The Last Straight Man (2014)

The Last Straight Man (2014)

Director: Mark Bessenger
Writer: Mark Bessenger
Genre: Romance, Drama
Country: USA
Language: English
Duration:110 min
Year: 2014

Site: Facebook


Stars: Mark Cirillo, Scott Sell, David Alanson Bradberry

“The Last Straight Man” spada u klasičnu gay-str8 romansu sa srećnim krajem. Kada dva najbolja druga (Lewis i Cooper) ostanu sami nakon lude momačke večeri odluče da popiju po još neku tekilu i zabave se. Cooper koji se sutra ženi postavi pravilo od tri pitanja na koja moraju najiskrenije odgovoriti. Pitanja se ređaju, koje ti je najluđe seksualno iskustvo, kako je izgledalo tvoje najšokantnije iskustvo itd
Kada Lewis odgovori da je njegovo najčudnije i najšokantnije iskustvo bilo kada je popušio kurac nekom liku Cooper postaje znatiželjan.

Ovakvih filmova smo već gledali ranije, a najsličniji je filmu The One. Romanse sa oženjenim muškarcem koji pokušava da održi svoj brak i pored jasnih emocija prema drugom muškarcu obično imaju nesretan kraj, ali u ovom filmu na svu sreću to nije slučaj.

U ovom filmu ima dosta komičnih situacija na koje će te se slatko nasmijati, a neke od njih će vas sigurno podsjetiti na sopstvena iskustva, Počev od onih zadivljenih pogleda kada je vaš drug ugledao poprilično veliki kurac pa do prvog primanja kite, uz obavezno trčanje u WC da se ispere sva gadost koja nastaje ako se niste dobro oprali.

Ono što mi je simpatično u ovom filmu je apsolutno česta pojava da nesigurni strejt mora prvo dobro da poopije kako bi se opustio.

Lewis i Cooper se viđaju jednom godišnje u hotelskoj sobi u kojoj je Cooper prvi put popušio kitu drugu kojji je u njega bio potajno zaljubljen.
Nemojte očekivati neku savršenu glumu ovo je ipak niskobudžetni film. I pored toga će te se lijepo zabaviti gledajući zgodne prijatelje u često provokativnim seksualnim i neseksualnim scenama kojima je suđeno da budu jedan uz drugog.

Sadness, heartbreak & regret permeates "The Last Straight Man"
by sinnerofcinema (United States) – IMDB

A very involving film from filmmaker Mark Bessenger, "The Last Man" standing is a therapeutic treat for anyone who's been involved in truncated relationships. From the outset, both leading men are aware of their feelings for one another. Lewis (Mark Cirillo) is a closeted man throwing a bachelor party for his straight best friend and secret crush, Cooper (Scott Sell). However, they also realize their relationship is doomed due to to the marital circumstance surrounding Cooper. Emotions run high as both men agree to schedule a yearly one night stand reprieve from the grind of life. During this interlude they are both allowed to ask three intimate questions to be answered as truthfully and as authentically as possible. That opportunity allows both lead characters to exchange confessions on their true feelings in addition to giving each other the needed updates they crave just to see where their relationship stands. You would think that Lewis is unilaterally suffering through the bulk of heartache this unrequited love situation is generating. However, much suffering is to be had by Cooper who is torn between his family and his real belated love found for Lewis. This is the type of love that has grown so out of bounds, Cooper does not know how to deal with his emotions.

The beauty of this film lies in what is not said. Both Lewis and Cooper are deeply in love and their non verbal exchange speaks volumes. Their jokes fall flat whenever they come close to addressing their real feelings forcing one or both to change the subject.

"May your hair never fall, your dick always rise and your kids never call your brother-in-law daddy" is only one of the many witty dialogue shared by both Cooper and Lewis in what may seem at times to be funny banter translate into the men trying their hardest to convey their deepest sentiments. Their language, muddled by the restrictive code of silence men as a species have been known to observe in order to preserved the stereotypical macho front, is made to cover any an all possible honest feelings that may withdraw true emotion leading to a defensiveness that would expose and possibly lead to the outpouring of one's authentic self.

In the form of a visual collage, the film skips to several progressive life events as both men evolve with the passage of time. As the men age w life experience, so does their love, affection and understanding of each other, which only seems to grow stronger with time, until Lewis realizes that at some point he has to be the better man and do the right thing for the benefit of Cooper's family. Such selflessness is what makes Lewis a likable character. He's always the reasonable one, where Cooper just wants to take their opportunity to let loose, and be who he really is. During their exchange of emotion in the bedroom, you can't help but to feel the plight and internal struggle they both face, but it is Lewis, who most of the times seems to be relegated to make the difficult choices.

Production values are satisfactory for this digital production. However, at times misplaced music becomes distracting in some very key moments that demand full attention for the words being exchanged between the two leads. Performances are courageous and engaging as both actors flawlessly perform with due diligence even during scenes of pervasive nudity and very explicit sexual situations. Kudos to Mark Cirillo & Scott Sell who create admirable performances, and also for their bravery in choosing to stay true to the story with some very demanding and at times difficult moments both leading men share as they emote during their intimacy.

