Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

The film addresses many of the hypocrisies associated with Peruvian society’s attitude towards homosexuality, and also ties in this attitude with prevalent racist attitudes towards the Indian population. It tells the story of the early adulthood of a gay upper-class Peruvian man, Joaquin, who struggles to live up to everyone’s expectations and to come to terms with his own desires. I have seen only a handful of Peruvian films with gay theme, so this was a welcome change. I am very confident that I had seen this film before because memories were all coming back, but I watched it again and this time I can write the review here as well. The story is primarily about Joaquin, a boy who doesn't fit into the traditional definition of masculinity in Peruvian society. His father takes him for hunting hoping that this will make a man of him He is just 15. In the trip Joaquin tries to make sexual advances to the local Indian boy and is rebuffed badly. When he finishes school, his father takes...

A delectable character study, I am almost sure I have seen this film before , but probably much before I started writing my blog here, so time to revisit and review it here. Back in the day, I am sure it was touted as a refreshing story and study of friendship, love, loyalty and sexual identity. With just 5 primary characters and setting of an allelic lake house in the wilds of Vermont, it was an interesting film, though I have to say that it felt very heavy on dialogues. Way too much talking. Five old friends decide to have a get together after more than 10 years on the eve of another friend's wedding. The host Jonah has been MIA for 10 years since high school graduation and no one has seen or heard form him. Newly engaged Ted and Bev are the first ones to arrive, followed by Alex, a girl who seems chill and can't stop flirting with Ted and finally Rachel, a girl low on confidence who has just been dumped by her boyfriend. Everyone is shocked to see how handsome Jonah has beco...

These kind of silly, comedy of errors, films with stereotypical gay characters must have been quite common in non-western countries back in 80s and 90s. So you have to keep in mind, the time period, when we watch movies like this. A story  of comedy of errors, between twin brothers, between Israel and France, started off well and actually was quite funny till about half point, but then it just got weird and too campy for my taste. Twin brothers Papi and Max have not met each other for 20 years. Papi is a gay, over the top fashion designer in Paris with a young boyfriend and Max is in Israel, running a plumbing company with his wife. One day a lawyer shows up and finds Papi and tells him that an uncle has left them an inheritance of 20 million dollars each with the condition that both brothers need to be married and have three biological children of their own. Papi flies to Israel to meet his brother, who is a player, who has 2 kids so far and a very suspicious wife. He convinces hi...

Yet another film on gay serial killer. I guess given the film came back win 1998, I should probably not roll my eyes. Subjects for gay films were quite limited and a certain section of film makers thought that demonization of homosexuality to be acceptable. I don't mean to bash this film, which it may sound like, this film wasn't bad at all. It was decent with thrill elements and what not. A stranger and a drifter picks up a teenage boy who is in town in hope to become an actor. Conversations soon turn sexual and soon Jack takes a turn, rapes and murders the kid. Detective Vates and his partner are assigned to investigate the case. Vates is a closet gay guy. When another body is found, the two are canvassing the neighborhood, and Vates goes into a gay bar and meets Jack showing him pics. Jack catches on his closet case, invites him for a drink the next night an; they end up in bed together. Jack then ties Vate to bed, steals his badge, and dares Raymond to find him. Jack, is me...

This film is the same old story of acceptance of homosexuality and the long term pain families endure. But given that the film came out back in 98, the subjects dealing with homosexuality were few, so keeping the time release in mind, the subject is pretty decent and a nice attempt to make a meaningful film. A story of love and acceptance and of a community who was still understanding the whole effect of AIDS and spreading the message. The film starts with a wake of Chris who dies AIDS, where his friends are celebrating his life. His ex wife Melissa, and the boyfriend Doug whom he left behind and their mutual friend Gaetano, a party boy under various drug addiction and alcohol issues. Since Chris never reconciled with his family before his death, so Doug is upset when Chris' twin brother Frank shows up. Next day the lawyer tells all four of them that Chris' last wish was for all 4 of them to do the 450 mile, six day charity ride up California coast for AIDS and release his ashe...

