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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 Nance (Play)

By Golu
I saw the recorded version of this play in real time which was shown on PBS channel. I can imagine how much fun it would have been watching the play in real life on or off broadway, but this one also does well. Featuring veteran theatre actor  Nathan Lane, the play shows us the gay life and burlesque performances during the 1030s of New York City. 

A headliner called “the nance”, usually played by a straight man, was a stereotypically camp homosexual and master of comic double entendre. THE NANCE recreates the naughty, raucous world of burlesque’s heyday and tells the backstage story of Chauncey Miles and his fellow performers. Chauncey's seemingly settled life quickly becomes upended. He meets a straight turned gay man Ned and falls in love with him.Ned is a sweet-natured, attractive younger man from Buffalo, who also loves back Chauncey which he finds quite surprising. Ned manages to find work in the same theatre where Chauncey performs. Chauncey plays occasional Nance characters but when the then mayor LaGuardia establishes new rules in cracking down on burlesque for showing loose morals and deviancy. After taking a surprisingly political stand — and suffering consequences for his actions he somehow doesn't expect — a disheartened Chauncey begins to spiral downward. For all his proud protestations, by the play's end it's clear that he has been so indoctrinated by society's view of gay men that he doesn't believe he deserves personal or professional happiness.

Anchored with several engeritic burlesque songs, dances and cornball humor, we experience the unique stage craft of the burlesque/vaudeville players who entertained a generation in the 20th century. We witness how careful gays had to be when meeting others as well as how indirect the sexy shows had to be so as not to be closed by the mayor’s office. But despite all the challenges, we cheer for Chauncy and Ned’s romance. The social and political dynamics of NYC in 1937 effects the lives of these entertainers. It is important for this generation to know and experience the craft of burlesque and vaudeville especially if they want to be effective musical comedy actors. I wish someday I get to see the play in real, because all said and done, the televised version of a play can never give you the fun and connection that the real thing can. (5/10)
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