Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

I had no idea what to expect out of this film, but I have to say that I was mighty impressed. A difficult subject, and something new to this genre, this film explores masculinity, repressed sexuality, crime and youth angst & anger issues like never before. Keeping sexuality as the core. its more youth who have somehow been living on the edge of social expectations and are  sort of outcasts. Andrej is an 18 year old, whose life is around alcohol, parties and self-isolation. When his sexuality is challenged by a girl, he gets more violent. His mother has had enough and as a last chance, he is sent to a detention center where he and other delinquent boy-men are boarded during the week. But the environment only encourages Andrej's risk taking acts. He meets Zele and his side kick, the self appointed thug leader whom everyone fears because of his violence streak. When Zele realizes that Andrej is quite strong, he takes him under his wing. This means the trio spend weekends toge...

Wow! Thailand can actually produce some really good content and relatable storyline revolved around gay men. So far, I have always been skeptical of Asian gay films and web series because they are so over the top in acting and story but this has come as a complete surprise packet for me. Not only the story is very relatable and covers various aspects of gay life, but even the acting and direction are fantastic. This should not be missed. I saw both seasons back to back which is pretty much good 8 hours and a lot of time watching the show. The story is about the lives of six diverse gay men living in Bangkok. The story focuses on their drama. Pom is a successful man but struggling to find love because of his own insecurities about his look & appearance. He lives with best friend Arm, a player, who enjoys being single and sleeping around. Oaf is in a happy long-term relationship with the much younger Big, although Oaf is starting to suspect Big of infidelity. Then we have Satang...

I had seen this film way back in early 2000's when I had just been exposed to the queer films and also before I started writing my blog. So, I am glad I got to watch it again, relive how much fun this movie was to watch and how I wish more makers make this sort of light hearted comedy films which don't tale life too seriously. We all deserve to have a good time once in a while, when we can forget our stress and worries and just have a good time. A Parisian couple, Mac and Beatrix, are enjoying a seaside summer holiday with their teenage son and daughter. While the daughter is off for a biking adventure with her boyfriend, Their son Charly is with them. Charly's best friend Martin also joins them later for vacation. The couple falsely convinces themselves that Charly is gay and that Martin is his boyfriend. Marc is initially uncomfortable with the idea but Beatrix is very happy. But the truth is only Martin is gay. Charly is straight and they both just happen to be the ...

I had mixed feelings while watching this film. At times it feels like this really nice British inspired film trying to be royal, other times it felt like the makers were confused on what they wanted to focus on between friendship and love. Some of the reactions by some characters would come so random, that it would feel a bit out of place. I understand that life and people are not straight forward and its not easy for all of us to make up our minds, but we all surely try. Our main protagonist is Charlie, an aspiring artist, who has been closest buddies with Sebastian, son of a disgraced Wall Street criminal. Their group has some other close friends but these 2 are closest. Although they are both gay, they are nothing more than friends although its obvious to everyone that Charlie is madly in love with Sebastian. This entire group play nursemaid to Sebastian's drunken bouts of depression and anger because of his father's situation. Things change when Charlie meets Tim, a pr...

This film is what we term as a slice-of-life film. It pretty much follows the path and journey of our lead character but doesn't really have a story or a clear journey for either the story or the characters. We are not told of any background of any characters, but its as if we have stumbled upon a camera thats just following life of its protagonist and we just keep looking it. Elias, a very charming 23 year old is our main character. He works in a garment factory where the head designer considers him as an important asset and support. But Elias really hasn't figured out what he wants from life. His sex life is very active and actually he focuses on that quite a bit. His relationship with a little older well-to-do man Arthur just ended but they still hang out and occasionally sleep together too. He cruises for guys with a captivating smile and is forward with his desires without being pushy. He socializes more and more with the workers in the factory and his social circle s...

I had all sorts of mixed feelings while watching this film. I thought it would be an average film, unsure of where it really is heading, but very soon I found myself sucked into the life of Benjamin. Its only after I saw the film and I was trying to find more about the actors and the director, I realized that its in some way semi autobiographical of the film maker. That takes my interest in the film to another level. Good gay love stories are hard to come by. Benjamin is a 30-ish neurotic, bit lonely and a "weird" young film-maker. He is very stressed about his second feature film. He is uncertain about everything and has issues of self-loathing. Through his publicist, he meets Noah at a party and instantly falls for him. Noah is young budding French singer. Benjamin makes all sorts of lovely small talks and pretty soon they are hanging out, almost falling in love and Benjamin's insecurities prevent him from taking this relationship to next level. Primarily because o...

I have always liked films which has something to do with a gay couple trying to expand their family. There are very few films that tackle with this subject and most of the films are actually pretty good. To be honest, there is not much variety that can be offered for such a scenario but we do get to see another facet in this film. A bit lengthy, this film offers an interesting perspective on families, loved ones and of course what society in general thinks of gay men. Hendrix has been home alone for 3 days now. His drug addict mother Nina has abandoned him (like prior times) and is with her boyfriend cum drug dealer Patrick. When neighbor's report this, Nina's friend Ivanka takes Hendrix with her but since she has a trip to US coming up with her girlfriend, she hands over Hendrix to her friends, Jean Paul and Chema, a well-to-do, stable, gay couple. Chema is initially skeptical but soon finds himself warming up to the boy. The couple's gardener and maid initially worry...

