“Boy Meets Girl” (2014) – Review – MGLFF

Writer / Director:  Eric Schaeffer

Stars:  Michael Welch and Michelle Hendley

IMDb Logline:  Boy Meets Girl is a funny, tender, sex positive romantic comedy that explores what it means to be a real man or woman, and how important it is to live a courageous life not letting fear stand in the way of going after your dreams.

Pros:  

1. Southern town setting with, for the most part, accepting residents
2. Actual transgender actress (Michelle Hendley)
3. Uplifting story

Cons:

1. Michelle Hendley’s inexperience acting is noticable on occasion
2. The ending wraps everything in a nice bow

Review:  It’s not often you get a transgender feature film, let alone a well made one.  Boy Meets Girl is a very familiar story told in a modern way, with genuine performances and people you grow to care about.  Eric Schaeffer does a good job fleshing out all the characters and making them all humane.

Grade = B

“Kidnapped for Christ” (2014) – Review – MGLFF

Director:  Kate Logan

Writers:  Kate Logan and Yada Zamora

With:  David, Ty, and Kate Logan

IMDb Summary:  A young evangelical filmmaker is granted unprecedented access inside a controversial Christian behavior modification program for teens, where she discovers shocking secrets and young students that change her life.

Pros:  

1. Incredible access inside the camp
2. Numerous story arcs developing at the same time
3. Fully developed story with no loose ends

Cons:  

1. Minimal; inexperience of the director sometimes shows

Review:  A multilayered documentary where friendly relationships turn antagonistic, friends become enemies, people become damaged and need to be heeled; and a documentary that clearly shows how much hurt someone can cause when they truly believe they are doing good.

Grade = A

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“Snails in the Rain” (2013) – Review MGLFF

Director:  Yariv Mozer

Writers:  Yossi Avni Levy, Yariv Mozer

Stars:  Yoav Reuvini, Moran Rosenblatt, and Yariv Mozer

IMDb Logline:  Tel Aviv, Summer 1989. Boaz, a beautiful and alluring linguistics student, receives anonymous, male written love letters,that undermines his sexual identity and interfere his peaceful life with his beloved girlfriend.

Pros:

1. Honestly shows the emotional damage trying to live your life as others want you to be instead of living our life as you want it to be
2. The interplay of the relationship between Boaz (Yoav Reuvini) and his fiancé Noa (Moran Rosenblatt)
3. Yoav Reuvini

Cons:

1. Unfortunate title
2. Boaz’s paranoia about his unknown admirer smirks out of control a little too soon.

Review:  A deliberately paced character study about one man trying to discover who he really is, and whether he will sacrifice his own nature to be the man everyone expects him to be.  The emotional damage a closeted life is laid bare in one particularly brutal scene between Boaz and Noa, made more intense by Noa’s later reaction and strength of character.  But by journey’s end, no one is left undamaged.

Grade = A-

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“Der Samurai (The Samurai)” (2014) – Review MGLFF

Writer / Director:  Till Kleinert

Stars:  Michel Diercks and Pit Bukowski

IMDb Log Line:  A wolf strives through the woods around an isolated German village. Jakob the young local police officer is onto him, but scents something more in the darkness. What he finds is a man, it seems, wild-eyed, of wiry build, in a dress. He carries a katana, a Samurai sword. When the Samurai invites Jakob to follow him on his crusade towards the village, it becomes Jakob’s mission to pursue the lunatic to end this wanton destruction. At the end of the night Jakob has experienced too much, is too far from whom he once was. Something hidden has been unleashed to meet the first rays of daylight.

Pros:

1. German Gothic Horror
2. Voice and cadence of Pit Bukowski as the Samurai
3. Unique story and point of view that pays homage to old monster tales such as the werewolf

Cons:

1. German Gothic Horror
2. Unfortunately and unwittingly makes you sympathize with the NRA–an easily accessible gun would have definitely helped

Reviews:  Till Kleinert crafts a well paced horror story that starts as a psychological drama, and then quickens to all out gore before the final confrontation between Officer Jakob (Michel Diercks) and the feral Samurai (Pit Bukowski).  The story is neither predictable nor obvious.  Both actors handle themselves well in their roles, with Pit Bukowski’s stays in your memory.

