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Avsar (Hindi) [Opportunity]

By Golu
This Hindi movie is a pretty straightforward slice-of-life story that tries to give a modern look at what it's like to be a single, professional gay man. It dives into how he understands who he is, the chances he missed out on, and the personal choices he’s made along the way. The director used three parallel timelines to tell the story, which honestly didn't make much sense to me. While the core idea was actually pretty interesting, I really feel like this would have worked way better as a short film considering the point it was trying to make. Still, it wasn't a bad watch. The plot centers on Rachit, a city professional, and his friend Shikhar as they hang out for an evening. Rachit is a polished, urban guy, while Shikhar has more of a "small-town" rustic vibe, and you can really see the contrast between them when they talk. As the night goes on, Rachit starts thinking back to some old memories from a long time ago. He remembers being an intern after college in ...
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Rock Bottom: Gay Men & Meth (Documentary)

By Golu
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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