The title is not about gay guys loving other gay guys without fear, but rather straight women loving "bisexual" men without fear. Acting abilities were alright, but the drama scream scenes were over the top and scary. A man who is mostly straight is NOT going to make out with another man as depicted in this movie...they went all the way, as intimate as people can get. So the blue eyed actor's claim that he was totally straight fell flat. And NO woman should just overlook the fact her boyfriend is at least an active bisexual and maybe even a closet gay. We are told it's OK to love without fear of making bad choices. Horrible message and the story lacked any credibility.
8 Reviews
unbelievable first gay experience review 5/10 - is wrong
sinnerofcinema2 May 2024
(Unbelievable first gay experience review 5/10) was the first review i read here and the person who wrote this review could not be off base more. Can you live in your bubble of labeling people straight? Gay? Sure go ahead - limiting your horizons just gives others more choice. Sexuality is a spectrum and i know many self identified straight men who have had other encounters w men and it's not all black and white as it is in your world. Also, thank the younger generations they are not a big uncomfortable or shameful about same sex interactions or encounters because times have changed. I pitty the person that lives within labels. Those of us not bound by religion or social construct know better and this film was a beautifully told story of real life issues - because life happens and that's exactly what happens in this movie. It is told with sincerity, acting is a bit on and off - the Josh (Andres Roman) character was the most compelling to watch as we follow his plight. He also looks like Eliah Wood. The music was a bit cheesy (music in these cases) could have really brought the scenes or performances home. I love the use of nudity and sexual situations - it really brought the message home and made the story more organic with its themes. No i'm not related to the cast in any way nor am i friends with any one related with this production. Many people if they see an opinion review that does not agree with theirs think immediately the review must have been planted. It was not. It's not a perfect film, but the story was well told and i just purchased it on amazon to add to my digital collection for i plan to revisit it to study it in more detail because these scenarios happen more often than people think even tho they may be talked about seldom. Congrats to the filmmakers and actors for a good movie i definitely recommend.
This is a wattpad fanfic made into a movie...
alfredopena-5621724 February 2024
I love/hate this movie because it has very good moments in different aspects but it has the same amount of bad scenes.
I am a bit confused by the message that this film wanted to leave, since it is not a gay romance but it is not a personal drama either. I think this film wants to leave the message of exploring and searching for people who make you happy through faith, destiny and the nature of things, but in the end the message is lost.
However, it also has its good points such as the music used at very appropriate moments, they exploited the town and the culture of Taxco with very beautiful scenes that give the film a lot of personality, is moderately entertaining, plus I think it has some quite relatable scenes.
I STRONGLY believe that this movie would have done much better if they had made it in a comedy format (In the style of "The Proposal".), exactly the same movie but comedy would have fixed the errors at the script level such as certain strange plot twists, the exaggerated performances and the unreal things that happen just to advance the plot, in addition to clearly making the movie more fun and entertaining.
Despite everything, I did like this movie, the scenes between Leo and Josh were pretty cute to me, I think the ending is a bit bizarre but it's okay.
Sorry, I had to take it out because my chest isn't a hold.
I am a bit confused by the message that this film wanted to leave, since it is not a gay romance but it is not a personal drama either. I think this film wants to leave the message of exploring and searching for people who make you happy through faith, destiny and the nature of things, but in the end the message is lost.
However, it also has its good points such as the music used at very appropriate moments, they exploited the town and the culture of Taxco with very beautiful scenes that give the film a lot of personality, is moderately entertaining, plus I think it has some quite relatable scenes.
I STRONGLY believe that this movie would have done much better if they had made it in a comedy format (In the style of "The Proposal".), exactly the same movie but comedy would have fixed the errors at the script level such as certain strange plot twists, the exaggerated performances and the unreal things that happen just to advance the plot, in addition to clearly making the movie more fun and entertaining.
Despite everything, I did like this movie, the scenes between Leo and Josh were pretty cute to me, I think the ending is a bit bizarre but it's okay.
