This is your typical indie coming-of-age tale about a teenager, though it’s clearly working with a very tiny budget. Set within a migrant family living in Southern California’s Coachella Valley, the movie digs into how fragile old-school traditions and expectations can be. We follow a teenage son as he goes through the process of coming out and struggles to find acceptance while dealing with homophobia, domestic abuse, and a messy love triangle that involves his own sister. Goyo is seventeen and just about to graduate from high school. Since he’s been a bit more feminine since he was a little kid, he’s always had to deal with emotional and physical transition from his dad, Ramon, who is obsessed with him being "a man." The only real love he gets is from a lady next door who actually respects him for who he is. The family lives in a Mexican community where everyone works on a grape farm, but things get shaken up when a new guy named Lucio arrives. Lucio basically seduces Goyo ...
I saw this film the second time recently. I have to admit that I did not enjoy it as much as I did the first time. I still remember when I saw it the first time, I was completely bowled over but then that was the time when I had just started watching gay cinema. This does not mean it is not a good film. It is a gay romantic comedy which also uses some of its time to also focus on a straight couple as well who happen to be friends of Adam and Steve. In the 80s in New York, goth makeup guy Adam meets a glam rock dancer Steve and they end up back in Adam's apartment. All the drugs and laxatives get the worse out of them and because of some very unhygienic reasons they never have sex. Fast forward to 17 years Adam again meets Steve who is now a doctor and love blossoms over a period of time. Neither of them remembers the past. Their affair starts with awkwardness, angst over saying ' I Love You' and weird meetings with respective parents. In the meantime we also have Adam's friend Rhonda and Steve's friend becoming a couple. After sometime one day Steve actually realizes that it was him and Adam 17 years ago and that act still makes him shameful. He starts avoiding Adam who cannot understand the reasons behind sudden change of heart. After a series of events, like every movie they also end u being together after a very exhilarating cowboy step dance in a NYC club.
The films funniest moments come from Rhonda's standup act because she once used to be fat and also his lover. This film combines an irreverent sense of humor as well as genuine and heartfelt emotions that demonstrates the trials of relationships whether they be gay or straight. This film is over-the-top at times with crass and unapologetically vulgar humor, but trust me, this film will make you laugh hysterically. Thankfully, there was no sad ending, just a lot of laughs and genuine chemistry between Adam & Steve. My favorite was of course the dance off between the 2 guys by the end of the film.
If romantic comedies and cheesy love are your thing, you will like this film. They are mine and I liked it. (7/10)
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