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...
Adrian and Hampus have been together for 3 years, engaged to be married but the passion has completely subsided. Hampus decides to breakup the relationship, but Adrian is shocked at this, despite the fact that he is also unhappy. They split assets, including half the bed, but the reality doesn't sink in until after few weeks when Facebook status' are changed. The film takes place over the next year when at first neither of the men can move on without each other. Sometimes Hampus reaches out to Adrian and other times its vice versa. There is crying, anxiety, uncomfortable encounters, rebound sex, and even one last final hook-up together. The scenario pretty much keeps repeating and you see the two boys are starting to get comfortable around each other. They even start seeing new guys and when the pair finally do meet new partners they look uncannily like each other, and it makes for a rather awkward dinner when all four finally get together. Hampus is happy and him and his partner are looking to have babies,, and meanwhile Adrian thinks he is not meant for it. He will probably do the same mistakes that he did with Hampus.
The one good thing about the film's that it doesn't present right and wrong. Both men have their reasons to behave the way they do. They are both likable, and have their own shortcomings and problems, but it is easy to relate to it. It is not uncommon for people to have different expectations from a relationship. And that makes it easier for us as audience to not take sides and look at the whole situation objectively. Having said that, the film is very sluggishly slow. I think it worked really good as short film, but if you decide to make a full length film, you need to go into details. The film never explores the sensitivity and heartbreak that goes into why the breakup was necessary for the greater good. We see anguish and pain but never really feel the characters. As actors, both the actors do a great job but after a while you want them to just move on rather than living in the constant state of confusion and torture they do to each other trying to move on but not reallly moving on.
Interesting premise and story but the sluggish pace takes a toll and you look for that fast forward button. Only if the screenplay was more flushed out, this film could have been a wonderful experience. (5.5/10)
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