I am actually quite surprised that this documentary came out way back in 1998. Described as the first film to give African homosexuals a chance to describe their world in their own words. Often funny, sometimes ribald, but always real, this documentary introduces us to gender pioneers demanding their right to construct a distinct African homosexuality. The film starts with basic vocabulary lessons. The main characters explain for us that a 'woubi' is a male who chooses to play the role of "wife" in a relationship with another man. A 'yossi', is a bisexual man, perhaps married, who accepts the role of a woubi's husband. A 'toussou bakari' is a lesbian. Controus are homophobes who oppose the woubia lifestyle. The film then goes on to introduce us to various characters like an immigrant from Burkina Faso, two cross-dressing prostitutes, a mature transvestite. These people go on to enlighten us their everyday struggles and how they have to survive for ...

I am not very sure what really to make of this film. Clocking at just 45 minutes, this film came in 1998 and actually won a few awards. At the onset the film is trying to showcase the sexual fluidity of its main protagonist, but is also a slice of life at the same time. Is there a message, I don't know, but lets explore that. 18 year old Remi is half French and half Arab. His father is sick and he is taking care of him along with his sister. He studies management and commerce and works part time in a grocery store. Remi responds to an ad in school for a film audition where he meets an older guy Marc who videotapes him audition and before you know they two guys are in bed. While this is going on, we see Remi experimenting with multiple sexual encounters like a random guy in men's room and a girl who grabs him in the street. We also meet an obsessive older lover who wants Remi all to himself. All this is while Remi is being a dutiful son while doing the right thing for his family...

This documentary film is from way back 1998. It is always interesting and educating to see things that have happened in the past in the whole spectrum of various gay rights movement. There are so many stories out there and with every different documentary, you get to learn something new. Its my personal issue that I do not remember most of the stories (am I getting old?) , but these stories are worth telling and worth hearing. The primary story is about Kelli Peterson , a senior in high school in Utah, who was the first person to start a Gay Straight Alliance club in her school. What started off as a safe space for gay and lesbian people to be in their comfort zone soon turned into something that no one would have ever imagined. The event soon becomes political, where a small high school group becomes a national debate and before she realizes Kelli is fighting for her rights and eventually wins it. In between the main story of Keli, we are also told of stories of other very prominent h...

Someone has said it rightly that when you fall in love, you really can't see anything else. Love sometimes has the ability to give sense to an existence which has no meaning. Some love stories can be dark, disturbing, sexy and damaging but you ask people in the situation they will tell you a different story. This film from almost 25 years ago is one such story of first love, first sex and also how love can manipulate you. The story is simple. A young fifteen year old Beni is infatuated with Fogi, the lead singer of a rock band. When Beni confesses his love to Fogi, he takes Beni along with him on various road trips for band performance and also seduces him sexually. Beni's first love and sex with Fogi is like a dream come true and Beni is madly in love. But Fogi is a drug addict and also sleeps around. Beni, hurt initially, soon gets used to the arrangement. But slowly, knowingly and willingly (as a minor), Beni also starts getting deep involved in drug abuse. When Fogi's c...

What an absolutely weird film of another level. This film was an absolute mess. The synopsis of the film sounded interesting and I was looking forward to watching something different, but I can't believe it. It was just a director's self-indulgence of another level and nothing else.  Imagine 2-3 different visuals superimposed on one another and watching this now for 90-ish minutes. You have absolutely no idea what to focus on and what not. Film starts with a gay couple lying on the beach and a film maker asking them that since in the next scene they are supposed to commit double suicide, do they have anything to say to one another. It's a scene that's part real, part film within a film or something else, I am not very sure. At three or four different times focus shifts back to the couple with them continuing to talk about love between them and nothing else.  Effected by superimpositions - 3 at a time throughout - of other images, and interstitial talk to and from behind...

