This documentary is nearly twenty years old now, and it follows a gay couple as they navigate the stressful and exciting journey of their first pregnancy through surrogacy. You get to see it all— the hope, the nerves, and the dramatic hurdles they have to clear along the way. Back in the day, this was probably a massive deal, but since I’ve known a few gay couples who’ve gone through this exact process, some parts felt a bit dated to me. I liked bits and pieces of it, but I also felt like the film stays pretty surface-level. It doesn't really dive into the deep, complicated reality of life after the baby actually arrives. If only raising a kid were actually as simple as this movie makes it look! Erik and Mark have been together in New York for ten years, and since they feel solid in their relationship, they decide they’re ready to raise a child. They start the hunt for a surrogate and eventually connect with Wen, a wife and mom from Maine who agrees to carry the baby for a standard...
Teenager Marcos lives with his family on a rural farm. He is a very shy kid and we see him wanting to experiment with cross dressing. When his father suddenly dies, he has to share responsibilities with his brother and mother of the farm. On the carnival night, he dresses as a seductive girl pretending to be Marilyn. The town goon likes him and rapes him after the carnival, which I believe Marcos secretly was looking forward to. But because of this, his secret is outed to his family and his mother burns all his clothes. Fortunately, things take a positive turn when Marcos meets openly gay peer Federico at a convenience store in town, and the two begin a relationship. Federico's family accepts Marcos but when Marcos suddenly invites him for dinner at his home, his mother brutally beats him up. This scares Federico and also he doesn't appreciate lies told by Marcos. Marcos is now even more snubbed by his mother and brother and he takes the inevitable extreme step to possibly end his misery.
The rural farm environment forms a strong backdrop of the film and is very much a character. And hence, when the 5 minute carnival scene comes, you see the contrast to the mundane life that Marcos is living. He is dancing with joy, rhythm and vigor, something that you don't see him with in his day to day activity. The film is slow and definitely will not be everyone's cup of tea, but it did remind of the film "Harvest" that I saw long back just because of the setting and slow pace, but still beautiful film. There is a lot more silence here but every scene still speaks to something. Marcos, as an actor does a splendid job. Without saying much his face, his eyes and his body speaks volumes of what he is going through. The pain of his father's death, dancing as Marilyn in the carnival, his mother's anger and eventual possibility of love with Federico. You feel for the boy at every step of the way.
A true story, an unexpected ending and a quiet yet strong film. It's an indie arthouse gem if you are craving for something very different. (7/10)
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