Sorry, I had to take it out because my chest isn't a hold.
Great movie!
skel-eduardo4 April 2024
First- Parents, there are adult situations/nudity and so you might want to put the kids to bed before enjoying. Second-Every work of art should be judged based on the artist's intent and as a result I give this film a top rating of ten stars out of ten stars. It's a beautiful production with a gorgeous setting in a small mexican village. The story was pretty good, but what really sells it is the emotions and chemistry between the actors. Fabulous job from the director in getting the performances out of his team. I was very anxious on how it would end and was surprised at the ending! It's focused on real life situations so i appreciated that.
Love Without Fear: How can you not love it?
sashanelson-4292220 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Every character in "Love Without Fear" can be classified as a bad person. Everyone deserved the consequences of their actions, and it was satisfying to see those consequences play out. And yet, I also found myself rooting for these characters, wanting them to get away with their various misdeeds. I felt obligated to be on their side. How can a person be so in love with bad people who make bad decisions? The film's co-stars Andres Roma, Alejandro Belmonte, Rosa Isela Frausto, and Carmen Baqué, put a bit of themselves into their roles to make the film spectacular. "Love Without Fear" seemed like a Netflix romantic comedy fused with a coming out story: a committed heterosexual relationship begins to fall apart when the guy cheats on her and he realizes he's not straight. Nowadays I expect very little from romantic comedies. Have you seen "The Kissing Booth"? That was 105 minutes of my life that will never come back. And while "Love Without Fear" shared some of the sweet, sentimental (and sometimes embarrassing) dialogue like those romantic comedies I love to make fun of, but three key aspects elevated this film for me.
First and foremost, and most prominently - the acting. Although, I had a conversation with Belmonte and Frausto only minutes before the viewing at the Seattle Film Festival, I could not see the people on the screen as anyone else except the characters they represented. Every word of dialogue was spoken with the intention of evoking a specific emotion, and these four actors succeed at it. The most ridiculous and out-of-place questions (e.g., "Would you like to take photos of me naked?") felt genuine and not forced. The guilt and regret that Josh (Roma) felt after cheating on his girlfriend are perfectly portrayed. The heartbreak and anger that Ramona (Frausto) experienced after finding out about Josh and Leo (Belmonte) was done with such expression that I felt like I was also experiencing heartbreak at the same time.
Another aspect that made the film so outstanding was the cinematography. Let's face it, filming naked actors is not easy - it requires very exact framing of the actors. Even with this obstacle in many scenes, the production team made the most of the shooting locations. Several film clips were taken with the camera focus split between one character, and another character's reflection in the mirror, allowing the viewer to see both expressions without having to constantly cut between close-ups. Another clip went from focusing on the living room, with one character, to a wider shot of the house, where another character was standing. This gave the illusion of a split screen, when in reality, these events were occurring a few meters from each other. The director also took advantage of the change between camera angles that put the viewer inside the conversation, and other angles that showed the conversation from a distance, making the viewer feel as if they were simply observing the events from afar.
Finally, the interweaving of Spanish and English was well used to contribute to the narrative of the story. Each character had their preferred language, and conversations often alternated between languages. It was a seamless transition, and it also gave the director another element to tell stories. It was meaningful for Leo, a native Spanish speaker who needs to make a conscious effort to speak in English, speaking to Josh in English. To me, it showed the beginning of a strong connection they had. There is a common rule in movies - "show, don't tell." And with the use of acting, cinematography, and language elements, "Love Without Fear" is the epitome of this rule executed successfully. It didn't pass the Bechdel test, but I'm willing to temporarily put aside my feminist ideals for this "Must See" 2023 film.
