Sunday, December 16, 2018

Reverend's Reviews: Have Yourself a Sexy Homo Christmas

 

There is currently no shortage of opportunities during this holiday season to "make the Yuletide gay." We can delight in an abundance of ginger(bread) men, ugly sweater-inspired undies, and battery-powered toys (ahem). And there are plenty of hot guys getting down and dirty in three new, gay-themed home video releases from around the world! Two of them even have Christmas connections.


Cola de Mono (now available from TLA Releasing) is set in Santiago, Chile on Christmas Eve. Two brothers – younger, precocious Borja and the older, studious Vicente – have gathered with their amusingly pessimistic (at least initially) mother. As the three get intoxicated on wine and the special holiday punch which the film is named after, family secrets of a homosexual nature are revealed and result in some decidedly non-jolly, bloody mayhem.

Talented writer-director Alberto Fuguet draws from his own upbringing during the 1980's for this provocative psycho-sexual thriller. Borja and Vicente sport short shorts, and there are numerous references to such popular movies from the "Me Decade" as Short Circuit, Aliens, Gremlins, Poltergeist and Revenge of the Nerds. In one memorable scene, Borja (played by the deliciously sassy and sexy Cristobal Rodriguez-Costabal) does for dancing in a jock strap what Tom Cruise did for dancing in tighty-whities in 1983's Risky Business. William Friedkin's controversial but pioneering (at least in hindsight) gay slasher flick Cruising is also eluded to.

Fuguet's biggest inspirations, however, are the 70's-80's oeuvre of director Brian DePalma as well as horror novelist Stephen King's works. Cola de Mono even opens with a quote from King: "We lie best when we lie to ourselves." King's Carrie figures strongly, especially during the finale (notably, DePalma directed the original film version), as well as DePalma's Body Double and Dressed to Kill. Topping it all off is Christian Heyne's great, synth-pop score and 80's songs by the popular Chilean group Upa! Made with a potent combination of economic storytelling, nostalgia, visual flair and eroticism, Cola de Mono shouldn't be missed by gay men in the 45+ age bracket.


Meanwhile, the infamous Chinese provocateur SCUD (Utopians, Amphetamine) is back with his latest, explicit gay epic, Adonis (now available from Breaking Glass Pictures). It isn't set at Christmas time but does open with a bevy of beautiful naked men in a forest who we later learn are elves! The film stars and is even named for SCUD's current muse Adonis He, who also headlines the director's last production.

In what may be an at least partially autobiographical story, Adonis is a Beijing opera performer who turns to porn and prostitution after he is cut from the company. He is taken in by an older man he comes to affectionately call "Uncle," although this agent is revealed as truly wicked by the film's horrific climax. Told in non-linear style, we learn about Adonis's childhood with a terminally-ill mother. There are also bondage, kink and orgies throughout that at times threaten to be too much even by SCUD's standards.

Nathan Wong's gorgeous cinematography in color, black & white, and sepia ravishingly depicts the sometimes sordid proceedings. Adonis is not without its philosophical and even theological aspects, especially in the end. Like most of SCUD's films to date, it is an often hypnotic blend of both sacred and profane elements.


From China we are transported to India for Jayan Cherian's Ka Bodyscapes (now available from Ariztical Entertainment). As the first Indian film to deal openly with LGBTQ issues, censors demanded heavy cuts to it and ultimately banned it from theaters. There is no explicit sex shown but the relationship between lead male characters Harris, a gay artist, and the athletic Vishnu is undeniably sensual. Jason Chacko and beautiful Kannan Rajesh assay these roles, respectively.

The pair confront prejudice and persecution, especially once they support their female friend and her fellow feminist activists. Sadly, things don't end well for them, in a harsh reminder of how far Indian society still has to go in accepting its LGBTQ citizens. But writer-director Cherian does an admirable job of showing the diverse attitudes that do exist in modern India. There are also beautiful shots of the local flora and fauna plus of Harris' provocative paintings.  

Ka Bodyscapes makes for eye-opening holiday viewing on many levels. After all, this is the season of goodwill toward all.

Reverend's Ratings:
Cola de Mono: B+
Adonis: B-
Ka Bodyscapes: B

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film and stage critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Dearest Review: My Ex-Boyfriend's Wedding



Kosovo's official submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at this year's Academy Awards is The Marriage, a moving drama about the sacrifices one makes... or doesn't make... for love.


Bekim (the Jake Gyllenhaal-ish Alban Ukaj) and his fiancée Anita (Adriana Matoshi) are in the midst of preparing for their upcoming wedding when they unexpectedly run into Nol (Genc Salihu), an old friend of Bekim's who has returned to Kosovo after living in Paris for several years. It is soon revealed that Bekim and Nol were more than just friends, they were lovers, secret lovers in a country that is still unaccepting of LGBT people. Old passions are reignited, but there is no real happy ending for anyone in this love triangle.


In his feature film debut, director Blerta Zeqiri (also co-writer of the screenplay with the film's producer, Keka Kreshnik Berisha) aims for a universal story where the gender of the three main characters is besides the point. This is admirable, yet there is a lot in The Marriage that is familiar, especially if you're a connoisseur of queer cinema. Zeqiri also pads the story with superfluous flashbacks (some of which are practically indiscernible from the story proper) and a family dinner scene that goes on forever for no apparent reason.

What saves this Marriage is the performances of its two leading actors, especially Salihu (a Kosovar pop star who was also a judge on his country's version of The Voice), who imbues his character with a steadfast dignity even though he knows quite well that he will be the one most victimized by fate.

The Marriage opens this Friday in Los Angeles and will also be available via Video On Demand.

Dearest Rating: 7/10

Reviews by Kirby Holt, Movie Dearest creator, editor and head writer.