Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

It was only after I finished watching the film that I realized it was based on a true story. Made for Tv in 1997, on paper this film seems like a couple of other made for TV movies where a mother not only has to deal with a child's death but also their own issues when it comes to learning that their son was homosexual. This film is all that and a little more. The film also tries to highlight the power (in this case, the Navy) which the forces once had to cover up what went on with men in uniform. The year is 1992 and we meet young 22 year old man Allen who is due to return to Navy and how him and his family are going to miss each other but things are different this time. He is brutally beaten to death so bad that his body could be identified only by tattoos, when he was on leave in Japan. The news devastates his mother, Dorothy, which is made worse when she learns from a reporter that Allen was homosexual and he believes that his death was a hate crime down to a couple of homophobi...

Finished is an experimental documentary by film maker William E Jones that traces his obsession with Québécois porn actor Alan Lambert. Lambert saw himself as a revolutionary, ultimately taking his own life in a misguided act of political transgression. Jones’s confessional film takes us from the politics of porn film industry to the consumer appeal of porn trying to understand what led to his muse take his own life. Alan killed himself at age twenty-five to keep from getting old and losing his looks. A last letter, several friends, and a handful of videos point to a contradictory, volatile Alan Lambert, who was very likely manic-depressive. There are no tearful talking heads, no shocking re-enactments, no lengthy excerpts of the suicide letter, and most pointedly, not a single glimpse of full frontal nudity. Alan Lambert's political convictions lead him to criticize the circulation of commodities and the alienation it produces, and yet paradoxically, he sold himself, becoming a co...

At a glance, you may feel that this film is yet another film of unrequited love set in a Catholic boarding school. But actually the more you pay attention to the details, you realize the film is a lot about manipulation as well and how different people at different positions can use their power to get something. A story of passionate romantic relationship between two young pupils of a Catholic boarding school in France and the jealousy of a teacher, this film could have gone so wrong in the hands of a novice director, but here everything is handled with utmost sensitivity. Everyone thinks that they are doing for the best of everyone around them, but things and reasons are sometimes much more deeper than we think and sometimes even what a movie can express. 16 year old Servais, one of the brightest students in the school, a day boarder, has an unlikely friendship (romantic relationship) with 11 year old Souplier, who stays in the school, comes from a poor family and is always messing up...

This was one of the oddest films I have recently seen. Had the film just focussed on just the core story, it might have been slightly interesting, but presenting this as a documentary drama with a LOT of documentary footage of multiple pieces of history and artists, left me utterly confused. These scenes take up almost more than half of the film and it was just hard for me to keep my energies focussed on anything meaningful. Set in Ottawa in 1979, we meet a young Peter Cort, a researcher writing a book on male circumcision. He reaches out to a freelance typist Peter Koosens to get his manuscript typed to be sent to a publication. Peter K has a sexual obsession with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and regularly doctors photographs to depict himself and Trudeau in romantic entanglements, which leads him to constant check in with cops. The two Peters start a bond with each other. They later meet another Peter  who at different times seduces both these men separately and have se...

David Searching is a wanna witty comedy about a frustrated gay documentary film maker and also her female room mate who are navigating through the highs and lows of the New York City of search of love and life. The film is actually just a snapshot in an individuals life, his highs and lows, ups and down in the city. Its not really a set story. The basic plot is very thin actually. David, a young gay man and a wanna be documentary film maker is alone and looking for love. Its been a while since he has been with a guy. He gets hit on by plenty of men but somehow he is struggling to get into a hookup scene. He lives with his female roommate Gwen, who moved in with him after she separated from her husband. David keeps getting missed opportunities courtesy his agent but nothing materializes. One day a mystery man shows up at their apartment, who is apparently the guy who used to live there. Soon he and Gwen start dating. One night David sees a young man Michael at a club getting it on with ...