Grade = B+

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“Tom à la Ferme (Tom at the Farm)” (2013) – Review MGLFF

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Writer / Director:  Xavier Dolan

Stars:  Xavier Dolan, Pierre-Yves Cardinal, ans Lise Roy

IMDb Logline:  A grieving man meets his lover’s family, who were not aware of their son’s sexual orientation.

Pros:

1. Isolated setting adds to the tension
2. Overall acting quality
3. Cinematography

Cons: 

1. Stockholm syndrome kicks in a little too soon

Review:  Xavier Dolan delivers a suspense film that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  His Tom will do anything to survive once he discovers how truly in danger he is from the repressed and violent Francis (Pierre-Yves Cardinal) and the manipulative Agathe (Lise Roy).  Dolan’s pacing and scene setup–especially the dance in the barn–is reminiscent of Brian de Palma at his most proficient.  Tom at the Farm is not your typical Gay Film Festival offering.

Grade = B+

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“Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho (The Way He Looks)” (2014) – Review – MGLFF

 

Writer/Director:  Daniel Ribeiro

Stars:  Ghilherme Lobo, Fabio Audi, and Tess Amorim

IMDb Logline:  Leonardo is a blind teenager searching for independence. His everyday life, the relationship with his best friend, Giovana, and the way he sees the world change completely with the arrival of Gabriel.

Pros:

1. Chemistry between the three leads
2. Coming-of-age story from a unique perspective of a blind person
3. Honest–by which I mean sometimes cruel–depiction of high school life

Cons:

1. Minimal.  In comparison to the Short film the feature is based on, sometimes the pacing is a little off.

Review:  Not your standard high school story.  At an age when hormones kick in, you start to discover who you are, and you naturally chafe against your parents, blind Leonardo (Ghilherme Lobo) also has to deal with Giovana’s (Tess Amorim) attraction towards him as he discovers he is attracted to new boy in school, Gabriel (Fabio Audi).  The best part of the story is treating Leonardo as any other high school student–he is teased, made fun of, and gets into arguments with his friends where they storm off and just leave him somewhere by himself.  Also, the filmmakers and performers pay attention to small details.  The first time Leonardo kisses someone he keeps his eyes open; in his room he has wood blocks with his name in braille on them.

Grade = A-

Bonus:  The Way He Looks is an expansion of an earlier Short film from 2010, Eu Nao Quero Voltar Sozinho (I Don’t Want to Go Back Alone).  You can watch the Short here.  I consider the Short almost perfect.  Daniel Ribeiro did an excellent job expanding the story while not making the feature flabby and staying honest to the principal storyline.

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“Mr. Angel” (2013) – MGLFF – Review

Director: Dan Hunt

With: Buck Angel and Elayne Angel

Buck Angel is a transgender porn star and proud of it. He was born a biological female. Today he lives as a male who is on hormone therapy and removed his breasts, but still retains his vagina.

His journey is one of discovery, acceptance, and advocacy. Growing-up athletic and a tom boy, Buck had conflict with his family after he hit puberty. The struggles with his identity lead to drug and alcohol abuse as he went from a successful female fashion model to prostitute. Eventually he found his direction and lives his life proudly. He’s proud of his vagina and that he is man. He has given voice to other transgendered female-to-males who were initially ashamed and embarrassed by their vagina.

Buck and his wife, Elayne, are very upfront, charming, and humorous people, and their personalities come through throughout the documentary. The entire film is engagingly educational. The points-of-views expressed and the world shown–the porn industry–hardly gain expression in film, but are thoughtfully displayed here.

The film is well paced and fast-moving. It never lulls or causes you to lose your attention. Overall, you leave the theatre feeling better for having learned something new.

Grade = B

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“Out in the Dark” (2012) – MGLFF – Review

Director: Michael Mayer

Writers: Yael Shafrir and Michael Mayer

Stars: Nicholas Jacob and Michael Aloni

Nimr Mashrawi (Nicholas Jacob) is a Palestinian university psychology student longing to attend graduate school in the United States. One night he sneaks across Israeli check points to meet some friends at a gay nightclub. There he meets Roy Schaefer (Michael Aloni), a young Jewish lawyer. They connect both physically and emotionally. Their relationship blossoms once Nimr gets a student visa after he is accepted as a transfer student to the University of Tel Aviv.

