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...
The title of this film cannot be more misleading. Not only was there no nudity wrt men (by which I mean , no frontal nude shots), the title itself had absolutely no relevance to the film. I took a break from watching gay films after the Philly film festival hoping that when I start watching movies again, I will pick the ones which will be meaningful, entertaining and relevant. This film clearly did not belong into any of these categories. I am hoping the results will be better next time.
Tibor is 49 year old aging writer married to a narcissistic actress who is out for work most of the time. One night he surprises himself by taking home an effeminate young street thug / hustler named Zsolt who comes out of nowhere and literally forces himself on Tibor. Always straight, there is something about Zsolt that he cannot resist and they start having an affair. Things start taking an awkward turn when his wife comes back. They need to find new places to meet. Because of this love, passion and secret affairs, a new creative spirit awakens in Tibor who starts writing o book on this. What Tibor doesn't realize is how risky is this whole thing filled with blackmails and someone who is just after money. His wife ultimately finds out the truth by reading his book and confronting him. Their sexual life is so bland that one day even she ends up cheating on him. For Zsolt, Tibor is just another guy whom he uses for money. The movie just abruptly ends as it started with Tibor and Zsolt's meeting.
The acting I would say was alright by the lead characters but things were just not explained right. The scenes would get randomly cut, the sub plots would be truncated randomly. And what was the whole point of those drug scenes in the so called 'red' flat where Tibor used to visit to meet Zsolt. If Zsolt was using Tibor for money and passion, how could he have been so idiotic and stupid o not realize what he was after. I feel that at some point even he wanted Zsolt to be with him since he had to finish his book and only Zsolt could keep his creative juices flowing.
It is a weird film. I would really not recommend this one. (3/10)
Comments
So many foreign films, at least from an American point of view (which, of course, does not set the cultural standard, it is only what I am used to), really don't make any sense to me, either because the culture may be so different from ours, or else there is just some kind mistranslation along the way. (French films OUTDO us, in my opinion, but many cultures with a less-developed experience of film-making fall far short.) So for films like this, I just shrug and enjoy the eye candy (my taste for eye candy).
That being said, I do think it is horrible and probably pretty sad and depressing, that there is such thing as "aging", particularly how it is experienced among gay people; where after a certain "prime" (what is the dividing line, age 40? maybe even earlier?), beauty and desirability fades completely to the culture at large, yet desire for that beauty (to be in relationship with it if one can't BE it directly) does not fade at all. It is quite easy for the unscrupulous to take advantage of that situation, as apparently happens in this film. I try to avoid seeing films like that if I know that is what is happening going into it. Ultimately, they are all just about misery and we gain nothing from seeing this kind of film.
You last comment is very interesting and deep. I agree with everything that you say but to an extent one who is taken advantage of is also to be blamed to a certain extent. That said, it is definitely very sad that it is thought beauty and desirability fades. I dont mind seeing such films. yes, the end is predictable but you never know, one day some director might decide to take it a different route..
Reminds me of the book 'Michael Tolliver lives' where he at 60 lives with a younger 30 year old guy and they are both happy with their arrangement.