I was greatly pleased by this film on several levels. The first and most important is the level of production, writing, direction and acting. The film is coherently written, well produced and well directed. The acting is well done with appreciable character development over its three acts. This makes it outstanding as a gay-themed film.
The second level of my enjoyment of the film was its realistic style. Real men, albeit very sexy, with real lives having real sexual and emotional contact. The low-keyed dialogue and commonplace action blend well to create a sense of being present in those real lives. This is enhanced by the episodic nature of the story line. Less linear and more vignette.
Finally, the frankness of the lives of these men who love in a surrounding world of heterosexual conformity makes its own political statement without having to. It is of the same excellent caliber as the French film "Stranger by the Lake". With films like this, I feel gay-content cinema has evolved far beyond camp and soft porn.
The second level of my enjoyment of the film was its realistic style. Real men, albeit very sexy, with real lives having real sexual and emotional contact. The low-keyed dialogue and commonplace action blend well to create a sense of being present in those real lives. This is enhanced by the episodic nature of the story line. Less linear and more vignette.
Finally, the frankness of the lives of these men who love in a surrounding world of heterosexual conformity makes its own political statement without having to. It is of the same excellent caliber as the French film "Stranger by the Lake". With films like this, I feel gay-content cinema has evolved far beyond camp and soft porn.