Monday, January 02, 2012
SIMMERING
Today's gayfilm was the Argentinian film by Marco Berger
This fine, slow moving romance is a favorite.
Two men dating the same girl on and off. One decides to seduce the other man to get him away from the girl. Odd, yes? But somehow director and cast, particularly the two men, weave a spell that lasts the full time of the film. Suspension of disbelief.
Early on, both seducer and seducee get caught up in the process and find themselves behaving like adolescents. Tongue tied, slow moving, but all on the down low. It is hard to see who is courting who.
This is a set up for farce but the farce never materializes.
Long slow takes. Pauses. Long pensive moments. The actors show us what is going on. Silence, faces, looks. Very nice. If you cannot tolerate mood pieces don't look at this film. If you love complex cinematography and time to get into a characters skin, under. Well both. It is really great.
My main wish for this is to actually understand the dialogue and not have to rely on what is clearly overly simplified titles. But the direction and acting counters that fault and it is the producer's fault, post production and all.
The two men are good looking but well within the range of normal twenty somethings. Thirties?
I do not think that you need to be gay to appreciate this film. There are no "in" jokes or dialogue because these guys are not "out". Even to themselves.
There is one problem which relates to the notion that you can change sexual preference in one's lifetime. But I believe that these two are at least bisexual to start with (there are enough clues to this) and have been lying low with no other guys to be attracted to. Loners, they become best friends and then, you will have to see what happens.
I gave this a 5 when I saw it before and it still holds up.
Labels: gay films
