Marco Berger has come out with another movie that’s really beautiful and sexy, but it’s definitely not like the ones he usually makes where guys are just full of sexual tension. This one is filmed in black-and-white and looks amazing. The director found a really weird way to show how humans connect and how sexuality works by using a "man as a dog" idea. It’s a pretty strange but interesting movie that makes you think. The story takes place in a world that’s parallel to ours, where two straight couples are on vacation on an island. You see two guys on a boat calling out to someone, and then this naked, lonely, and really good-looking guy shows up. In this dreamy kind of world, the group calls him a "man," but he basically acts like a pet dog. In this setup, the word "men" refers to naked male humans that people own as pets, just like we own dogs. People are scared of stray men just like they're scared of stray dogs. There are also "women" who ...
Said to be filmed over a period of two years, this documentary follows the journeys of seven gay men struggling with meth addiction and recovery against a backdrop of an emerging wave of HIV infection. From grappling with the drug's effects on their physical and mental health to wrestling with their darkest sexual desires, Rock Bottom delivers a chilling portrait of a community in crisis. The makers use and show us the breeding grounds for this crystal meth addiction like the bathhouses, locker rooms, porn sets and bedrooms of those for whom sex is inseparable from meth use.
Our subjects freely describe the rush of empowerment and the liberation of libido that lets them enjoy sex without thought or precaution. They all, over a period of time want to get clean and connect with people and have a loving boyfriend. We see guys in different stages of their lives. Its scary to see how almost all of them understand the downside of the drug but are at a stage where they have become so dependent on it there is little they can do anything about it. By the end of it, we do see some of them managing to battle through the addiction. Surprisingly, there is no mention about how these men or even otherwise, a meth addict can go about sobering up. I am not sure if back when this documentary was released, if 12 step program was not a thing; but from hat I know now., that program and CMA kind of programs have immensely helped the gay community to battle many addictions, specifically meth. So definitely in addition to seeing the journeys of these people. I would have also liked to hear more about the proposed solutions here.
It's scary but a very true and real portrayal of the control that crystal meth had over gay men in NYC. The documentary even though is made at an extremely low budget with a hand held camera most times, but it does manage to get one thinking. (5/10)

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