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 film opens as a live premiere of a monologue play by Guillaume, who recounts his days with his family and invariably his mother is part of every single event that he talks about. As far back as he can remember, his mother treated him like the daughter she never had. And he doesn't mind because he is in so many ways similar to his mother, to an extent that when he talks, no one can differentiate. All his life, he adored his mum, and that affection, along with much of the sexual-identity confusion it caused, comes across loud and clear in the worshipful way he portrays her. He is the kind of kid who invites bullying, shame to their father, ridicule from the brothers. He recounts his days when he was sent to all christian boarding school, how he was so bestowed with girls that he wanted to be one, how he spent some days in England before finally he himself come to a realization that his fascination for girls and their mannerism is not because he wants to be one of them; it is because he likes them and it was because of his mother's pressure and love that absolutely everyone was convinced that he is gay.
Portrayed as a one man show for a huge audience, Juggling laughter, pity and poignancy throughout, our protagonist bares his most embarrassing memories for our amusement, and though it’s easy to relate to the shame he may have felt in the moment, there’s strength in the way he retroactively takes ownership of the entire experience. It’s all cleverly constructed to blindside us with the surprising way the story turns out. Acting is top notch. The best part worth applauding is the writer-director of the film also plays 2 diametrically opposite parts; that of Guillaume and his mother. It takes you a while to realize that. He is so good in both roles. You smile, you laugh, you sympathize, you cry -- there's so much emotions, sensitivity, wit in this movie The film is ode to a mother's profound attachment to her son, it may be overbearing, but despite what happens the bond remains.
A decent watch and a good time pass. A little slow but you get over it very quick. (6.5/10)
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