I am not familiar with the name Fracis Bacon, so when I stumbled a film about the renowned painter, especially focussing on his relationship with his lover, George Dyer, a former small time crook; I was looking at this as just another film. In the 50s, Francis Bacon was a famous painter where the subject was the human body seen in anguish and ugliness. He liked a crowd at lunch and didn't mind picking up the check and him along with his friends used to frequent a club with a roomful of bohemians--some rich, some poor, some gay, some straight, all drunks. One night while he is sleeping, a burglar George breaks in through the skylight, who knows nothing about him or his paintings. Bacon awakens and makes him a deal: "Take your clothes off and come to bed. Then you can have whatever you want." George stays on as Bacon's lover. Bacon likes to get dominated by George in private but he is a sort of sadist in public. Their relationship grows but eventually part of both grows...

I had read a lot of articles how this film has some of the best one-liners in this gay camp comedy. I mean, I wasn't expecting any earth shattering cinema, but these kind of films are really not my cup of tea. Maybe 10 years back, but not these days. The background music was so loud that it was really hard to even understand what's unfolding on the screen. Homo Heights is a gay community in town. An older man Malcolm is somewhat of an idol in that community. He wants to move on and leave the town but the gay-mafia boss, a drag-queen named Maria Callous, needs Malcolm in town to keep her power. Then there is a plethora of characters that keep showing up in what I would call a completely disjointed, confusing mess. There are so many side plots in this movie it takes until about 3/4 into the film that you actually understand where everyone stands. I was watching the film but it was as if my brain has refused to function. I couldn't fathom. Thank God for the fast forward button...

This film released way back in 1998. I was still in closet and this was first Indian film as far as I remember, which had a prominent gay character which was not normalized and not caricaturist. I secretly watched the film on dvd. So, even though the whole movie is not really queer, 1 of the 3 guys is gay and his story is equally important, so it was fun just reliving those moments.  Three young boys of India origin arrive in Mumbai at the same time. Krishna is a budding actor from NYC, Ricardo is here to find his long lost brother and is from Australia, and finally Xerxes, a musician from London, is here to discover himself. they meet at airport and decide to find a place together. In lure of movies, Krishna finds himself entangled in the underground world of Don Mastana. Ricardo, the serious-looking Australian, finds out the sad fate of his brother, but also manages to fall in love with Mastana's spunky moll Dolly, igniting further flames. Xerxes, who's a Parsi, is led to emb...

At less than an hour, this tiny little film came out in 1998. I guess it was made for TV but I could be wrong. Anyway its about two flamboyant gay teenage boys (who totally are in denial about their sexuality) who can't wait to grow up and get out of New Zealand take a trip to Rangitoto Island and recall their friendship. Jamie and Lemmy meet at school and become fast friends after a rather weird gay bashing teenage incident. They both are rather effeminate, yet neither self identifies as gay yet. They are rather rebellious, often cutting class to go on adventures. Their families find their friendship odd but they really cant do much about it. They are both drawn to homosexuality but then they both always make lewd and horrible comments about gays and how they should not be here and all that. In fact they even go to public restrooms to create troubles. They fight it to the point of doing some horribly obnoxious things to those they suspect are gay. However, when they start exa...

I dunno why but my reactions watching first few minutes of the film was that this is going to be another disaster. One of those poorly acted low budget movies which takes its audiences for granted. A full on campy film. Rather, it threw a pleasant surprise by being a touching love story between a boxer struggling to come out and accept his sexuality and an up-and-coming music producer who has been around the block for a while. Craig is a boxer who makes money by fighting in back alleys. His elder brother worries about him but since his wife doesn't like Craig, he stays away. Struggling with his sexuality, he hangs outside a gay bar where he meets Matt, who happens to be the manager there and also a music producer. Craig gets too talk to him and brings him back to his apartment for sex but changes his mind and asks Matt to leave. But the next days he goes to club again, so that he can spend a day to hang out with Matt and not just have sex. The two get really close. But Matt...

