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...
This film very intelligently focuses on issues of intimacy and finding ways to communicate. There is the usual arguing, fighting bitching and everything else between the characters of this film but on listening carefully, you will realize that this is all so realistic. This is how people in a normal life communicate with each other. There is nothing filmy about that. The film is kind of 2 parallel stories. Eli and Tom are set up for a blind date by their friends Jackie and Brett who met each other in a furniture store. The date which starts off as very boring becomes lively when they start discussing movies and specially 'In & Out'. A few days later they run into each other at a flea market and hit it off, winding up back at Eli's place where Tom spends the night. The next morning Tom says that it was a mistake. Jackie and Brett decide to try again to set them up, and the two men start to develop a relationship. Tom's fear of becoming emotionally close coupled with Eli's own insecurities makes it difficult for them to maintain, but Jackie and Brett get engaged which forces Tom and Eli together. Eli finally tells Tom he loves him and Tom, terrified, lashes out at him the next day and drives him away. Both of them try to move on with their life but it is not that easy when in the hearts of heart you know you deeply love someone. At Jackie and Brett's wedding reception, Eli and Tom finally come to realize that they have to overcome their families' dysfunction and their own fears.
The dialogue is sharp and quick and not in the campy way, but in the way that friends who know each other can convey in codes and gestures without a lot of extra narration. It's one of the few films I've seen that touches on issues that not every gay man is looking only for quick sex and that when you get two guys together, it is assumed that one certain type of sexual act will occur. All Over The Guy discusses definitions of sex and the importance of intimacy and it's refreshing to see it handled in a manner that doesn't come across as preaching. Eli and Tom had great chemistry and that is so very important to make or break a film. There are so many scenes where they just at each other just trying to fight with themselves for what they feel for each other. The rest of the cast is superb as well, including some great cameo roles. Most of all, the characters of Brett and Jackie are very funny in a superb role of friends of the 2 guys.
This film is not extraordinary but definitely a sweet, good natured watchable romantic comedy. (7.5/10)
Comments
I just finished "This is Going to Hurt" a british series about a slightly odd and superior-feeling junior doctor in an underfunded NHS hospital. He's gay and has the relationship challenges of the long hours and unexpected medical emergencies that make him not show up for things, plus his own closedness and not sharing hurting his relationship. The hospital stuff was well done as hospital series go, and the relationship storyline was very good. The main character kept his personal life well away from work and was in fact closeted for a good half of the series where work and home lives were kept very separate. Though some found it an ambiguous ending, to me it seemed clear that the main character would not be capable of changing or moving beyond his personal limitations and it seemed a little unhappy as things go. Unless of course, were there to be a second season, in which case the relationship would probably be resurrected for the sake of the series, which would feel false. I liked the series a lot--the performances were great and even the more minor characters felt really three dimensional.
If you enjoyed this one, I don't know if you have seen "Call The Midwife" on Netflix. Its not gay. But a period drama in UK> I was obsessed with the show and watched all 11 seasons. ITs an emotional series and I loved it.