Reviews

Saw this free on Tubi...didn't expect much, but was very satisfied with this production. The cinematography, acting and script were all good. I didn't find the openness of the gay love story credible, but it didn't matter. The theme of acceptance under harsh conditions and the sheer power of love are fundamental to the human psyche. We didn't get to see how the two gay soldiers formed an unbreakable, romantic bond, under such unlikely circumstances. Instead we are introduced to their characters after their relationship has already evolved. So we don't get any insights into how they were able to overcome social and military stigmas around gay men. One of my favorite scenes was when the helicopters rescued them. The script, the acting...the emotional pain and responses all resonated with realness.

The title is not about gay guys loving other gay guys without fear, but rather straight women loving "bisexual" men without fear. Acting abilities were alright, but the drama scream scenes were over the top and scary. A man who is mostly straight is NOT going to make out with another man as depicted in this movie...they went all the way, as intimate as people can get. So the blue eyed actor's claim that he was totally straight fell flat. And NO woman should just overlook the fact her boyfriend is at least an active bisexual and maybe even a closet gay. We are told it's OK to love without fear of making bad choices. Horrible message and the story lacked any credibility.

Great color and style, but the story became derailed and exhausting to watch as it become more and more implausible. At the midpoint, the movie had remained compelling and engaging, but the direction became darker and more unreal the second half. A lighter tone would have saved the movie. We needed to see some believable chemistry develop between Sean and Tippi, but all we saw was an abusive, severely disturbed woman, abuse her knight in shining armor right to the bitter end. Nobody would have tolerated such a woman, despite how beautiful she might be on the surface. There were glimmers of humor, but not nearly enough to save this unbelievable, work of fiction. Instead, Hitchcock was "light years" away from delivering pure entertainment.

Free on YT. I prefer period productions, especially English settings in the 1800s. This was set in 1950s Rome. I couldn't tell if it was dubbed in English or not. The lips seemed to always be in sync with the dialogue. In any case, the actors, especially the leads, were charismatic and likable. The scenery and cinematography was rich and interesting. I positively get bored by modern urban, gritty scenes set in NYC or LA. Why watch something visually boring that I can see anywhere by looking out my window or driving down the street. In any case, the story was a bit long winded, but I didn't mind since it held my interest. There are no mind blowing messages or wisdom to be bestowed. Just the standard boy meets dolled up girl and falls in lust. It must be stated that she was only 13 when her puppy love for her Prince began. Soulmates from the start. It wasn't clear if Aurora hadn't become wealthy in her own right, whether her privileged Prince would have chosen to marry her or not.

Had never heard of this movie until I saw it on YT. It's the first movie where I've seen Stewart play an unlikable character, one who bounces from being somewhat OK to downright sinister and nasty. So it makes absolutely no sense when Colbert, who plays her typical, flamboyant high energy persona, falls in love with Stewart. He punched her out(for no plausible reason)....and she even says no man gets away with that.....and yet she still loves him????? The slang dialogue was interesting and might be considered poor taste. Colbert kept insisting she be "dumped" off. Stewart described how a bullet to the head would make "brains" ooze out. Stewart claims all women, contrasted to men, are "dumb", but that Colbert might be the lone exception. None of this is very funny except for its sheer "shock" value. The two talented leads did what they could with a poor script. Sadly, it didn't work.

Watched this free on YT and a couple things stood out. I realize it's a total fantasy, but the central message is shallow....shall we choose "wealth" over "beauty"....money or looks when we choose a spouse? I suppose the "love" of money or the "love" of a look is all that should matter. In any case, the homely, clumsy, bashful, and wealthy potential wife for Leopold was obviously crushed when he chose the beautiful Meg Ryan instead of her. Message being....beauty trumps money any day of the week or in any era. The other point was why didn't Kate(Meg) show any concern for Stuart's fall down the elevator shaft? He was in a hospital for a week after this traumatic accident and didn't receive a single call???? Yet he's the one who is instrumental in setting her up with her newfound love, Leopold??? Makes no sense and shows a self-centered callous disregard for one's "friends". Loved the period scenes. Could have been so much better if they had focused more on Leopold's reaction to the vastly different future world he suddenly found himself in.

Saw this free on YT. Didn't know anything about Tom Ford or the movie's plot. I am gay and was born in 1960. Ford is gay and had invested millions into this movie and stated it represented his mid life crisis. If so, why did it have to be like every other gay themed movie....basically a sorrow filled gay romance? This movie could have delivered what I long to see on film....a realistic, organic gay romance that doesn't end in tragedy and heartbreak. Can't there be a message without the obligatory sad gay story that apparently only a wider audience will pay to see? If I won the mega lottery, I would finance a gay romance...and it would NOT be like this one. The acting was good of course. Some of the scenes were confusing because there were so many flashbacks it was sometimes difficult to tell what was a flashback and what was real time.

