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Reviews
Arrival (2016)
Love In The Present Beats Pain In The Future
We know the acting will be good since the main characters are played by excellent performers. The movie is all about the story and the ending is both an exciting and, at least for me, an unexpected surprise. Do we stop ourselves from loving because we know it will bring us the most enormous pain or do we go ahead and make the most of the present because no matter what the future holds love in the present will always beat pain and suffering in the future
The Pass (2016)
Russell Tovey Made The Movie
This movie may not be the first to present what many professional athletes chose to do when faced with the decision of career or sexual orientation. However, it sure was the first to showcase in such great detail the amazing performance by Russell Tovey. I knew Tovey could act but I really think this was without doubt his best performance to date by miles. Many people complain that the movie is too slow but I found it perfectly paced.
Esteros (2016)
Quiet, Relaxed, Unsurprising
This movie would not win any awards in the originality department but it does the unoriginal bits pretty well. Boy meets boy, boys fall in love, boys get separated, boys turn into men, men meet again 10 years later, men fall in love again = Formula that works. I don't think I've seen this mentioned in any of the reviews I read. The song that plays both when the kids dance together the first time and then when they dance again as men is important because of the lyrics: "Love like ours should never die." Aside from that, I only wish I found the person for Esteban Masturini. That haircut was awesome
The Happy Sad (2013)
Tried Too Hard
I read the comments from the director about this movie and how he wanted to show the new generation's sexual fluidity and how much more open sexually they are. While the movie certainly shows that, I think the director fell in his own trap and tried to convince his audience that said fluidity is good and turns out okay. Different things work for different people but personally I could not relate to someone who is willing to forget that last week his lover of six years was telling him he loved someone else and this week he's telling him he doesn't love that someone else, only him. While the director painted an almost fairy tale ending - just watch the final scene while the credits roll, the question that popped in my head and stuck there was "would Marcus have done the same thing if Stan had responded positively to his declaration of love" or "and what would have happened if Stan had showed up the day after the birthday and had told Marcus that he overreacted, that he was sorry, and that he was in love with him too"? Unfortunately, the movie took the easy way out and chose to portray these very serious consequences and just brushed them under the carpet
Call Me by Your Name (2017)
Absolute Masterpiece
If this is even close to how good the book was, I envy the people who have read it. I just finished watching it and I will be buying it shortly for download because I can't wait for bookstores to open. Who cares that the main characters were gay! The love story was so pure, so sublime, so ethereal it felt like a lazy summer afternoon. The pace was so masterful that at the end of the movie I felt like I didn't want to wake up from a great dream. I liked how the movie is romantic, beautiful, insightful, has the best "I love you" I have heard in years ("Elio... Oliver...") and one of the best monologues I've been lucky enough to watch in film and at the same time it's not a fairy tale, it's life with ups and downs, happiness and sadness.
Elijah's Ashes (2017)
Surprised at the High Review Score
This has got to be one of the worst movies I have ever watched. I was going to stop at around 15 minutes but I thought I would give it a chance. How mistaken I was to think that the movie would improve. I guess this is supposed to pass as a black comedy but in reality it felt like I was watching a rejected episode of South Park. The jokes fell flat, the character had no charisma, the script was stiff and and the characters were one-dimensional, the film exploited stereotypes, and I probably could go on but I've already spent enough time on a movie that wasn't worth it in the first place
Waterloo Road (2006)
Entertaining in a Scary Way
I can see the appeal that this series had when it originally aired. I've had the chance to "binge" on it and at times it's been quite entertaining. However, maybe because I'm watching the episodes without the need for interruption, the plots are quite fresh in my memory from installment to installment. The series suffered a horrible lack of good writers. The plots didn't only push credibility but at times were completely wacky (a student gets expelled for cheating but one who poisons all his classmates isn't). It was also interesting to watch how none of the good guys seemed to pay any consequences associated with their actions and miraculously reappeared in the next season without a blemish. I also found interesting how the description claims that there is a school like this everywhere in Britain, which I found scary because if students are allowed to behave like this kids do it is no wonder Britain is having the myriad problems it's having
Steel (2015)
A Story To Remember
I have watched this movie several times and every time, it pulls at my heart strings. I cannot make it past one of the final scenes without getting teary-eyed and to this day I keep finding little clues that I have missed in the previous viewings. This movie is similar to The 6th Sense, you need to go back and watch closely so you can see how many things make sense once you know what actually is happening. I was not like many people who figured out the plot from the beginning and the first time I watched it, it took me completely by surprise. Of course, the eye candy doesn't hurt either!
