This unexpected and rather remarkable new film from
first time writer/director David Lambert (that I discovered by accident)
realistically scrutinizes the intimate details of the rise and fall of an edgy
gay relationship, devoid of stereotypes.
It premiered at Cannes Film Festival during the Critics Week (picking up
an Award) and most of the Reviewers then made a point of commenting that after Andrew Haigh’s very successful ‘Weekend’ and Ira Sachs ‘Keep The Lights On‘ (premiered at Sundance and still to
be released), that there is a now a new movement of realism in queer cinema. And very refreshing it is too.
Drinking rather heavily in a Brussels bar one night,
Paolo a young slim youth catches the eye of Illir a hunky bearded Albanian
bartender, and ends up waking in his bed next morning. Bisexual Paolo slinks
back to his girlfriend but she eventually throws him out two days later, and
Paolo now homeless, persuades Illir to put him up even though the Barman knows
that shacking up together after just a couple of dates is not a good idea.
But thrown together, love blossoms between the
inexperienced young man and his ‘daddy’ figure boyfriend and everything is
going really well until Illir, a part-time musician, leaves town for a gig and
ends up being arrested and jailed for possessing hash and resisting arrest. The
clingy dependent Paolo is distraught and makes every visit to jail emotionally
explosive, and Illir conscious of
the tough guy image he wants to maintain in front of his cell mates, tells him never to return again.
Paolo eventually hooks up with an older successful
businessman who he clearly doesn't love, but the relationship empowers him to
mature and find his own sense of worth. Halfway through Illir’s jail sentence
Paolo is still willing to jeopardize his own freedom by smuggling in some hash,
but later by the time Illir is eventually freed, Paolo can resist Illir even
though he is obviously still in love with him.
Like both ‘Weekend’ and ‘Keep The Lights On’ there is no fairytale ending
where everyone lives happily after: it is what it is. The relationship reaches giddy heights but both
men in their different ways accept that it has run its course and that they
cannot turn the clock back.
The story dips a tad in the later part losing the
excellent pace that it started out with, and although by no means a perfect
film it has much to highly recommend it. ‘Realism’ does not mean gloomy and
Lambert obviously has a keen sense of humor and has written a couple of funny
and affectionate scenes like when the normally closeted Illir grabs the
microphone in the supermarket to ask anyone if they could point out the condoms
so that he and his boyfriend could have a good afternoon making out. And then
there are the two lead actors Guilluame Gouix and Matila Malliarakis who are perfectly
cast to add to the rawness of the piece. Well photographed too.
I’m giving this a high rating because not only is this
a refreshingly enchanting heart-warming movie from this newbie Belgian
filmmaker, but it strives (and succeeds)
to help break the mold and not make this very real story into the usual frothy
lightweight gay movie.
P.S. It will do the Festival Circuit soon and I’m sure that
after that it will find the audience it so deserves. It's already in Movie Theaters up in Canada ( who knew there would finally be an advantage to being Canadian. No date set for other Releases so I’m going to put it on my ‘watchlist’ and
will update this Blog as soon I hear it may hit a Screen near you.
★★★★★★★★★
★★★★★★★★★