This film has been on my watchlist for a long time but then I kept on postponing this viewing for some reason or the other. No specific reason, it someone didn’t seem interesting enough to watch it. I mean it was set in late 90s, so I just had to be a in a different mindset before I saw this film. Thankfully its a rainy day and I thought, maybe today is the day. Touted as the ill-fated romance where the past of a few individuals connect with each other in the present makes the crux of the film. Jet is an extremely charming and handsome hustler who knows his strengths and plays by it. One day he notices a young couple Sam & Kana and somehow their closeness gives him a sense of warmth and he takes a liking for Sam. When Jet tells about this to his closest friend Ching, he tries to help him by putting an ad in newspaper. A chance encounter again with Sam changes things. It turns out Sam is a police officer and they both instantly hit it off. They become extremely close friends an...

The film started off so promising but I think after a while the writer was sort of lost and wanted to cover up a lot of things and issues in a short time. There are not many films based on gay Jews , so it was refreshing to see one. The film positively shows how one man balances being gay and Jewish by having him marry for a bribe. It tried to show how a Reform Jewish family and an Orthodox Jewish family comes together to celebrate their children's wedding. Simon is a young gay Jewish man living in France. He is out to his family and is in love with his Cousin David, who is getting married. His financial situation is not good and his uncle who doesn't have any children, offers him all his wealth and mansion if he marries a girl and keep their family name going on. Initially Simon laughs it off even arguing with his mother but when his uncle cuts all his finances, he has no choice left. Enters Rosalie' an awkward unhappy virgin Jewish girl who sings to earn money and wh...

This film could as well be an equivalent of a chick flick, except this one is for gays. A cute subject, a simple and engaging direction with pretty above average performances definitely make this film a good fun time pass. I saw this film about 5-6 years ago, before I started writing this blog, so I had to watch this film again to give a fresh perspective to the film when I write about it. The story is pretty simple. Anthony, a fireman is very much in love with Amy and they are gonna get married soon. Victor a neighborhood boy has a huge crush on Anthony (and I think Amy is aware of it). Anthony has always fantasized of Amy with another women for a 3some. Initially reluctant, Amy finally gives in on his bachelor party day but try soon there is a twist. She asks Anthony to do a 3some with a guy before she does that with a girl. Enter Victor, who is more than glad to help. Funny incidents happen leading to Victor going out on a 'date' with Anthony and his friends who after a per...

This film falls under the gay romantic comedy genre. There are not many gay themed films that are known in mainstream Hollywood but this is one of the films that common man has at least heard of, maybe because it premiered in the very reputed Sundance Film festival way back in 1998. Jack from Will & Grace is our main protagonist here and plays his part very well. There is a main theme that the movie targets but then there are all these things that go on the side. The name of the film comes from Billy's latest project which is a series of remakes of famous Hollywood screen kisses. Billy is a photographer by profession. He moved to LA from Indiana when he released that no one in Indiana is gonna accept him for who he is. His best friend Perry is gay, (and I think Perry likes Billy but Billy has no idea about that) and his room mate is his fag hag Georgiana. Billy is sleeping around with Fernando who has a boyfriend but they have a fling on the side. Tired of being the 'other...

In 1998, when this film was released on TV, I am sure it must have made a good impact. In those days, being gay was not talked about openly (at least not that I know of). And to top that, it is not about a struggling teenager. Instead the drama is heightened by the fact that the lead character is a happily married man. The film is apparently based on a true story. Elaine has been happily married for 20 years to Jim. A successful doctor, she has two beautiful teenagers, a stable career and two houses: one in the city and one in the country. However, her life is shattered in an instant when she discovers that Jim is having an affair with a man. She reacts very strongly to the whole truth and so does her colleagues. It is not only their personal lives that gets affected but it is also the professional life of both the characters. With this realization, both the teenage son and daughter are no struggling to accept the truth. The mother initially heart-broken tries her best to keep the fam...