A Revry original, Unconventional is a really well-liked queer dramedy that feels totally different from the usual stuff. The heart of the story is about two pretty eccentric queer siblings and their partners trying to build a family that doesn't follow the traditional rules. It takes a super raw and unfiltered look at queer life, diving deep into things like mental health, addiction, and how complicated identity and relationships can get. It’s not afraid to get messy or show people at their most vulnerable, and it really pushes boundaries while showing a lot of different queer experiences. The first season has nine episodes, and each one is about a half-hour long. The story centers on Noah, a grad student who’s been struggling for years to wrap up his PhD. He’s been with his husband, Dan, for nine years, and they’ve recently gotten married and moved to Palm Springs. While they're trying to figure out how to start a family and have a baby, they decide to shake things up by in...
Growing up in 70s in New Zealand, homosexuality was generally viewed as an aberration. But still mostly men found ways to find a sexual partner. And even in those less tolerant days, there were people who had happy stories to share. As Paul moved from NZ to London to film making to multiple trips around the world, he recounts and even tracks some of these men to give interviews for this documentary. While on the surface it’s a highly personal tale of one man’s liaisons, in the course of the telling, the tale encompasses profound societal and legal changes from the 1970s to the present day, and how quickly that history fades if we don’t keep the memory alive. The interviews are interesting individually, and are edited together in a narrative that holds your attention through to the end.
A competently made and fun documentary that struggles somewhat to find its focus. A much as the interviews were fun and personal, I was able to enjoy it and find a personal connection. There were years when I used to keep a list of men that I was hooking up with, so I got a little bot of chuckle myself seeing a documentary like this. Through interviews we hear stories about religion, AIDS, clubs, partying, sex, relationship, love, monogamy, pretty much everything. I would recommend this just as a harmless documentary trying to bring a spunk with a general exploration of gay history since the 70s, the film struggles to quite stick the landing and live up to the genuinely moving material it's working with. (6/10)
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