Skip to main content

Se Gennem Aske (Danish) [In Ashes]

By Golu
Spanning the five-year period after an intense teenage break-up, this Danish film is an unconventional coming-of-age tale, where the film focuses on the lead protagonist's inability to get over his first heartbreak. The past lovers details are slowly revealed, but also never fully explained on why the breakup happened, but in the process we are shown a fraught modern gay love.

We meet 20-something Christian, a university student, who spends his time between studying and clumsy casual sex using the app but he seems to find no real release in his trysts. He’s awkwardly torn between feeling bad when his hookups leave right away and freaking out when guys want to take it slow and get to know him. The entire film focuses on him meeting many new folks but hardly making connections, but he was not like this always. Through multiple flashbacks we are shown how he was extremely happy with his then boyfriend Aske. Form his first date with him to full of romantic ideas, he used to be a very positive man, but something somewhere went wrong. In present time Aske has completely ghosted him and is not responding to any of his messages. Christian is so heartbroken (although he never shows) he is now very dependent on cigarette, beer and sex and is getting further away from his very loving mother and sister. When one day he sees Aske again on the app, Christian’s pain and curiosity begin to transform into obsession. He makes a fake profile to stalk him and eventually shows up to a bar to meet him. Aske's cold response leave him extremely surprised but thankfully something in him awakens and he asks his mother for help. The film ends on a positive note a year later within having potentially found true love.

This is an interesting film to watch. As audience, one could interpret his cavalier sex life as just part of being a gay 20-something in the big city, or as a reaction to his breakup with Aske. Is he seeking external validation through sex? Is it a destructive cycle? We are never shown for real reason for breakup between them and why was Christian so obsessed with Aske. I did like the fact that Christian tries to make connections with his hookups, but as he says, there was no connection and it all just ends every time after sex. I forget the name of the film, but few months back I had seen another film that focuses on how hard it truly is to find love these days and just how difficult it is being young in a chaotic, lusty and hyper liberal environment. The film offers a fresh take on modern dating and digital hook-up culture in the gay community, exploring the tension between casual sex encounters and the longing for deeper emotional connection. The actor playing Christian does a great job. Even though action wise there may not be much happening on the screen but he does a good job of portraying how his mind is always at work looking for that connection and still wondering why Aske just left him. Guy playing Aske has very little screen time but he is a beautiful actor. I also liked how supportive Christian's family was throughout. I think a lot of people will be able to connect with the subject. The film is less than 90 minutes which makes it for an ideal runtime of a film of this genre. (6/10)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

By Golu
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...
3 comments
Read more

One Summer Night (Korean)

By Golu
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 ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Shortest Distance is Round 3: Fallen Flowers

By Golu
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...
5 comments
Read more