I cant remember the last time I had so much fun watching a documentary. And the entire credit for this goes to the very charming, charismatic and extremely handsome Riyadh Khalaf. He is a famous YouTuber (I am embarrassed to say that I had never heard of him before) and the way he talks , interacts and interviews people is so normal everyday types and never once you feel he is putting up an act for camera and thats why he stays himself and the other characters stay true to their self. Riyadh (Iraqi/Irish descent) addresses a lot of issues wrt LGBTQ+ community in this six-part BBC3 series. Riyadh address many subjects in these episodes, right from religion & sexuality, discrimination & body shaming, how every 1 out of 4 people that are homeless are from LGBTQ community, what ethnic racism is like in Britain, pornography and finally the queer in LGBTQ+. In every episode we meet a few main subjects and hear their stories of that topic that we are learning about. Most of these...

Suddenly now everything makes sense. I should have know before that this is a Xavier Dolan film. The way relationships are explored in the film have become synonymous with the kind of films he makes. My one worry, before I started watching this film was that I hope it is not stereotypical story of a transgendered woman. And I am happy to say that this was more of a love story and what's the impact of transgender on a relationship. It film is as much a love story than anything else. The film follows journey of Laurence over a period of 10 years. Laurence Alia, a man, has been in a steady relationship with his girlfriend Fred for many years. A time when Laurence realizes that he is in a wrong body, he immediately tells Fred about it who is clearly hurt. But soon she realizes that she loves Laurence for the person he is and willing it to give it a try. She becomes the support system for Laurence while he deals with all the regular struggles that come with the transition. They b...

Endearing and feel good are the two phrases that come to mind after watching this film. Simple with some very fine cultural nuances and excellent performances makes this film an absolute must watch for everyone. Sometimes you have absolutely no idea what to expect out a movie and it ends up completely surprising you and this is the beauty of movie watching. Ryan is an openly gay Chinese American, working towards his dream of leading a magazine cover shoot. He is doing ok but hasnt quite established himself yet.When upcoming Beijing film actor Ning arrives in New York , his request of being styled by a Chinese stylist fits the bill for Ryan. Ryan is very American in his ways, doesn't read or understand Mandarin and has no interest in his Chinese heritage. When Ning realizes that Ryan is gay, he first fires Ryan but this job is important for him , so Ryan convinces him to take him back and also making it very clear that Ryan is only into white men, so Ning need not worry about R...

Pulsiones (Spain) [Drive] Carlos is engaged to be married, but he’s worried, because he feels certain “drives.” He decides to hire a professional to help him explore those drives and decide whether he’s making a big mistake in marrying a woman. Esperaremos Hasta el Fin (Mexico) When a threat of an asteroid hitting the earth looms over head, two friend confess their love. The Jealous Sea (USA) The boyfriend of a handsome photographer tries to deal with his jealousy after finding nude photos he took of a gorgeous model. This film talks about over possessiveness and trust and how jealousy can break even a almost perfect relationship. Desire (USA) In the 40's, one autumn Sunday married couple meets 2 navy guys. The two get separated finding an obelisk and their respective desires take over. Mes chers parents (France) [My Dear Parents] A coming-out to parents. After twelve years of no contact a young man sends a movie to his parents to show them the man he has become...

This film came back way back in 1977, so you have to watch it and review it keeping that statistic in mind. A classic story of friendship and care between an upcoming drag queen and a schizophrenic girl, this film has its highs and lows. Watching it in today's times, it feels a bit 'all over the place' but I bet it was a huge deal when it came out. Robin works as a hairdresser, and loves to do his customers hair in an iconic movie star style. One day his close friend Liza, who is schizophrenic runs away from the institution and comes to live with Robin. After initial differences they both start supporting each others dreams. Everyone except Robin thinks that he can be a very popular drag queen. After Liza's convincing he takes the plunge and actually gets decently successful in Canada. Meanwhile, Liza's situation goes through ups and down and eventually she gets pregnant with a trick's baby. Wanting to do something new and different Robin decides to come to...

This is a Vietnamese series consisting of 29 episodes. Each episode is about 10-15 minutes long, so it does take a long time to go over all the episodes. And if you are not used to watching some of these Asian BL series, this, like most other series will seem ridiculous to you. More on that later. Ha Sinh is our main character, who is a young teenager living in mountains. For some reason his younger siblings and his parents, they all think o him as a burden except his grandfather. One day grandfather's best friend's son comes to the village to repay his father's debt and asks to take Ha Sinh with him for a better life to city. The rich man is always traveling for work, but Ha Sinh meets few people at home: Ngiem Bac, boss's assistant, a really nice and tender guy; And Vien Truc, boss's spoiled son who always rude to him. To top this, there is a lovely lady who cooks and takes care of everyone at home. Ngiem Bac is like an elder brother but Vien Truc is very hos...

