Reviews

A gay classic that is situated at the beginning of the twentieth century. 'Maurice' is the story of Maurice Hall, a student at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. There he meets Clive Durham. Both men develop a strong friendship, which to a certain level, becomes physical. Clive is gay, but Maurice doesn't want to know anything about it. Until he admits he also has feelings for persons of the same sex, even though in intellectual circles homosexuality is 'the love that dare not speak its name'.

Maurice doesn't know how to behave. Of course he wants to be himself, but society doesn't accept gay people. When he more or less decides to live as a gay man bosom friend Clive changes his mind, frightened by a lawsuit against a gay man. According to Clive the physical friendship between Maurice and Clive must end and from that moment on he wants to experience real love: the love of a woman. The relation between Maurice and Clive gets tense.

Even Maurice tries to get his sexual preference changed by visiting a hypnotist, but the treatment fails. That becomes very clear when Maurice sleeps with Scudder, Clive's under gamekeeper. A passionate love develops between Scudder and Maurice, which makes Clive realize what kind of appearance he has to keep up as a 'converted' gay man.

'Maurice' is based on the novel of the same name written by E.M. Forster. The film is beautiful and made with a feeling for historical notion. The actors playing the leading roles are straight in real life but act the gay roles in a beautiful way. Actually everything in the film is right: image, usage of language, costumes and music.

Is it an accusation of the Catholic Church or is it the story of a priest who is bound by his religion to strict rules concerning sex and feelings? Is there a theme in the film or is it just a story? Those are a couple of questions I asked myself after seeing La Mala Educación from the Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar.

Actually, La Mala Educación exists of three stories which have been interwoven in a miraculous way. Story one: film director Enrique is being paid a visit by a long lost friend. That friend, Ignacio, is an actor and has written a story that Enrique might want to make into a film. Enrique's story is for one part made up by Ignacio's and Enrique's experiences when they were young boys and were living in a Catholic boarding school. Ignacio reads the manuscript and sees the pictures in his head, and that is story two: a transvestite finds an old friend, Ignacio. After having sex, the transvestite steals a manuscript Ignacio wrote about his secret: while in boarding school he was sexually abused by a priest. To gain money, the transvestite blackmails the priest: give me money or I'll publish the manuscript. The priest reads parts of the manuscript. And that is the third story: the experiences of the real Enrique and the real Ignacio while attending boarding school. During that time they discovered the meaning of friendship, love and physical desires.

You have to keep up with the film. When your attention wanes you might miss a detail that's important later. When seeing the film, try to remember the names of the characters very quickly. It makes viewing easier.

Is La Mala Educación a typical Pedro Almodóvar film? Yes and no. No, since women are not the main theme, as in his other films. No, because it's not an unbelievable and absurdist story. Yes, since the film has some typical Almodóvar characteristics: the transvestite, the junkie that is caught on the lee shore, and the hope people have to reach a better life. More than in other Almodóvar films homosexuality is an important theme.

When the film was over you could see the visitors of the cinema thinking: is it a film about the Catholic Church, about emotions and selfishness, about… The scenes had to fall in place.

A person can do strange things when in love. David is a working class boy. His friendship with 'mate' Theo seems to be indestructible. Until Theo is starts living together with his girlfriend Hannah. Nobody knows David is in love with Theo. And very jealous, as it turns out…

David plays 'hard to get' by trying to break up Theo and Hannah's relationship. He succeeds, but his lies are uncovered at the end. Especially after the weekend in Brighton when Theo can only think of Hannah who has left him, while David wants to make fun. When David, still very deep in the closet, expresses his feelings for Theo in a Jenny Jones-like program on television the shit really hits the fan. David is kicked out of the house by his father and Theo's friendship for David turns into pure hate.

Forgive and Forget is a film about friendship an jealousy. You can really wonder why David doesn't come out of the closet earlier: his life would have been easier. The end of the film is quite sudden and the question pops up why there has to be a fight involving an iron bar. Where did Hannah come from in the last scene? Even though: Forgive and Forget is a nice and very well performed film that makes you think.

An absolute must see: 'A home at the end of the world' directed by Michael Mayer. Based on the book by Michael Cunningham 'A home at the end of the world' tells about a special friendship between a straight man, a straight woman and a gay man.

Bobby is the main character. We get to know him when he catches his brother having sex, and when the same brother teaches Bobby how to smoke pod. Not long after, the big brother dies. When at the age of sixteen he has also buried his parents, Bobby starts to live with his best friend Jonathan. From that moment on it's clear both boys have a special relationship. Of course they start experimenting and it is very funny and touching to see what power of persuasion Bobby has on the correct mother of Johnny.

A few years later: Johnny lives in New York City and Bobby visits him. The reunification is heartwarming, even though it is obvious the easy relationship from years before is over. Is it Clare, who shares her life with John? Is it Bobby's rural way of life in the urban environment? Is it the closeted gay life of one of both men? The three develop a very special relationship. Outsiders, and even themselves, don't understand a thing about their 'threesome'. At one point it is too much for Clare.

Director Michael Mayer has done a great job in 'A home at the end of the world' showing a special relationship that does justice to all the people and all sexual preferences involved. The way he deals with aids is subtle but right in your face. A beautiful movie about the unconditional friendship and looking beyond your own borders.