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Stop! That! Train!

By Golu
Coming out of the same studio that gave us RuPaul's Drag Race, and stacked with a whole crew of former contestants, Stop! That! Train! plays like RuPaul basically taking a bow for the entire franchise she's built. It's not really a gay film in the traditional sense, but with so many drag stars from Ru's shows popping up alongside a few cameos from well known out gay actors, I figured it earns a spot on this blog anyway. The whole thing is completely over the top, packed with GenZ slang, loud flashy visuals, and humor that's constantly winking at you knowing how ridiculous it is. Going in you'd assume it's meant to be a laugh riot, and a lot of critics online seem to be eating it up, but I just couldn't get into it at all. I've never really been someone who vibes with campy silly stuff like this, so honestly my reaction doesn't surprise me one bit. The setup follows Tess and DeeDee, two low level stewardesses who sneak onto the fancy Glamazonian E...
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Malanova (Italian)

By Golu
This slow film sensitively examines a gay couple at a crossroads, while exploring the topic of HIV that is as important today as it was a few years ago. Sadly, even though the intent was right, the makers did not have enough story material to play with leading to a lot of quiet shots and not much happening otherwise. The film is visually beautifully shot, but how I wish there was some more substance to it.

Matteo and Riccardo are a couple and they are about to celebrate their sixth month of relationship. As they go on a hike, Matteo has an episode where he feels unwell. It is soon revealed that Matteo is HIV-positive. Surprisingly Riccardo doesn't leave and says he will support Matteo. But despite Matteo asking him also to get tested, he doesn't because he is likely afraid to get to know his own status. Matteo, meanwhile, in unsure about what treatment to take. When Matteo suddenly heads off to visit Enzo, Riccardo is initially suspicious, but he soon learns Enzo is Matteo’s uncle. Enzo helps both men process their feelings and gives the couple perspective about managing both the illness and their relationship from his experiences of all these years. He explains them how times in 80s were different for lovers and especially if you got HIV.

I think the film maker was trying to start a conversation around this topic, because believe it or not, with medical advancements, HIV is not that much talked about today but the fear still remains. Many things around HIV have changed today. The medicine has changed, and the illness can be managed. But, I feel the makers failed to bring forward the point. The only talk we hear is from Enzo from back in the day. Even though Riccardo doesn't run away by the news and knows that with undetectable status he is clean with Matteo; but at the same time he is sacred to know his own status. The film is filled with many affectionate and passionate scenes between the two actors who actually do a fantastic job, but then overall as a film, I was very underwhelmed and was expecting so much more. There is literally no conflict or drama here, despite having a strong subject in hands. (5/10)
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