This film is from way back 1997 and I will not be surprised if this is the first and probably the only few gay themed films I know of from Western African continent. The film is very much out there. It does seem low on production values and slightly amateurish, but maybe that's just how things were. There in the country back then. So I watched this film with a very open mind. Manga and Sory are two young men studying in school and very much in love with each other. Manga tells his widowed mother of the relationship, and Sory tells his father. Both parents forbid their sons to see each other again. Surprisingly their classmates are very supportive of the relationship. Manga's mother turns to witchcraft to cure her son, and he unsuccessfully undergoes a lengthy form of aversion therapy over multiple years. We don't see much of Sory during this time, although we do know that he is not interested in running his father's business but wants to do farming in a village. Manga m...

"Bent" is one of the more famous gay movies of all time that tells a heartrending love story, set against the backdrop of the Holocaust. I had seen this film long back before I started writing my blog, so it was about time I revisited this classic and pen my thoughts here. The film was adapted by a stage play, which is actually evident by t he very stagey feel of the film, but thanks to the wonderful performance of the two lead actors, its a befitting study of repressions, identity and love. Max is an avid gay party organizer in Berlin and seen with ever changing lovers in the decadent nightclub Berlin scene much to the dismay of his boyfriend Rudy. He doesn't care that under Hitler Germany is changing. After a tryst with a gay soldier from a Nazi militia, Max and Rudy find themselves being hunted by soldiers. With the help of his uncle, Max is able to procure papers to leave Germany but refuses to do so unless he gets papers for Rudy as well. Eventually they are captured...

Oscar Wilde, as we all know is one of the most famous playwrights in the history. Wilde's personal tragedy would be of little lasting interest were it not for the enduring popularity of his work and the sensational nature of his fall. I had reviewed another biopic addressing similar story line of Oscar Wilde's life. Finally I got a chance to watch this film that came back in 1997 and starring some of the very big names of today's cinema. The film starts with Wilde's return from his trip to US. Soon he gets married to Constance and they have two sons in quick succession. While their second child is still an infant, the couple hosts a young Canadian named Robbie Ross who seduces Wilde and helps him come to terms with his homosexuality. And soon after Oscar meets Lord Alfred also known as Bosie, played by Jude Law, and is immediately drawn towards him. The two fall into a passionate and tempestuous relationship. Sadly, Bosie doesn't believe in monogamy and constan...

This film was surprisingly a very pleasant watch. I wasn't sure what to expect. Even though at time the film felt a bit stretched, but wonderful performances by its two lead actors made sure as an audience you are never bored. The story is a little all over the place and too many issues have been tried to be dealt with, instead it would have been better to continue to focus on the core couple. Law, a 40-ish man, and a counsellor is in stable relationship for 8 years with his younger boyfriend Sonny. But due to a very unhappy incident in his childhood, he has deep buried the secret of his sexuality and no one except his boyfriend knows. On the contrast, Sonny is happy and proud to be who he is and is deeply in love with Law. Law has a childhood sweetheart and they are very close but he is even afraid to tell her the truth. His father's pressure to get married is always looming over him. When one of his clients force to go with her to mainland, he is approached by a hustler ...

All through watching the film, I was under the impression that this film came out a long time ago. I did have my doubts when there was a scene about AIDS and HIV, so it was slightly difficult to pin-point the time, but only after watching the film I realized that this came out in 1997. So not really that old, as I thought. Filmed in gay clubs and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, the black-and-white film has moments that border on hard-core pornography without actually going over the edge. But more about that later. From a story perspective, the film is quite simple. Kyle has just turned 18 and wants to move out of his parents home in LA. Hi ex, a rich man, is his true friend but he wants to experience the real life. He hangs out in this cafe where he spends time writing poetry and he’s taken under wing by a trio of drag queens. In the same cafe he meets 30 year hunk and stuff Mike and they both have instant mutual attraction. Their passionate one night stand develops into an instant ...

