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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...

Reinas (Spanish) [Queens]

I forgot about this film till I got my hands on it recently again. I enjoyed it the second time as well though maybe not much as I did the first time around. It was still very funny specially one of the mothers. The fact that the story is something totally new and deals with mothers issue with respect to their son's marriages is a different take on gay cinema. Any new subject makes it very fresh. The movie is all about guys getting married and their crazy (but believable) mothers. No matter what your mom was like, one of these mothers will probably remind you of yours.

The film starts with gay marriages becoming legal in Spain and we follow the first huge gay wedding and follow 6 couples but in this case the focus is on the mothers and not so much on the couples themselves. Mothers who are loving and supportive of their gay sons, yet to some degree are a bit embarrassed that they are about to attend a gay marriage and that is when you will have the real dramatic journey of our "Queens" in this tale. Some of the mothers approve, others despair, others take advantage of the situation to meet their own needs. Reyesis a famous actress whose class refuses to accept the fact that her son is marrying her gardener's son. Magda is a hotel owner whose hotel is hosting the gay wedding bash and her own son is also marrying. Nuria, a sex addicted nymphomaniac whose drives don't prevent her form bringing her lusts home to her family. Judge Helena who barely tolerates the effect of a public wedding of her son on her career but ends up being forced to perform the ceremony and Ofelia, a restaurant owner/worker who arrives form Buenos Aires for the wedding with her runabout dog causing antics that threaten her son's relationship.

The sons are played to perfection and without the slightest bit of tereotypical behavior we usually encounter in these films. The effect of these 'double mothers-in-law' on the six men involved is packed with surprises, secrets, bizarre behavior, confessions, manifestations of life patterns less than reputable, and whirling dervish spins on acceptance. The production values, acting, and directing are all first-rate. The pace is fast and the mood light. The humor is absolutely hilarious. I don't think I stopped smiling, and there were a few times I laughed very hard There's just so much great family humor that everyone would anyone would enjoy.

Definitely recommended and a very enjoyable experience. (6.5/10)

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