First and foremost, and most prominently - the acting. Although, I had a conversation with Belmonte and Frausto only minutes before the viewing at the Seattle Film Festival, I could not see the people on the screen as anyone else except the characters they represented. Every word of dialogue was spoken with the intention of evoking a specific emotion, and these four actors succeed at it. The most ridiculous and out-of-place questions (e.g., "Would you like to take photos of me naked?") felt genuine and not forced. The guilt and regret that Josh (Roma) felt after cheating on his girlfriend are perfectly portrayed. The heartbreak and anger that Ramona (Frausto) experienced after finding out about Josh and Leo (Belmonte) was done with such expression that I felt like I was also experiencing heartbreak at the same time.
Another aspect that made the film so outstanding was the cinematography. Let's face it, filming naked actors is not easy - it requires very exact framing of the actors. Even with this obstacle in many scenes, the production team made the most of the shooting locations. Several film clips were taken with the camera focus split between one character, and another character's reflection in the mirror, allowing the viewer to see both expressions without having to constantly cut between close-ups. Another clip went from focusing on the living room, with one character, to a wider shot of the house, where another character was standing. This gave the illusion of a split screen, when in reality, these events were occurring a few meters from each other. The director also took advantage of the change between camera angles that put the viewer inside the conversation, and other angles that showed the conversation from a distance, making the viewer feel as if they were simply observing the events from afar.
Finally, the interweaving of Spanish and English was well used to contribute to the narrative of the story. Each character had their preferred language, and conversations often alternated between languages. It was a seamless transition, and it also gave the director another element to tell stories. It was meaningful for Leo, a native Spanish speaker who needs to make a conscious effort to speak in English, speaking to Josh in English. To me, it showed the beginning of a strong connection they had. There is a common rule in movies - "show, don't tell." And with the use of acting, cinematography, and language elements, "Love Without Fear" is the epitome of this rule executed successfully. It didn't pass the Bechdel test, but I'm willing to temporarily put aside my feminist ideals for this "Must See" 2023 film.
The Most impressive independent film I've seen so far.
noahostergar-2460224 February 2024
It was a privilege to join two of the actors and the director in viewing this film the Seattle Latino Film Festival. Even if they weren't there/FaceTiming in, you could still tell how much they believed in and cared about their craft.
I have often found myself yearning for more sincerity when it comes to queer representation in film. In the case of Love Without Fear, I felt sincerity that was enhanced by some of the melodrama, their comedic moments, and relatable monologues and dialogue throughout.
I was magnificently surprised by the finale and a successful execution of using a short deneumont to the films advantage. I started rooting for every single one of the four core characters before they hit that climax and I see that as an indicator of well structured character arcs.
I have often found myself yearning for more sincerity when it comes to queer representation in film. In the case of Love Without Fear, I felt sincerity that was enhanced by some of the melodrama, their comedic moments, and relatable monologues and dialogue throughout.
I was magnificently surprised by the finale and a successful execution of using a short deneumont to the films advantage. I started rooting for every single one of the four core characters before they hit that climax and I see that as an indicator of well structured character arcs.
Love has no labels
alanxan4 March 2024
Love without fear is a lovely film. The cast and story captivated me. The director's open mind about love and sex really surprised me. It is true that before exploring the possibility of love, all love is possible, and love itself should not be labeled as opposite-sex or same-sex. But after making a mistake, it is not a good idea to passively wait for the problem to be solved. Since it is true love, why not make it clear face to face? True love should be fearless, but fearless love does not mean abandoning the responsibility of love. Only by loving bravely and competently can you gain joy and happiness.
Stunning film
behzaabkhalid20 March 2024
Love Without Fear shines thanks to Alejandro Belmonte's captivating performance. He portrays the Leo's character journey with both charm and vulnerability. Other supporting cast especially Carmen Baqué does a good job as well. It's in no way a perfect film but it has its moments. The film's exploration of societal prejudice is timely and touching. However, the ending feels rushed and even strange, leaving some loose ends and a sense of incompleteness and detracting from an over all impact. Regardless, its wonderfully made film with a lot of heart and love. A must watch for Indie Cinema lovers.
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