Never read the novel, so I am only reviewing this movie. The message of the story seems to be that if one chooses money, wealth and comfort over "true" romantic love, (a clear binary choice) then misery and discontent is sure to follow. It's debatable as to whether many people make such a clear binary choice when choosing a romantic partner. Regardless, the 2 primary characters in this movie fail to make a case for either choice, because they clearly suffer from some type of pathological neurosis. Cathy has a type of split personality, where she flips from being nice and enchanted by Heathcliff, to being totally cold and repulsed by his lack of status. None of it comes across as natural, realistic or convincing except in the sense that she's just as insane as Heathcliff, who clearly can't get over a childhood grudge, can't let go of a childhood fantasy and will do anything to exact his revenge. Even, Isabella, Heathcliff's well bred wife, isn't immune to their insanity. She's sucked into it and becomes just as irrational, obsessed and dejected as they have become. It's all over the top, way over the top, crazy melodrama. At no point, can you root for the characters, because as stated, they are clearly irrational and borderline insane. Take a look at some of their closeups. Heathcliff will give a look of pathological menace, while Cathy(Oberon) will emote a look of sheer anxiety and terror, as if the world is going to explode. I can't find anything to like about this movie regardless of how many awards it won or was nominated for.

I've heard about this movie and novel for a long time but didn't know the details. Just saw this movie on YT for free. I've seen a lot of old movies and this one certainly stands out as being unique. It's gritty and focuses on characters who belong to the lowest classes. As soon as I saw the scene with a farm run by the US Government, I knew there was a political message being made. The message was clearly that capitalistic farm owners only seek to exploit their workers, whereas the government is more like the workers' friend and ally. Was this the reality and big picture taking place in the 1930s? I don't have a clue. I suspect the real truth is far more complex. It would be interesting to see how proponents of the current Critical Race Theory would view this movie, since all the exploitation shown is due to socioeconomic class and not race. All the characters were white. It was all about white people being cruel and exploitative towards other white people. Performances were credible although at times the script and direction were too "theatrical", veering from stark realism to performance directed at an audience. Very bleak and somewhat depressing social commentary, but worth seeing once.

This 1939 movie had the lovable, emotive Jimmy Stewart playing a regular guy turned Senator who decides to make moral behavior a top priority. Unfortunately, the writer/director sabotaged the Smith's character development early on by having him go on a rampage, punching at least 3 reporters to the ground. Physical violence and assault between adults and even between an adult and a boy(It's a Wonderful Life: 1947) must have been seen as socially acceptable during this period. If so, the Trump era, where violence is either encouraged or condoned at political rallies, is merely a throw back to a previous era, not so long ago. Physical violence and attacks are a seen as a sign of strength, exactly as Frank Capra depicted in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. This movie certainly deserves an explanatory warning for younger generations.

All shot in England...likely in studio sound stages. The surreal imagery added to the tale. The young kid was a bit too bratty at first after his dad died. I didn't know this was a British film until the kid messed up his American accent a few times. Would have been better if the reclusive wood carver had been a true hottie after he got all cleaned up and de-bearded(not depicted). A little bit of eye candy never hurts. The end was a let down as nothing really happened. I suppose the rapid transformation of the reclusive wood carver into a warm, sociable human being was the miracle. We needed to care more about the carver for the miracle to have more impact. His character wasn't developed enough to give us this......Worth watching once.

I'm 61 and gay.....I admit I only watched this for the gay subplots and because I like costume dramas. The gay subplots were well written and were designed to evoke much audience sympathy for the gay characters, primarily through the creation of likable characters who were clearly victimized by society and homophobic individuals within that society. James was the central gay character....most memorable scene for me was when he father first confronts him with his sexuality and James collapses on the sofa sobbing uncontrollably from his gut, as one of his greatest fears, rejection from his father, sinks in and causes him to have one gigantic meltdown. Great acting, script and direction in that scene. Harry, the farmhand stud, would often pose shirtless like a bodybuilder pinup, which was quite unreal, contrived, but so so smoking hot at the same time. Even Henry, the gay doc, couldn't resist that much man muscle by the end. Worth watching over and over again.

I really want the producers of this movie to pay me for my lost time spent watching this flick....they tricked me into thinking something interesting was going to happen, but it never did. Four unlikable young adults just wander the streets and parks of San Francisco hoping to score some Ecstasy in order to liven things up. The central character just became more unlikable during the climax sex scene and his ride home on the bus. I should have given this movie a one, but I felt sorry for everyone involved in this project.

Watched all the mini episodes on YT and love the whole concept for this show. Ohio gay guy here, 61, with life long artistic interests....so this show really resonates with me. It's about 3 gay guys who have tried with limited success to break into the LA entertainment industry. But after decades of trying, they are all still scrapping to get by, living on the edge of homelessness. Love the use of the occasional MF word...it's used for comic relief with a touch of shock value. Love the way the relationship between the two muscle guys is depicted. The younger one, 35, is more grounded and successful compared to his older friends. He's a bit of a dumb brute, but has a heart of gold. The way he nonchalantly cozies up to and clings to Rich Burns, the actor/writer, and then delivers constructive advice on how to live within one's means is precious. The chemistry between these two always seems authentic and well acted. Love the show...it's down to earth and shows a side of life that's not often depicted.

