Jonathan (German)

This one is a pretty interesting movie. It was apparently marketed as a gay film, but I honestly don't think that’s the right way to label it. The main character isn't even the gay one here. It’s really a deep, emotional story about a tense relationship between a father and a son, where it’s actually the dad who is gay. You kind of pick up on hints about it throughout the whole movie, but it isn't until he actually says the words out loud that you feel those familiar "coming out" vibes and the weight behind them.

The plot itself is fairly straightforward. Young Jonathan spends all his time working on the farm and looking after his dad, who is really sick with cancer. His aunt helps out with the farm work, but there's some kind of major drama between her and her brother, so she refuses to actually go see him while he’s dying. Between the farm chores and trying to manage all these delicate family problems, Jonathan barely has a second for himself. When a female nurse shows up to help care for his father, Jonathan finally gets some of the love and attention he’s been missing, but the one thing he’s dying for is to know more about his mother. His dad just flat-out refuses to talk about her. Everything shifts when an old friend named Ron shows up out of nowhere. Ron jumps right in to help take care of the dad, and his presence starts unearthing all these hidden family secrets. It turns out Ron and the father used to be lovers, but the father ended up marrying a woman and just couldn't make it work. Back when Jonathan was a little kid, his mother got sick and the father just left her all alone, which eventually led to her committing suicide. Jonathan isn't really as mad about his dad being gay as he is about how his mother was treated and how things ended for her. It puts Jonathan in a whole new world of hurt, anger, and pain. As the dad gets closer to the end, the sister finally makes peace with him too, and everyone gathers together to bury him. By the end, Jonathan finally has a chance to maybe live a life for himself.

It’s all done very delicately and sensitively, with acting that’s subtle and really pulls you in. It’s an upsetting movie, but it doesn't feel too grim. You don't see many films about father-son dynamics that have this kind of gay twist. The movie is shot beautifully, looking super aesthetic in the heartlands with gorgeous greenery everywhere you look. I have to say, the first half of the film definitely takes every chance to show off the lead actor’s chiseled torso and killer cheekbones for maximum "hotness." It never misses an opportunity to have him rip off a tight T-shirt, go skinny-dipping in these sun-dappled woods, or have sex outdoors on the back of a truck. As a viewer, you’re kind of sitting there wishing he was the gay character because the guy is just hot! But oh well. At least the dad gets a chance to be honest with himself and his son before he goes. When Jonathan reacts with what looks like homophobia, it felt to me more like he was just shocked rather than disgusted. All he wanted was the truth about his mom, so he feels totally cheated as these layers of secrets about his dad come out one by one. Luckily, he forgives his father and even has an emotional hug with his father’s lover, showing a kind of acceptance. It’s time for everyone to move on, and you hope Jonathan finds something real with the nurse who was there for him the whole time. On the downside, the movie can feel pretty slow at points, and it gets a bit uneven when it focuses too much on just being "pretty" to look at. Still, it’s a decent watch.

The film is a beautifully shot, emotional look at family secrets and the messy process of forgiveness, even if the pacing drags a bit. It’s a unique take on the coming-out story told through the eyes of a son. (6/10)