Once a Year on Blackpool Sands (UK)

Apparently based on a true story and adopted from a stage play, this film ideally should have been a story of inspiration, triumph and hope. Sadly the film keeps moving from confusion to brilliance to outright disappointment in the sense that I felt the filmmaker couldn't figure out where exactly they want to focus on in the film an din the process they address way too many sub plots that just add to the confusion. The fact that I was not invested in the lead pair at all was clearly not a good sign.

The film opens in 1980s where Eddy and Tommy, in their last stages of AIDS are surrounded by friends and a friends starts tor count the story of their youth. Its 1953 and living in a close knit mining community, Eddy and Tommy have been having a secret gay love affair. These are the times when homosexuality is illegal and community gossip could be deadly for both. Eddy comes from a troubled family and Tommy and his family has always stood by for him. Once every year, the community goes for a trip to Blackpool and its only here that the duo find freedom and peace where they can spend a week of love, physical closeness and be there for one another. The place where they stay is run by a group of women who ar aloud and snobbish. Here Tommy and Eddy meet a transvestite Elbridge, who is trying to find the courage to walk from the North Pier to the South as a woman. This whole group of a few oddball characters, they find the courage and bravery, they initiate the first walks towards gay pride in the UK as they walk the length of Blackpool pier, defying prejudice and abuse. Back to current times, the younger people sitting around dying Tommy and Eddy discuss and realize that without the courage and bravery of individuals throughout history, we would not be where we are today.

I have many issues with this film. I really really wanted to like the film and tried my best, but the film never gave me an opportunity to connect with Eddy and Tommy as lovers. In between mining guys throwing their masculinity around, Eddy's problems at home and them navigating on where and how to make love, the proceedings left me confused and disjointed and I couldn't figure out what do I need to focus on. Its only very late in the game that we witness the pure binding love between Tommy and Eddy which happens much too late in the film. And just when that is happening, we are then again introduced to plethora of many other new "misfit" characters, distracting us from therein journey. that without the courage and bravery of individuals throughout history, we would not be where we are today. The friends surrounding the couple in present 80s time are as stereotypical as you can get with one person o a specific trait to cover the whole LGBTQ spectrum. that without the courage and bravery of individuals throughout history, we would not be where we are today.

Having said that, the film does show promise in a few places. The performances of the leads is exemplary, but the screenplay and the direction fails big time. As a gay couple living in fear of community isolation and ostracisation as they navigate their love, the two leads fir their part to the glove. An attempt has been made as to how Blackpool played a significant part in the first sparks of emerging gay rights but sadly nothing gets the attention and focus it deserves. The film could have been so much more to show the oppression of this community back in 50s, freedom and defiance and how people came together, but sadly for me, this film major ly fails to achieve that. A beautiful UK film 'Pride' , which came few years back is how films like this should be made. This is an excellent opportunity that went hugely wasted sadly. (4.5/10)