Review: Seek (Canada: 2014): The Unsurprising and Uninspiring World of Toronto’s Night Life Revealed

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Peale

Eric Henry’s debut feature about a young men in the gay club scene is way to tepid to say anything about contemporary gay life. If one has never been to a club, I suppose one might find this interesting. But the actors fail to engage with their roles as they uncover secrets that everyone knows.

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Review: Hidden Away (Spain: 2014): Asylum from the Standard Boy Meets Boy Movie

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Peale

Hidden Away (aka: A Escondidas): 2014

Mikel Rueda’s little gem about two young men attempting to act on their affection for each while one is under threat of deportation is a sympathetic portrait of how quickly love can take hold of us. While I’m not a big fan of the non-linear story development, the chemistry between leads Germán Alcarazu and Adil Koukouh,makes this more enjoyable to watch than your standard lonely boys in love story.

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Review: Still the Water (Japan: 2014): A teenage love story for adults

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Peale

Still the Water (2014)

Naomi Kawase’s Still the Water accomplishes something rare: a romance about young people that is clearly targeted to a more sophisticated adult audience that doesn’t rely on melodramatic tropes. The nuanced characters, verdant natural scenery and rich themes could make this a film worth watching, but it is marred by pacing issues. I wouldn’t blame you if you checked your watch now and again.

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Suicide Room (Poland: 2011): Run! It’s the Internet!

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Peale

Suicide Room (2011)

While the premise is interesting and the performances by the leads are strong, it is just too difficult to empathize with the characters in Suicide Room, Jan Komasa’s film about a troubled teen who withdraws to his room. Hikikomori isn’t actually a social problem in Poland that I’m aware of, and I think the director passed over several more interesting stories to theorize on what it would be like if it were. A wealthy, good looking teen throwing it all away might be arresting to watch, if only the protagonist’s most dramatic act for most of the film wasn’t to hide out at home.

Rating

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Kid Kulafu (Philippines: 2015): Lest we forget why they fight

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Peale

As bio-pics go, Paul Soriano’s Kid Kulafu succeeds by laying off the hagiography to focus on aspects of Manny Pacquiao’s childhood that are shared by aspiring boxers everywhere.

Rating:

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White God (Hungary: 2014): a familiar tale, this time with dogs

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Peale

A Hungarian Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Kornél Mundruczó’s White God tells an allegory about betrayal, oppression and revenge, but also the durability of the bonds that form between pets and their caretakers. Canine lead Hagen walks away with this one, conveying surprising emotional depth for a newbie actor.

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I Sell Love (Hong Kong: 2014): it could be accused of glamorizing prostitution if it weren’t so dull

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Peale

Rose Chan & Pakho Chau

What could have been an insider view of the practice of compensated dating and prostitution devolves into a romantic drama involving two good looking people like we’ve seen before. I’d lost interest long before Mr. Perfect showed up.

Rating

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Four Moons (Mexico: 2014)

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Peale

Sergio Tovar Velarde weaves together four short films covering the major phases of the lives of gay men in Mexico City in his second feature, Four Moons. With so many unconnected stories, it feels more like a condensed TV drama than a film.

Rating

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In Bloom (USA: 2013): Summer breakup film for the cold winter evening.

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Peale

Tanner Rittenhouse & Kyle Wigent

Youth really does seem wasted on the young in CM Birkmeier’s drama about the end of a two year relationship. In Bloom starts slowly, but gets more lively after the separation. It makes me wish they’d ended it earlier and had some fun moving on.

Rating

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Jongens (Boys) (Netherlands: 2014): Pleasant summertime love for a cold winter evening

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Peale

Ko Zandvliet and Gijs Blom

**What Jongens lacks in tension, leads Gijs Blom and Ko Zandvliet make up for in charm in this enchanting story of first love.**

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Category Archives: Drama

Review: Seek (Canada: 2014): The Unsurprising and Uninspiring World of Toronto’s Night Life Revealed

Eric Henry’s debut feature about a young men in the gay club scene is way to tepid to say anything about contemporary gay life. If one has never been to a club, I suppose one might find this interesting. But the actors fail to engage with their roles as they uncover secrets that everyone knows.

Review: Hidden Away (Spain: 2014): Asylum from the Standard Boy Meets Boy Movie

Review: Still the Water (Japan: 2014): A teenage love story for adults

Suicide Room (Poland: 2011): Run! It’s the Internet!

Kid Kulafu (Philippines: 2015): Lest we forget why they fight

As bio-pics go, Paul Soriano’s Kid Kulafu succeeds by laying off the hagiography to focus on aspects of Manny Pacquiao’s childhood that are shared by aspiring boxers everywhere.

White God (Hungary: 2014): a familiar tale, this time with dogs

I Sell Love (Hong Kong: 2014): it could be accused of glamorizing prostitution if it weren’t so dull

What could have been an insider view of the practice of compensated dating and prostitution devolves into a romantic drama involving two good looking people like we’ve seen before. I’d lost interest long before Mr. Perfect showed up.

Four Moons (Mexico: 2014)

Sergio Tovar Velarde weaves together four short films covering the major phases of the lives of gay men in Mexico City in his second feature, Four Moons. With so many unconnected stories, it feels more like a condensed TV drama than a film.

In Bloom (USA: 2013): Summer breakup film for the cold winter evening.

Youth really does seem wasted on the young in CM Birkmeier’s drama about the end of a two year relationship. In Bloom starts slowly, but gets more lively after the separation. It makes me wish they’d ended it earlier and had some fun moving on.

Jongens (Boys) (Netherlands: 2014): Pleasant summertime love for a cold winter evening

**What Jongens lacks in tension, leads Gijs Blom and Ko Zandvliet make up for in charm in this enchanting story of first love.**

Eric Henry’s debut feature about a young men in the gay club scene is way to tepid to say anything about contemporary gay life. If one has never been to a club, I suppose one might find this interesting. But the actors fail to engage with their roles as they uncover secrets that everyone knows.

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As bio-pics go, Paul Soriano’s Kid Kulafu succeeds by laying off the hagiography to focus on aspects of Manny Pacquiao’s childhood that are shared by aspiring boxers everywhere.

Share this:

Share this:

What could have been an insider view of the practice of compensated dating and prostitution devolves into a romantic drama involving two good looking people like we’ve seen before. I’d lost interest long before Mr. Perfect showed up.

Share this:

Sergio Tovar Velarde weaves together four short films covering the major phases of the lives of gay men in Mexico City in his second feature, Four Moons. With so many unconnected stories, it feels more like a condensed TV drama than a film.

Share this:

Youth really does seem wasted on the young in CM Birkmeier’s drama about the end of a two year relationship. In Bloom starts slowly, but gets more lively after the separation. It makes me wish they’d ended it earlier and had some fun moving on.

Share this:

What Jongens lacks in tension, leads Gijs Blom and Ko Zandvliet make up for in charm in this enchanting story of first love.

Share this:

**What Jongens lacks in tension, leads Gijs Blom and Ko Zandvliet make up for in charm in this enchanting story of first love.**