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...
When I finished watching the film, I wondered what would this film have been like if it was done in US by an independent film maker. It would visualize a raunchy, really bad film , something like a couple of ones that I recently saw in the film festival. This is not to say that the UK version was any better. The film was simple but there was something about it that saved it from being a cheap thrill vs a decent attempt at a satire comedy. The story is pretty simple and straight forward actually.
Seb and Aaron have been together for a while. Suddenly now they find themselves in huge debt because they both lose their jobs. Aaron has been hiding about his unemployment from Seb and has been engaging in internet porn for about 3 months now. This crisis forces them to channel in their entrepreneurial skills. Aaron secretly starts filming their sex life and uploading on internet. Soon he finds that people are actually paying to see them. When Seb finds out, he is initially quite disturbed but goes along since they both need the money. Becoming better at selling themselves, the physical, emotional and industry demands start to take a toll on their relationship. Enters Jem , their old roommate, who soon becomes their director and plans the whole record and upload internet phenomenon. She gives them tips to raise more money. The final nail in the coffin is when she suggests that it is getting repetitive and they need a third person to join. Enter their hot neighbor who is not gay but is progressive and wants to apply for the post. This is too much for Seb who has to deal with his inner fears and finally goes with the plan, making this live event their biggest success and also making all the money they need to pay off their debt.
The film has various humorous moments as Seb and Aaron move from casual vanilla sex going all the ay to kinky to make the videos more spicy and satisfying for their increasing fan base. It is all cheesy but then it is a gay film after all. The 2 guys acted well but the story gives them only a limited scope. Most story just is about they filming and people watching. IO am guessing the budget of the film would have been pretty low, since everything just happens in one house. The film is not bad but there is nothing in the film for repeat value.
It is purely a one time entertainer and that too if your entertainment expectations are very low. (4/10)
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