Thank god for a nice funny film. Full of stereotypes and cliches, this hilarious satire pokes fun at both straight and gay attitudes and communities. The concept of a straight man pretending to be gay is not new and I at least have seen a few films in this subject but this was still quite funny. Sure it may be not a gem or a genius film but it does keep you entertained with a constant smile on your face and for me a viewer that does matter quite a bit. Dominique and Pierre have been best friends and business partners. But when they go bankrupt, Dominique doesn't have the courage to tell his wit and kids and pretends to continue to live a lavish life. He also doesn't want to do any menial job. He has a keen eye for antiques. When he goes to sell of his own antique pieces, he gets hired to be the antique guy's partner. But this offer is made under the assumption that Dominique is gay an due goes ahead with it because the money is good. When he starts dressing gay, his wi...

This was such a breath of fresh air. Although the film is over 15 years old, it is probably as relevant as today. I have been watching more and more cinema on gender identity issues and they have all been very interesting and eye-opening for me personally to understand the people better. Th film is comic yet heartbreaking and the subject is very sensitively handled by the director. Seven-year old Ludovic lives in an upper-middle class Belgian suburban neighborhood. He behaves in a way that is quite natural to him, dresses in a dress or skirt whenever possible, and is quite convinced he will be marrying a neighborhood boy, Jerome, the son of his father's boss. He knows a boy doesn't marry a boy , so he will marry Jerome when he becomes a girl. The rest of the family humor him as best they can, rationalizing that Ludovic is only trying to find his identity and will be over it soon. While playing a game Ludovic and Jerome are caught while pretending to marry which is seen by ...

Wow!! It was so refreshing to see a romantic gay film from 90s. The fashion of those ays, the humour of those days and the NYC of those days. Gosh! I miss NY so much. I am really looking forward to being there again asap and live there exactly how I used to. Won't that be interesting !! There was a time when I was a huge fan of rom-coms and somewhere down the line, my fascination for them went down. But I do not regret watching this film. Surely, I am not gonna apply too much logic into the story and hows and whys. After all, the movie ultimately entertained me and brought me some glorious memories of my favorite city. Cynthia, Marc and Robert are young friends in New York City. Marc is a struggling actor, Robert is an actor/songwriter and Cynthia is desperately trying to attract the attention of Tina Brown to break into magazine publishing. All of us who have lived in NYC know all about apartments in New York. Cynthia and Marc luck out when they find an apartment to share in ...

This short narrative feature is directed by Eytan Fox, a famous Israeli gay director. The film is set in a small town in Israel. Mizti and Guri are friends. Guri wants to relocate to Tel Aviv before he's "outed". Guri is the only one who knows about him. We also meet the very obviously gay Nohav as well who likes Guri. They all meet at a dance class. Enter the hunk and macho man Merito. He seduces Mizti on the first day and she ends up having sex with him. Guri and Nohav get some to talk where Guri tells him that yes he is gay but he just wants to get out. Nohav tells him that his dream is to dance with the love of his life and win a local song contest. After getting Mizti in bed, Merito's next target is Guri, which is also a mission successfully achieved. The film ends with Guri getting into an art school in Tel Aviv and he decides to have a final dance with Nohav because he knows the latter has a crush on him. The music has been amply used in this film. This fi...

This film is Ferzan Ozpetek's first film. I have mentioned numerous time on this blog on my fascination for the films he has directed, so I was eagerly looking forward to watching this film as this was his debut. I must say, my expectations were completely met and I was again very happy and satisfied watching his cinema. There is some sort of authenticity, simplicity, complexity of relationships and the family values that make you watch his films and appreciate them. Francesco and his wife Marta live in Rome and they run a small design company. One day Francesco finds out that his long forgotten aunt Anita has died in Istanbul and has left him her house. When he reaches Istanbul, he discovers that the house is actually an old hamam, in an old original part of Istanbul. Due to the downfall of the tradition, the hamam lost its appeal and had to be closed down. Francesco also finds the letters that his aunt wrote to his mom but never posted. He meets the family who was taking car...

