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On The Sea (UK)

By Golu
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...
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The Everlasting Secret Family (Australia)

By Golu
I was a bit weirded out after seeing this film. I am not sure I appreciate or support the idea of relationship that this film focussed on, but then I think we need to look at a film independently of our thoughts. So that’s exactly what I am going to do here. The makers talked about how the film is about the fact that sex and power are intertwined and they co-exist. I do agree with the statement but I am sure there are other better ways to show this rather than this highly provocative and controversial drama.

Set in 70s, we see the public and private life of a senator who takes up a fancy for a young teenage boy. Young boys are recruited form a private school for the sole pleasure of the senator and his secret society. The young man is flattered and enjoys the attention from senator and the power it gives him but slowly he gets deeper into this dark world, finally reaching a point of no return, where this sexually corrupt “family” becomes the only life he can ever know. He now obsesses over forever wanting to be young. His only ‘friend’ at this point is senator’s driver who once used to be his lover. To keep a public appearance senator ends up marrying to show a happy straight married life and also end up having a son. The way our young man twists senator into keeping him as their babysitter. The wife suspects the truth but says nothing about it. Circa 14 years in future. Senator’s son is a fine, handsome young teen, ready to learn the ropes. The youth and the son spend all the time together and we can see a sexual tension between them. When the wife objects, he mentions her very clearly that all the plans have been done and their son’s life includes the babysitter, whether she likes or not. The film ends with the Sentaor’s son wanting to have sex with his friend; which apparently is fully approved by Sentaor. They are now part of this secret family where Senator slept with a young man, who when grows up, sleeps with Senator’s son. And hence the everlasting secret family.

This film explores the public and private distinctions between thought which we all maintain. It raises questions about morality. The act of Senator and his peers acting as a family to recruit young boys for the sole purpose of realizing their erotic desires is shown very well. This is all about power through sex. The way the youth ultimately mentors the son, takes over the power; he seeks out a more beneficial arrangement with surprising results.. The Senator and his son are then both dependent on the love of the handsome youth who has become the focal point in their lives. Barring the fact, that is a movie that came many years ago, so I didn’t have a good copy to watch, this film makes you think deep. The acting is actually quite good. I did like the whole storyline with the driver as well, who expects to be finally paid for his services by having a taste of Senator’s son and all these things make this story even more controversial.

Its not an easy film to watch. You will have to keep your morals aside. But view it as a neutral party and appreciate the makers guts to make a film of this controversial nature, that too way back in 80s. (6/10)
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