I think the thought behind this film was novel and honest. A transsexual and an outcast of the society wanting to belong to and lead a normal life was a god thought on paper, but somehow the film gets too involved in a basic storyline, because of which it loses its grip on the basic premise, which could have added a lot more meaning to the film. Ale is a transvestite who collects garbage and cardboards in the streets. She lives with fellow outcasts outside town with other people who have been shunned by their family or society for various reasons. They all have found peace with each other. But their existence is in danger when some builder wants to occupy the land that they have built their houses on. One day Ale gets her hands on a diary written by Mia, a woman who dies and has left the diary for her daughter Julia. She watches Julia, who is now a very angry child after her mother's death and her father Manuel. After few days of reading the diary, she feels a connect with Mia...

If we were to summarize this weird anthology of short films, it is about troubled gay youngsters who attempt to resolve their psychological issues through bizarre fetish play or sinister self expression. And trust me watching it is as weird as reading this. Filled with graphic sexual scenes, these 5 short stories explore the darker side of teenage sexuality. The film, though is from France, but its all in English. The five stories are diverse and not connected. In the first story we meet a suicidal teenager who sells his body but he normally plays "dead" for this act. The buyer this time is trying to process the suicide of a friend that occurred after he rejected him as a lover. The second story is about this young male in a dark punk club sharing his life when 2 members of the audience violently rape hi while he is performing. In the third story , two young boys meet, both drug addicts and depressed and then its all about one boy eating and playing with the other's ...

StandBy: l'attesa (Italy) Every six months Filippo goes to the hospital for HIV test. During one of those mornings, he meets Simone. Their good chemistry soon turns into a relationship, even after Simone confesses he is positive. Filippo is ok with it but Simone doesn't want to hurt him. Be Brave (China) A young man struggles to convince his love to be brave and accept his sexuality rather than cheating. A Friend of Dorothy (USA) Winston arrives at NYU as a freshman, knowing he's gay. He falls hard for Tom, his temporary roommate, and it's risk to express his feelings. With help from his hometown friend Anne, Winston keeps his equilibrium. Will You Love Me Tomorrow (Vietnam) A young man will have to marry a girl of his mother's choice to do the "right thing" by killing his feelings and love for another boy. It Seems To Rain (China) A guy who loathes himself and has a serious self-image problem fights inner demons while he is befriended ...

This is supposed to be a psychological thriller but according to me, its a film that has been stretched beyond what was needed. And of course, when you have Sean Paul Lockhart as your lead, you can't help but make it a sensual thriller. It just happens. We see the film with Caleb in jail and doesn't remember what has happened and a detective trying to find the truth. Extremely good looking Caleb is dealing with a lot of issues and baggage with his family, especially his abusive mother. But outwardly he seems to be coping well with all of those. He meets Jeremy, a slightly older man, who seems to be hiding something but the two connect and they fall in love eventually. Caleb tells Jeremy that he had this abusive mother and he has moved from homes to homes but what essentially has happened is that Caleb has inherited his weird personality disorder from her. When Caleb finds out that Jeremy is married, he loses his control completely and makes Jeremy his prisoner and tortures...

After a long time I am seeing a nice feel good film about teenage love, coming out, without unnecessary drama just for the sake of it. Sometimes straight forward films are much better than the films that create plot twists and intense drama just for the sake of it. For some people life can be full of surprises and yet be all about sweet romantic love. And this is what this simple film is all about. Set in a small country town, adult teenager Lucas lives with his very religious aunt Lourdes. He is a shy boy and keep to himself, with his gardening and music. One day his aunt tells him that his second cousin Mario is going to live with them for a few days. Apparently Mario is just getting out of prison and his family doesn't want him to come home after such an incident. Incidentally, the aunt has to go on a mission, so Lucas will have to welcome and entertain Mario. Mario comes next day and is a complete contrast to shy Lucas' personality. He is happy, extrovert and makes Luc...

I have been hearing about this film for many many years now. But for some reason, given it came out way back in 1982, I had my reservations and I couldn't bring myself to see the film. Also, top be honest, I am not really sure if it was a classic gay film or is it just a cult film thats loved by gays because of Julie Andrews. Finally, all my hesitation went for a toss after having seen this film. Set in 1930s in Paris, aging Toddy is MC at one of the clubs. His male lovers are faithless and his career is at a standstill. A chance encounter with Victoria, a brilliant female singer changes his life forever. When she keeps getting rejected and finds herself starving in Paris, its Toddy who comes with a brilliant idea. He asks her to pretend to be a man and then play a female impersonator in a club. With her style she will become popular. Their bets pay off. They become best friends and we have a girl, pretending to man impersonating to be a woman. They soon become talk of the tow...