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 ...
Shot in black and white by cinematographer Nina Kellgren, the film combines archival footage with newly staged set pieces, fantasy sequences, and an imagined love story. The film reclaims and celebrates Langston Hughes as an important black gay voice in American culture. Hughes’ homosexuality is the obsession here, with a Hughes-inspired figure (a man in a tuxedo who bears no physical resemblance to the poet) ogling hunky men who dance and play together in a 1930s nightclub setting. Occasionally, the tuxedo-clad man is walking on a beach, where he discovers a nude man; the two later retire to a bedroom for horizontal activities. Every now and then, vintage film clips of Harlem during the 1930s and scenes from all-black movies interrupt the action.
Honestly, I have now no idea of what I just saw. It felt like a piece of art that made absolutely no sense to me. We just see archival footage and videos of few black men looking and drinking in what can be called as an all men club with some poetry voice over in the background, which I assume if from Langston, but the film just failed to connect with me at any level. As a novice, tt neither gave me any information on who Langston was or what his claim to fame is; nor was the presentation engaging enough for me to even want to know. Being black and gay in 80s was definitely not easy and I would love to see more straight forward narrations of the struggles of the community in those times. This documentary, as it stands, would most likely be loved only by critics and fans of avant-garde wackiness and gay-themed artsy pretension. But to a simpleton like me, it made absolutely no sense. The only redeeming thing about this is that it was under 50 minutes. (1/10)
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