I admit I got bored and fast forwarded a lot through this movie. Thank goodness it was free on YT. I read other reviews after watching the movie and they summarized what I guessed the movie was about. The ending scene between Harry and Dave was a huge disappointment. It was the scene everyone had anticipated, but it fell flat. For example, when Dave positively pins the generator attack on Harry, Harry merely acts a little surprised. There was never any heartfelt expression of remorse and shame. Come on....you destroy your piano playing lover's right hand in some vicious cowardly attack and you are not overwhelmed with guilt, emotion and shame years later when you finally discover the truth? Come on....that's surely a person no should want to know and yet the entire movie is about Harry.

Normally can't watch any movie where the central characters are children. This movie is the exception. The script, the acting and direction made this story compelling to watch even if it was a little uncomfortable. The bullying and teasing among the children and the dysfunctional behavior among the adult characters provided a grim portrait of life in Iceland. The stand out was Thor. Never once did I think he was acting. It was all starkly real. Worth watching to see the elevated caliber of children acting.

The plot here may be more common to high school students, where romance blooms amid sexual awakenings, but then after graduation, couples go to different colleges in far away places, which can effectively end a romance. In this flick, we have two gay men who are well out of high school. One seems to be content living in a small fishing village in Chile, while the other has post graduate studies to complete in Montreal. Apparently, neither the sex nor their romancing was enough to overcome their fundamental priorities. In the end, we have two likable characters who are afraid to commit, on such short notice. We are left with the looming question of...how do married couples ever cross paths long enough to finally tie the knot, especially gay men and women who are already have such low odds of finding life long partners.

Two manly men making out...what's not to love about this movie? But then it takes a supernatural turn, averting a typical gay tragedy. Thank the lord!!! Great acting, interesting story line and we get to see some positive human nature. Definitely worth watching once.

In this flick, we see a clash of cultures...conservative Islamic versus Western liberal. Beyto, a manly, muscly gay, young Turk living in Switzerland is forced to conform to Islamic family values. He gets married, but not without a strong resistance. Mike, his German boyfriend isn't very understanding and acts irrationally, cruelly and inappropriately towards Beyto after he returns, with wife in tow, to Switzerland. At that point, the audience loses any interest in Mike and wishes Beyto would find a worthy boyfriend. We are handed an unconventional ending, whereby everyone seems to be satisfied.....but for how long?

Good acting and script, but found weakness in Mike' character.

I ran out of good gay movies, so I decided to view this British one from 2000. Convincing acting across the board, but not a very plausible plot whereby two men, one straight and one gay, are friends from childhood. When the straight one finds a serious live-in girlfriend, the gay "mate", because he's secretly in love, hides a malevolent jealousy streak. He actively works to undo his straight friend's romantic relationship and pays the price in the end. At that point, nobody would envy the gay guy, as his life falls into a deep abyss. One can only hope he has learned some important lessons that can help him later.

Feast your eyes on wholesome, hunky daddy Payne for over an hour and that's pretty much what this movie is about. The rest of the cast were just distractions. The writer should have picked another lead to play Payne's love interest. The scene where Payne admits he's gay falls completely flat due to weakness in the script and Charlie's lifeless, unconvincing acting during the hugging scene. "It will be alright"....is what Charlie says. What a senseless line that just kills the whole scene. Dan Payne was well worth lots of screen time, but he didn't get a similar love interest, so the movie just sputters along.

OK.....we knew this was science fiction going into it, but there are tons of smart people, capable of writing something that sounds fairly logical. In this remake, we end up with more questions and holes in logic, than we have answers. "We have come to save the Earth" but in order to do so we have to destroy it??? And what role in this alien species did Reeves play. Was he a leader, a messenger or just an exterminator? It was never clear. Yet he somehow had the power and authority to stop the indiscriminate destruction. I also didn't like the kid's role. He was a brat all the way through, yet he was a focal point. If special effects alone is what turns you on, then you might like this. Otherwise, skip it.

The first part of this movie was slow and not very interesting.....up to and including the spiritualist's side show. Once the romantic intrigue started, it got better. The relationship between the two sisters was interesting. Dana Andrews played the manly, stoic, emotionally unavailable character he's played before. He's not one to shy away from an occasional fight or a sudden surge of carnal lust. What he saw in Linda, the shop clerk, is anyone's guess. She played a totally unlikable person and she wasn't irresistibly gorgeous. Many old movies get too sappy and sentimental. This one only did so a few times. One obvious time was when Dana's blonde wife, in a ball of tears, exclaimed her love for him. Way over the top and unreal considering the circumstances. BUT, this was also my favorite scene because it showed an instant change in Dana's character. He finally felt someone decent could love him with all his obvious flaws and at that point he made some sort of internal commitment for positive change. The final confession scene was a bit of a rush job to wrap up the plot. Not very plausible.