Don't let the terrible title and misleading trailer dissuade you from watching this fantastic movie.
This film kept populating in my Prime account. Because of the way it's being marketed I've avoided for at least a year, but finally got bored enough to give it a five-minute chance before tossing it for good. Instead, I was hooked as soon as the dialogue between the two characters began. What I realized immediately is that Sodom is well written, directed, and acted.
I couldn't disagree more with those who think that Pip Brignall is miscast as the "straight" footballer. Far from it. His character, Will, comes off as "gay" - because he is gay. What we see here, mainly, is the "gay" Will - his persona when he's not faking who he really is. There are some minor flashes of the "straight" Will when appropriate. And I won't mention where, here.
Pip Bignall constructs an amazing portrait of Will as a confused and tormented man who's yet to come to terms with who he is. His face is clownishly contorted at times which reflects his great struggle from within. He often draws out the vowels of a simple word (weeeeeeeeeeell..), torturing their pronunciation as if to road-test them before fully committing to them (a theme). THIS is the Will that has rarely been seen by anyone, other than the four other men he's been with. He himself doesn't know who this Will is and is discovering him in real-time in these encounters.
So, no, Will is not a butch he-man of a footballer. Thank God. He's a gay footballer with a butch facade - most of the time. All of this added together is a compelling and heartbreaking portrait of someone who most gay men can relate to in some significant, or minor, way. It's the lack of confidence, because of society, to explore the unknown. The crippling need to fake our way through the familiar and approved path that ALL people have to navigate. It's just that for gay people, with regards to an opposite sex partner, it is an impossibility with a fuse. That, is who Pip Brignall brings to life beautifully and in painful detail in this stunning film.
Everyone seems to agree that Jo Weil is fantastic here, and I do as well. His Michael is patient, seasoned, and knows of love and loss. His years of doubt are decades behind him. His Michael establishes a perfect polarity to Pip Brignall's Will. I hung on their every revelatory word. The evolution of their evening rang true and never felt to me as gimmicky or artificial. Granted, it is not a run of the mill date, as dates go. But I couldn't definitely see this one as something on each of their horizons, somewhere, at some point.
With all that out of the way - the writing and directing by Mark Wilshin is wonderful. The atmospherics breathtaking. That dance!!! It made my heart beat faster. I can't recommend this film highly enough. It is unusual, compelling, and expertly made. I have one small quibble with it that I won't bother with, and, that doesn't prevent me from giving it a 10 out of 10. Enjoy. You won't regret it.
This film kept populating in my Prime account. Because of the way it's being marketed I've avoided for at least a year, but finally got bored enough to give it a five-minute chance before tossing it for good. Instead, I was hooked as soon as the dialogue between the two characters began. What I realized immediately is that Sodom is well written, directed, and acted.
I couldn't disagree more with those who think that Pip Brignall is miscast as the "straight" footballer. Far from it. His character, Will, comes off as "gay" - because he is gay. What we see here, mainly, is the "gay" Will - his persona when he's not faking who he really is. There are some minor flashes of the "straight" Will when appropriate. And I won't mention where, here.
Pip Bignall constructs an amazing portrait of Will as a confused and tormented man who's yet to come to terms with who he is. His face is clownishly contorted at times which reflects his great struggle from within. He often draws out the vowels of a simple word (weeeeeeeeeeell..), torturing their pronunciation as if to road-test them before fully committing to them (a theme). THIS is the Will that has rarely been seen by anyone, other than the four other men he's been with. He himself doesn't know who this Will is and is discovering him in real-time in these encounters.
So, no, Will is not a butch he-man of a footballer. Thank God. He's a gay footballer with a butch facade - most of the time. All of this added together is a compelling and heartbreaking portrait of someone who most gay men can relate to in some significant, or minor, way. It's the lack of confidence, because of society, to explore the unknown. The crippling need to fake our way through the familiar and approved path that ALL people have to navigate. It's just that for gay people, with regards to an opposite sex partner, it is an impossibility with a fuse. That, is who Pip Brignall brings to life beautifully and in painful detail in this stunning film.
Everyone seems to agree that Jo Weil is fantastic here, and I do as well. His Michael is patient, seasoned, and knows of love and loss. His years of doubt are decades behind him. His Michael establishes a perfect polarity to Pip Brignall's Will. I hung on their every revelatory word. The evolution of their evening rang true and never felt to me as gimmicky or artificial. Granted, it is not a run of the mill date, as dates go. But I couldn't definitely see this one as something on each of their horizons, somewhere, at some point.
With all that out of the way - the writing and directing by Mark Wilshin is wonderful. The atmospherics breathtaking. That dance!!! It made my heart beat faster. I can't recommend this film highly enough. It is unusual, compelling, and expertly made. I have one small quibble with it that I won't bother with, and, that doesn't prevent me from giving it a 10 out of 10. Enjoy. You won't regret it.