Sometimes when you experiment in the way a story is narrated, it backfires on you, because as a director you become very self-obsessed. Thankfully this film does not fall in this category. It still is surprising that not many people might be aware of this film. It is a shame because I have never seen this way of showing flashbacks sequences. It must have been a difficult screenplay to write IMO. A prisoner Simon requests for a specific priest to make a confession. The preist is surprised but gives in and visits the prison not knowing what to expect. He is locked by the prison priest in the confession room and soon a play begins. Apparently Simon wants the priest to do a confession of his own. The play being played by the prisoners is real life story of Simon's young adulthood days. Simon used to attend all Catholic school and was in love with another boy Valier. Their love was pure and secret until one of their classmates (the now priest) finds out about them. He confronts them. Th...

Like every film Clint Eastwood makes, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" is fascinated by the mystery of masculinity: what it means to be a man, and what you have to do to be the kind of man you think you need to be. Based on a book by the same name, the film recounts a complex tale of murder, involving characters who seem your everyday people but carry deep difference underneath. Set in the beautiful town of Savannah, Georgia, the film focuses on a murder and the subsequent trial of Jim Williams: self made man, art collector, antiques dealer, bon vivant and semi-closeted homosexual. John Kelso a magazine reporter finds himself in Savannah amid the beautiful architecture and odd doings to write a feature on one of William's famous Christmas parties. He is intrigued by Williams from the start, but his curiosity is piqued when he meets Jim's violent, young and sexy lover, Billy. Later that night, Billy is dead, and Kelso stays on to cover the murder trial. Along...

This movie is a mix of comedy, drama, satire, spoof and trying to be a little bit of everything, the film at some point in my opinion loses its whole point. Agreed maybe 13 years ago, when the film came out, most of it would have make sense but in today's time, it doesn't anymore. That does not mean that the film doesn't entertain you. It does but at the same time, some repetitive scenes and mostly one dimensional acting prevents it from becoming a better film.  16 year old Dede runs from her mother's home and goes to live with her half bother Bill. Bill is gay and is a school teacher whose partner Tom died of aids few years ago which brought Tom's sister Lucia and Bill very close. Lucia pretty much doesn't have a life outside Bill. Bill now has a new boyfriend Matt. Ever since Dede moves in, she tries to seduce Matt because he is hot and young and eventually succeeds. The affair goes on till Dede finds out that she is pregnant. She convinces matt that he might ...

I feel like of late I have been staring my blogs by saying how this or that film is not particularly a gay film. The reason being that just because a couple of characters happen to be gay, does not make it a gay theme movie which was the original intention behind my blog. But since I happened to see this film because of the gay content, I feel the need to review it here. I dont think I would have even heard or watched this movie otherwise. This film is an emotional coming of age story of a young teenage boy. A well-acted film in which sympathetic and complex characters drive the story (which is nothing much to boast of in the first place)  For financial reasons, Van is taking time off from school and taking care of his handicapped double amputee father. 2 of his close buddies also come in the countryside with beautiful lakes and stuff. Van finds out that his buddies have been stashing their break in loot and weed in the cellar of Van's mother's up for sale house. Unexpectedly a...

This is a very different film. It shows the role of a parent in our modern society, the role of a child, the relationship, the friendship. Its a story about a father and son, so comes the question why is this a gay film? Well, The best friend of the father happens to be gay, so the film on a side also focuses on gay-straight men friendship and how it can all be pure, real and unapologetic. Martín is a wealthy writer who left his family in Buenos Aires five years ago to live and work in Madrid. He has a nineteen year old son Hache who is a restless, foundationless teenager who refuses to go to school preferring to simply play his electric guitar and run with the drug crowd. His mother has remarried and has a new baby and Hache is feeling like a third wheel. He accidentally overdoses on alcohol and drugs and his mother notifies Martín that Hache has attempted suicide to induce Martín to return to Buenos Aires and take back his son Hache. In Madrid, Martín has been living the life of a re...