But both face challenges. Though Roy’s family knows he is gay, they are not happy his boyfriend is Palestinian. Nimr is closeted and would be in physical danger of assault or worse if he was known to be gay in his community. On top of that constant pressure, Nimr’s brother is actively involved with the anti-Isreali Palestinian movement, and his actions come under the attention of the Israeli security forces.

Out in the Dark is well acted and shot. The visuals are shot in blues and grays, and there is a gritty quality to the images. The two leads deliver excellent performances, and are matched by the supporting cast. There is not a false note from anyone.

Yael Shafrir and Michael Mayer created an engaging script with engaging characters. Though you have an idea of where the story is going, it takes you somewhere else. The dialogue, circumstances, and character reactions all fit together to create a believable world. Out in the Dark is a drama that grabs your attention and never let’s go.

Grade = A

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“G.B.F.” (2013) – MGLFF – Review

Director: Darren Stein

Writer: George Northy

Stars: Michael J. Willet, Paul Iacano, Evanna Lynch, Sasha Pieterse, Xosha Roquemore, and Megan Mullally

Tanner (Michael J. Willet) and Brent (Paul Iacano) are best friends in high school who happen to be gay. Brent is flamboyant while Tanner is a comic geek. Both are out to their clique of friends but not to the school in general. After reading that a gay best friend (G.B.F.) is the most have accessory for the most popular girls in schools, Brent decides to orchestrate his public coming out in order to climb the social ladder. In their school there are three “it” girls vying for the eventual Homecoming Queen crown: Fawcett (Sasha Pieterse), the blond cheerleader; Caprice (Xosha Roquemore), the artistic minority; and McKenzie, right-wing mormon.

Along the way to his preordained date with high school destiny, Brent’s train comes off the track. After Brent jokingly signs-up Tanner to a Grndr like app, Tanner is outed by the Gay-Straight Alliance club looking for a Gay to champion. Now known as the official gay in school, Tanner’s social stock rises as Brent’s collapses.

G.B.F. is a light and funny movie in the same vein as Clueless. It is both a funny and well-rounded story, with more character development than a movie similar to this typically gets. Surprisingly, even the minor characters have good story arcs.

The two leads are well cast and handily carry the movie. It’s fun to watch Willet as Tanner come out of his introverted life, and Iacano as Brent stumble around as he finds his identity. Together they have a great chemistry and play off each other well. The remaining cast is good to decent, with Megan Mullally as Brent’s mother delivery a stand-out comedic performance.

Though G.B.F. won’t change your life, it will bring a smile to your face.

Grade = B

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15th Annual Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

Normally for film festivals I list the films I plan to watch, and then write reviews a few days later.  This year I plan to use this space to list my top choice of film for the day, as well as right short reviews in advance of the films.  I gave myself one simple rule:  solely one film per day.

Friday, April 26th

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Easy pick for the first night of the festival–there was only one choice.  That being said, it is a good choice.

Saturday, April 27th

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My vote for the best film of the festival.

Sunday, April 28th

Interior.  Leather Bar

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Yes, that is James Franco filming two guys getting it on.  No, Interior.  Leather Bar is not what you think.  Teamed with Travis Matthews’ In Their Room (London), both documentaries ask thought provoking questions of what is and what is not OK to show the movie going audience and why.

Monday, April 29th

Mr. Angel

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A documentary about a transgender porn star; definitely something you have not seen before.

Tuesday, April 30th

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That’s Anarchy in Zirmunai for the Lithuanian illiterate–like me.

Wednesday, May 1st

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My #9 Best Film of 2012

Thursday, May 2nd

Raid of the Rainbow Lounge

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The amazing thing about this documentary is that it depicts events that only happened in 2009.

Friday, May 3rd

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Saturday, May 4th

Men’s Shorts Program

An eclectic mix of drama, comedy, fiction, and short-doc.

Sunday, May 5th

La Partida

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The second best film of the festival.