People You May Know (2016)
Of Two Minds About This Film
This is one of those films that I've replayed in my mind and I keep going from "I like it" to "I don't like it." The acting was good, the editing was good, the script was okay, but I just didn't like the subject matter of the baby. I've always had a dislike for films that portray gay men as "suddenly bi" after years of being gay. Moreover, I have a problem with the relationship being between two very good friends (male/female) maybe because in my whole life I have never come across one of these situations in real life or even heard of one. Moreover, I don't like the cheating aspect of the relationship. So, as a movie it is not bad but the script was something I didn't quite like but as we all know, that' something very subjective
And, There You Are (2010)
Made It to My Top-Ten Worst Movies Ever
I am a pretty generous critic when it comes to movies. There are some films, however, that beg the question: how did this ever get made? This movie is one of those. I came across it by chance and it soon turned into a game to see if I could spot one redeeming good quality about it. Unfortunately, from the acting, the script, the bad jokes, to the sad gay stereotyping I could not find anything good to say about this movie.
Órói (2010)
Good Script
Overall, I liked the "coming out" part of the story. It rang very true and I could identify with the situations the characters experienced. The rest of the movie, though, felt like it lacked focus, like it tried to accomplish too much and in the end it did most everything okay when fewer story lines might have worked much better.
Tom à la ferme (2013)
Very Good Movie
Just recently saw this film and I was impressed. The film grabs you at the beginning and doesn't let go until the very end. Dolan does a masterful job not only at directing but also at playing the main character and the supporting cast is also excellent. The movie is a mix of thriller, suspense, psychological warfare, comedy, drama, and an overall great film. I strongly recommend it
Comme les autres (2008)
A Gay Film Written By A Straight Man or Woman
The film looks really good, the actors are handsome, the cinematography is good, and overall the movie has good quality. Unfortunately, the script leaves a lot to be desired. I am tired of seeing movies that perpetuate the myth of the gay man who has a fling or even a one-night stand with a straight woman, the "right" woman. I have yet to meet one or even hear of one gay man in real life to whom this has happened. At least if the character they presented was bisexual this would make sense but when they portray the character as totally gay and somehow the "right woman" makes him forget he's gay, the movie moves into the realm of impossible and that only does a disservice to the gay community and spreads untruths to the world at large. Furthermore, the change of some of the characters simply does not make sense (why is it that suddenly one partner absolutely does not want a baby and then all of a sudden he has no problem with it and then is happy with it). The movie is not boring but it's not something I would recommend unless you have nothing better to watch
Como la espuma (2017)
Good Group Fun
Don't expect an Almodovar film but overall, not a bad movie. Entertaining, with lots of eye candy. Several interesting plots that intersected pretty well even if at times I asked myself "why doesn't so and so do this" or "why is so and so such a wet rag." Nevertheless, pretty enjoyable even if my personal choice would have been a different ending because I have a weakness for the underdog and for those who show undying loyalty and who know that loving someone sometimes requires the biggest sacrifice of all.
Do You Take This Man (2016)
Wow, What a Sensational Surprise!
Once in a very long while I come across a movie that portrays gay characters without having to make an issue of the "gay" part and treats them simply like other human beings. This movie managed to make mention of many different LGBT issues with a lot of class and insight but without being militant about them. Maybe the script was a bit predictable but that's to be expected in this genre. After all, romantic comedies about the night before a wedding really don't have many possible outcomes (either they get married or they don't). The sensational aspect of this movie for me was the acting, the adult dialogue that mostly stayed away from clichés, the superb directing that gave the film an excellent pace, and for those of us who are hopeless romantics, it provided one of the greatest exchange of vows I've seen in a very long time. Definitely worth watching if you have the chance
Die Mitte der Welt (2016)
A Wonderful Film Definitely Worth Watching
I have watched this film twice, first when it came out and today. I must say that I enjoyed it immensely both times but today, on the second viewing, I was able to pick up even more nuances of the script, the plot, and the acting. It is very difficult for a film where there is translation involved to grasp the viewer unless the actors are able to convey the script through their emotions. This film manages to do that, at times I almost felt like I spoke German because I could feel what the characters were feeling.
I have seen a few comments from people that did not like this movie and I respect them. Personally, I think it was an extremely well made film, with good acting, a good script, an excellent plot that provided just enough of a happy ending without turning it into a fairy tale. This is one of those movies that left me feeling sad for some of the events that happened in it but at the same time made me feel happy for the hopefulness of the ending