An Intense Belgian Drama Of Love Found And Love Lost: A Cute Romance Morphs Into Tragic Melodrama
There seems to be a recent surge of what I like to think of as neo-realism in terms of gay cinema on the international scene. Instead of some of the more flamboyant or fantastical representations, we've got gritty working class dramas that feature regular guys who just happen to like guys. Not silly comedies and not classic coming-of-age tales, these stories address the difficulties and the joys of adult gay relationships. These smaller independent films speak much more to the nuance of actual situations and real interactions and, as such, are progress in the right direction. Don't get me wrong, I like the lighter fare as well but I enjoy the more grown-up viewpoint immensely. David Lambert's "Beyond the Walls" fits nicely into the genre of films recently populated by critical hits such as "Keep The Lights On" and "Weekend." (On a side note, if you haven't seen the British indie "Weekend" by Andrew Haigh, it is a near-perfect examination of one relationship in microcosm over the...
A French Albanian Gay love story
Paulo is an aspiring pianist who is living with his long suffering girlfriend Anka. He has a penchant for being a bit bi- curious and his contretemps are starting to wear thin. Then one night he has `one too many' at a bar and the rather accommodating barman takes him home. This is gay Albanian bass playing Ilir (Guillaume Gouix `The Returned' TV series). Nothing happens but the following day it is clear that there is a spark between the two men. So they decide to meet again - just for a drink etc.
Well one thing leads to another and before you can say `my place or yours' they are at it like sex starved teens. Then Paulo has to return home and is called out by Anka, he tries denying it but eventually she has had enough and asks him to get out. He has nowhere to go so goes back to Ilir, who is not keen at first but gives in and lets him stay. They soon become emotionally embedded with each other despite the cultural differences. This includes visiting a rather well stocked...
Gritty, emotional story of two flawed characters in love.
Paulo (Matila Malliarakis) is a somewhat na
Post a Comment