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...
Szabi is a good football player, playing for Germany but is into the game only because of his father. He doesn’t really enjoy the game. He is friends with Bernard and also possibly both of them are in love with each other but can’t say so. There is definite tension which one day leads to a major fight after a game between the two of them and Szabi decides to leave Germany. He goes back to interiors of a village where he has inherited his grandfather’s home. There he meets Aron, who he catches while trying to steal his bike. Friendship gets struck between them and they start to rebuild Szabi’s house together. Friendship soon turns into drinking and a night of poison of Szabi pleasuring Aron. Nothing is said and a similar incident gets repeated again that is enjoyed by both. Aron doesn’t know what’s happening to him and ends up confessing the whole event to his sick mother who he has been nursing. Stab gets beaten up badly by the town boys. We later find out that Aron’s mother told the boys because she thinks Szabi is being bad influence on Aron. Soon Aron starts feeling something for Szabi and he also gets beaten up in school. Right when things are going ok between the two, Szabi’s old friend Bernard shows up confessing his love. He wants to take Szabi back to football but he is very clear that he cannot leave Aron and go. Bernard tries his best but ultimately gives up. Meanwhile when Aron’s mother gets really sick and ultimately dies, Aron has a very tough choice to make. How will he move on with his life? By now the town knows about the boys. So what’s Aron going to do? He chooses a path that punches you in the stomach.
The film is intense and slow, so you really have to be mentally prepared to watch this film, otherwise it is very easy to get uneasy. Set in rural Hungary, I recommend to be patient and enjoy the beauty, the cinematography and most importantly the cracking chemistry between the lead actors. The film has drama but is never melodramatic. The sensual love-making scenes are so well done. Not many gay films have been successful in showing real love scenes between 2 men without making it graphical. A simple scene where the two men put up a door in the house is brilliant. Their eyes speak so much. Similarly, the sexual tension between Bernard and Aron, because both of them want Szabi was also handled brilliantly. The scene where Aron confronts his mother if she told the boys about him and Szabi is also very painful to watch. The homophobic scenes against both Szabi and Aron are quite graphic. Things get ugly and violent and tragic. This isa film which shows that love is beautiful and pure but how easy it is for the society to be very cruel about it and ruin everything for the lovers to such a drastic effect. I also liked the way the character graph evolves for both Szabi and Aron. Aron specifically is a difficult role to play. If not for the brilliant acting and equally brilliant direction, this film could have easily become a big bore. I really dread even the thought of being in the shoes of our protagonists.
A true story of selfish love for oneself over all others and in its worst form. Definitely recommend it but urge you to be patient. (7.5/10)
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*"Kill the object" seems to be a very male thing, when it comes to feelings that disturb a person a great deal. What to do to make these unwelcome feelings go away? Kill the object that causes them. Usually ends in "just" a fight or severe beating, followed by regret, tears and love declarations.