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On The Sea (UK)

This one's a beautiful, tender, quiet romantic drama with a moody atmosphere, set in a tight knit Welsh fishing community. It's a touching story about a man waking up sexually in the middle of his life, and how he, his family, and everyone around him deal with it, which makes it emotional and sentimental without ever getting over the top. The slow burn plays out against a landscape that's as bleak as it is gorgeous, where quiet, closed off men are stuck inside rigid ideas of what masculinity should be. Some people might be reminded of "God's Own Country," but I think both films are lovely in their own way. Jack is a middle aged guy who co-owns a mussel farm with his rough around the edges brother Dyfan, and the tension between the two of them is simmering under the surface right from the start. Dyfan's three sons all help out with the work, while Jack's sulky teenage son Tom keeps skipping out. Jack's been with his wife since they were both 16, and...

Arizona Sky

Sometimes the simplest of the movies touch your heart. A simple story, natural (or maybe not) acting, a relationship based on pure love and emotions; his is what summarizes this movie for me. 

Kyle and Jake are high school best buddies growing up in Arizona. They fooled around one night but even then they thought they liked each other but feared what people would say. They are getting together for what appears to be a regular night of “sleeping out” in the desert. The pangs, ache and longing of first love are evident in these two beautiful young men. They eat some supper and then curl up on blankets for an evening of necking in the back of Kyle’s old pickup truck. But we realize that Jake is moving out of the small town to the big city. 15 years later, we see Jake is doing very good for himself in the movie business but still cannot his buddy Kyle whom he hasn't seen forever. He decided to take a break from city life and visit his old town back. After an awkward initial introductions, the friends are back together. The two now-grown men reconnect and the spark is still there. Kyle is in the closet with his gay desires, but all of his feelings spill to the surface as he and his old friend get to know each other better. Against all odds finally they confess their love for each other and decide to live with each other in the small town. If not for a couple of very beautifully executed sequences, this movie would have fallen flat. The chemistry and awkwardness that you see between the 2 men when they meet after 15 years is so evident as is the spark. My favorite is the scene when Jake confesses his love for Kyle. Oh! that touched my heart Wonderful piece of acting. Also the conversation between Kyle and his aunt is touching. The scene where Jake helps one of Kyle's friends is also good showing us what a nice guy Jake is. Of course he is very handsome too. Just for that one scene, my ratings for the film went up. A slow film but def worth watch for love. (7/10)

Comments

GC from France said…
A pretty decent movie that will make you shed a tear towards the end. Not the kind of movie that sticks to your heart forever though, but worth watching.
Unknown said…
Jeffrey London directed this film and he's actually a guy who, a little disillusioned by Hollywood, decided to move back to his native Arizona. So, in some respects, the character of Jake is reflective of Jeff, the director, coming home. That line near the end where Jake says "Hell, I can make movies anywhere, this is the modern world and that's what planes are for" signals the fact that the man has found home again and really, home to Jake is Kyle and being in the man's arms. I originally had the director's cut of this film and I know it was shot on a very low budget. For instance, the night shots of Jake and Kyle in the truck or in the truck bed where actually filmed in the garage at Jeff London's house in Arizona. A small note, it is Kyle who finally tells Jake that he loves him after Jake makes the speech about selling everything in California and coming back to the man he loves because "Hell, you can cook!" I always thought that this film, which did very well at lgbt film festivals in places like LA, where I live. I first saw this film and and independent movie house in West Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard with a group of guys I was in an lgbt discussion group in and the "awwwwws" at the end and the applause were fantastic. This is one that I wish London would make a sequel about catching up on the pair and how they're doing because gay marriage, although now legal in all fifty states, is going to be attacked by our new president and his cronies for the sake of money, power and votes. We need more examples of healthy enduring lgbt love and this simple story works.
Golu said…
How do you know so much about all these films? It is really amazing to read your comments and getting more knowledge/background and your thoughts. I do agree on the sequel to this

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