Skip to main content

Straight (Spanish)

Based on the title, I was hoping that the film would be half decent, but seriously, the makers took a paper thin plot and I am amazed how they managed to make a full fledged film out of it. This film could easily have been wrapped up in a very quick short film. The film explores themes of sexuality, relationships, and identity

32 year old busy banker Roberto has a decent life going with his girlfriend Elia. Roberto is very well dressed, doesn't like clutter, neat freak etc. Things change when he meets a young college going kid Cris through an app. Cris comes over to his house a few times and they talk about multiple things while having drinks (assuming it's a way of Roberto delaying the moment of sex) and Cris making him rethink of his sexuality because maybe he is gay. One weekend when Elia is away, Cris spends the night and Elia shows up unexpected the next day. She doesn't think much but clearly this makes Roberto very uncomfortable with the situation and meanwhile Cris and Elia hit it off really well. An affair of sorts starts between Cris and Roberto, making Roberto very confused. Around same time, Elia proposes for them to move in together and Roberto vehemently disagrees (again likely because he is still exploring or unsure of his sexuality) and then in a bizarre and unexpected end, Roberto proposes to Elia and Cris is shown walking away in sadness.

The film is almost all shot in an apartment, given that it's adapted from a play, barring a few scenes. Interestingly, the way it has been shot to cut between the scenes , it still feels very much like watching a play. The big problem here in the film is completely lack of depth. Cris and Roberto engage in all kinds of meandering conversations and same goes for Ro & Elias' interactions as well. The film is likely trying to delve into profound issues like self-discovery, acceptance, and the struggles faced by LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly in regions dominated by machismo and heteronormative norms. Roberto's crisis does not arise from a sudden discovery, but from the sustained conflict between what he wants, what he feels and what he thinks it should be. It's some level of internalized homophobia, and the challenges of coming out in developing countries. Actors do a decent job. I found the actor playing the lead role particularly handsome. Was there a reason to show almost a 10 year difference between two male leads intentional? Likely so. Maybe the idea is to show difference between them not only poses a generational contrast but also a different relationship with sexual freedom. With its unexpected ending, the film does not propose an answer but a question that crosses an entire generation: to what extent are we free to love if love continues to be conditioned by how we perceive ourselves and how we expect to be perceived? Overall, sadly it was a disappointment. With flat characters, a shallow execution (this would definitely work better in a play format), this ended up being an overall predictable story with very little charm. (4/10)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Shortest Distance is Round 3: Fallen Flowers

Continuing with the weird trilogy of "The Shortest Distance", I am so glad that finally I am done with part 3 and won't have to deal with this again in future. Thankfully, as of now the makers have not announced any further parts; which will save all of us on this earth from the embarrassment of watching this in near future. After the first 10 minutes are used in sort of recapping bits of first two parts, the story moves forward. Haruto is now starting to have feelings for Ruka, the mysterious pole dancer from second part. In a fit of rage, Ruka ends up killing the goat man and to save him and Haruto, Shibahara asks them to go underground. Meanwhile Shibahara continues the search for Seiya (the guy who had cut off Haruto's penis). It turns out Seiya is now also taking care of the original club owner from part 1. Both of them were released after they had informed Shibahara of Aoyama's secret location. Shibahara tortures Seiya's boyfriend leading to Seiya killin...

Sei no Gekiyaku (Japanese) [Dangerous Drugs of Sex]

Every person has their own unique way of dealing with loss. This film is as much a psychological thriller as it is a soft porn BDSM portrayal of two young men that makes the film overall horrifying as well as humane. It is really hard to describe the genre of this film in one word. Its important not that the film has some really disturbing scenes so if you go into seeing this film, please proceed with caution. Although any sexual non-consensual activity is not ok, this film has its won strange way of showing that suicide is not the only solution to all life's problems. Makoto is a regular office goer, who just finds out that his girlfriend is probably cheating on him. ON top of it, his parents sudden death coming back from a trip that he forced them to take, he gets completely dejected and decides to commit suicide. Unknown to him, he is saved by mysterious man Yoda Ryoji, and he wakes up finding himself tied up in leather and belts in a very BDSM setting. This mysterious saver soo...

One Summer Night (Korean)

I really wanted to like this film but for non native speakers, these movie leaves a lot to be understood and the way scenes were unfolding in front of me, I wasn't sure many times what was really going on. The story had potential button getting any back story on any of the characters limited my ability to empathize with any of these actors. Film starts with two North Korea military guys Yong Joon and Jae Sung having sex and they are caught red handed and they run. Three years later we see Yong Joon in Seoul leading a very mundane and poor life. He has a boyfriend Tae-Kyu, who is a weird guy. He is carefree, doesn't do any work and is completely emotional and financially dependent on Young Joon. In fact, even Yong Joon will go to any lengths to protect him , fend for him and taking care of him to the extent of even taking up prostitution. Suddenly one day Jae Sung appears in their life again. His motivation is not clear but it is obvious he wants Yong Joon back in his life, who ...