I went to see this much-hyped gay movie earlier today and loved it. The first thing you notice is how beautifully shot it is - leisurely takes of lovely north Italian landscapes and townscapes framed by a painterly eye. This gives you tentative hope for other aspects of the movie and it doesn't disappoint. Excellent screenplay and utterly convincing acting across the board. The central relationship between the self-assured, rather conceited visiting American mid-20s (?) student and the clever but naive 17 year old boy moves from rough-edged disharmony to vulnerable intimacy with great subtlety and skill. Just enough of their sexual moments are shown to suggest the strength of their mutual passion without seeming exploitative. There are no cheap tricks in this movie. It's confident, respectful film making of a high order.
Two powerful scenes close the movie. In one the boy's father, a professor, is aware of his son's silent suffering after parting from the visiting student who has had to return to America and gently advises him never to become cynical about love and close his heart to it (the movie is far apart from the world of barboys and their customers, of course) and in the last scene there is a long take of the boy's face, under the influence of the bitter-sweet emotions he is feeling, as he looks into the flames of a log fire. Not difficult to predict a successful future for the young French actor playing this role. I find many gay movies to be overrated but this one had me leaving the cinema enlivened and inspired.
I saw it at RCA House in Bangkok, the only place it is showing here as far as I know. It's a smallish 3-screen cinema in a nondescript shopping plaza, well away from fashionable areas. Phra Ram 9 is the nearest MRT station. It specialises in idiosyncratic and art movies which are never likely to receive general release, where mediocre and crap movies predominate. I went at 1.30 in the afternoon and there was a nearly full house of mainly Thais. Plenty more were waiting for the 4.00pm performance as I left. So there is a market for good movies here. If you're in the vicinity do yourself a favour and check it out.
