rodeo riding, is a little more outgoing. After some days have passed on the mountain and some whiskey has been drunk, they suddenly and almost violently have sex. Denying the initial incident as one-off thing, slowly the 2 men fall ...

This was a sweet and short (50-min) made for TV film. I wouldn’t particularly classify this is a gay themed film but one of the two protagonists happens to be gay and hence it makes sense to review it here for my blog. Helen in her mid-late 40s has been leading a very affluent life. One day she comes home to find her dead husband and later realises that her husband had overdrawn his credit account and that suddenly Helen is now penniless compare to the rick upper class woman that she was so far. She moves in her daughter’s room (who is going for a long holiday), which is a in s shared space with common living room and everyone having a personal bedroom. She meets Joeri, a carefree good looking young man living a wild and i-don’t-give-a-damn attitude. He is not ashamed to admit that he works as an escort and his clientele is mostly gay men and married men and that he is open for any kind of fetishes as long as he can make money. Joeri and Helen form an interesting bond of friendshi...

This film continues in the trans bandwagon, just as the title of the film suggests. The film had potential and could have addressed issues and talks but sadly it misses on that count. This doesn’t mean that the film is bad. The film is more of an emotional story between a father and his child, than really addressing the underlying issues. Widowed Tobias is happy in his life with his 15 year old son Finn. Finn is trying to hook up his father with potential dates. When he gets to study in Sf for one year, he cannot leave this opportunity and he decides to go. Problem starts a year later, when Finn comes back home. 16-year old Finn is now Helen, a big secret that somehow Finn managed to keep secret from his father. Tobias is shocked at first but tries to understand. Thankfully there is no full-on drama. Next we see how people around Helen are getting used to the transition. As expected, problems arise at school at various levels and harassing also happens but Helen bravely faces ever...

This film was such a waste of time. It’s one of the this instances when you feel like the maker was totally self-indulgent and pretentious and we as viewers had to bear his experiment of artistic cinema. The film has absolutely nothing going for it. To top it all, the film is filled with random murky artistic inserts throughout every 5-7 minutes for no reason whatsoever, just so that the duration of the film could be increased. From a story perspective there is nothing. Massimo is an Italian swimmer who is visiting Russia for a competition. He meets Vladimir, who happens to be a translator. They hit it off and that grows into love. They walk around, talk and dance. And at some point they talk about freedom, meaning of being gay in Russia. Yes, thats pretty much it. And in between you get to see old footage of Russia, and some old film that made absolutely no sense to a viewer like me. Acting by leads was ok but they are cheated by a low production value and absolutely lazy and dul...

Like most fans, I was also very disappointed when TV show looking was cancelled, but at the same time good news came that a film will be made with the characters to give a logical conclusion to stories, some of which were left open at the end of season 2. Having seen the film now, I think it was a good decision to make the film. The film delivers everything that the show had promised. Much like the series, the film is not about the plot but its about all those wonderful moments that unfold before you, as if you are part of the group. Patrick is back to SF after having moved to Denver 10 months ago. Its Augustine’s wedding and what better occasion to reconnect with his old friends and his old life. Everyone is surprised at Augustine’s decision to get married since he has become exactly the guy whom he used to despise, but as film unfolds, we are told its all part of growing up process. When he has finally met the love of his life, why not take the plunge and move on. Dom’s restaura...

Dániel (UK) Dániel is from Budapest and is studying child psychology in London. He is kind & patient and works as part time as a male escort to pay for his tuition fees. Dániel is invited by his closest friend Nori to have lunch where she introduces her  lover Tom. Tom has plans for Nori and they don’t include Daniel and he quietly asks him to back off. Beautifully made but perhaps not as ambitious as it could have been. Un mundo brillante (Spain) [A Bright World] A coming-of-age tale about fantasies and pain, when a boy has this huge crush on his football player mate. Soft (UK) When a father and son are independently terrorised by the same gang of youths, Dad is forced to deal with fears that he hasn't had to face since leaving school, rediscovering his fear of confrontation at the worst possible time. Very interesting! Pretty boy (Spain) The story of Pablo, a hustler who dreams of being a filmmaker. When he falls in love with a guy he meets, his life begins fee...