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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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Rock Bottom: Gay Men & Meth (Documentary)

By Golu
Said to be filmed over a period of two years, this documentary follows the journeys of seven gay men struggling with meth addiction and recovery against a backdrop of an emerging wave of HIV infection. From grappling with the drug's effects on their physical and mental health to wrestling with their darkest sexual desires, Rock Bottom delivers a chilling portrait of a community in crisis. The makers use and show us the breeding grounds for this crystal meth addiction like the bathhouses, locker rooms, porn sets and bedrooms of those for whom sex is inseparable from meth use.

Our subjects freely describe the rush of empowerment and the liberation of libido that lets them enjoy sex without thought or precaution. They all, over a period of time want to get clean and connect with people and have a loving boyfriend. We see guys in different stages of their lives. Its scary to see how almost all of them understand the downside of the drug but are at a stage where they have become so dependent on it there is little they can do anything about it. By the end of it, we do see some of them managing to battle through the addiction. Surprisingly, there is no mention about how these men or even otherwise, a meth addict can go about sobering up. I am not sure if back when this documentary was released, if 12 step program was not a thing; but from hat I know now., that program and CMA kind of programs have immensely helped the gay community to battle many addictions, specifically meth. So definitely in addition to seeing the journeys of these people. I would have also liked to hear more about the proposed solutions here.

It's scary but a very true and real portrayal of the control that crystal meth had over gay men in NYC. The documentary even though is made at an extremely low budget with a hand held camera most times, but it does manage to get one thinking. (5/10)
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