"The Last Straight Man" is a delight of a film, with an involved story that will leave you pondering on many underlying themes dealing with the way men express themselves and treat each other, and how not knowing to express true feelings can have long term and irreversible consequences on a life that should have been with the one.

Sebastian Castro - You're Gay ( 38 Degrees )

BASED ON REALLY REAL EVENTS Once upon a time... a little gay boy had a very big crush on a straight boy.. try as he might he couldnt get the straight boy to notice him.. so he cooked up a magical potion that turned everyone who drank it GAY... well they wouldnt automatically turn gay thats just stupid and makes no sense.. first they seizure like a vagina in heat... and THEN they turn gay Before little gay boy knew it.. the virus was spreading faster than the legs of those cheerleaders he couldnt compete with... cute boys from all over the world were turning gay... and just when he thought this gay zombie apocalypse couldnt get any better... the straight boy that started this whole mess turned gay too and they road off into the sunset... and kissed a lot and made babies... real ones... and they lived happily ever after ℗ 2013 Bubbleseb Entertainment Inc

The Circle (2014)

The Circle (2014)
"Der Kreis" (original title)


Director: Stefan Haupt
Writers: Stefan Haupt (screenplay), Christian Felix (screenplay), Urs Frey, Ivan Madeo, Sabine Pochhammer
Genres: Documentary, Biography, Drama
Country: Switzerland
Language: Swiss German, German, French
Year: 2014
Duration: 102 min



Stars: Matthias Hungerbühler, Sven Schelker, Anatole Taubman, Marianne Sägebrecht, Stefan Witschi

Stefan Haupt potpisuje režiju i scenarij filma čija se radnja odvija 1958. godine u Zurichu.
Stidljivi, mladi nastavnik  Ernst Ostertag zaljubljuje se u cross-dressersku zvijezdu Robija, no iako su istospolni odnosi bili legalni u to doba u Švicarskoj, bila je potrebna određena diskrecija. Oboje su bili članovi organizacije Der Krajs“ („Der Kreis“) koja je organizovala  događaje za gej muškarce u nekom polutajnom istoimenom klubu, izdavala gej časopis i bavila se gej aktivizmom prikladnim za to doba.  No nakon nekoliko ubistava koja su se dogodila u gej zajednici policija je počela raditi probleme – prekidati događaje, privoditi nedužne osobe i praviti spiskove gej osoba.Uz neviđeno maltretiranje gejeva raspadali su se brakovi, dešavala samoubistva, otkazi sa posla...

Ovaj film prati razvitak situacije oko "Kruga" tokom tih dešavanja te daje dokumentarni presjek borbe za LGBTIQ prava. Film je ovjenčan dvjema nagradama na Berlinaleu 2014. godine – osvojio je nagradu Teddy, kao i nagradu publike Panorama. Dobitnik je i mnoštva nagrada na raznim festivalim gej filma.

Stephan Haupt rođen je u Zurichu te od 1989. godine radi kao filmski reditelj nakon završetka Dramske akademije te je istaknuta ličnost na švajcarskoj filmskoj sceni.

Film me je na neki način podsjetio na događaje u Beogradu početkom 90-tih godina. U sred balkanskog rata u kojem se krvavo raspadala Jugoslavija u Beogradu su u kojekakvim podrumima ili u iznajmljenim lokalima nicali gej barovi i klubovi. Među prvim je bio otvoren bar "Farma", a nakon toga su se počeli ređati "Prestige" , Xl itd.
Uz obaveznu gej frendly muziku i gomilu turbo folka, mladi ali i stariji pederi su vikendom mogli sebi priuštiti da budu preponosni, uobraženi, ženstveni, drski i naravno sebi važni u tom prilično dekadentnom vremenu.
Danas ti klubovi izgledaju sasvim drugačije, uz obavezne dark sobe u kojima se zamračene persone otimaju oko parčeta kurca, uz tematske večeri dešavaju i stvari koje su odraz kulturološkog miljea u kojem živimo. Mada istini za volju, performase kabaretskog tipa zamjenili su razni striperi i glatki dečkići koji se suludo vrte oko neke šipke u nadi da će ih zgrabiti neki alfa mužjak ako već ne može neki prebogati princ.

Source: http://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-the-circle-1201148858/

The true-life gay-rights battle at the heart of “The Circle” is an unusual, underexposed one that merits either substantial documentary or riveting narrative treatment, so one can hardly blame practiced docu helmer Stefan Haupt for attempting to have it both ways. In telling the story of a shy young teacher and his drag-artist lover caught in the shifting social currents of 1950s Zurich, Haupt has chosen to stage proceedings mostly as handsomely mounted period drama, interspersed with present-day talking heads that include the now-septuagenarian protagonists themselves. The results, while never less than compelling, are predictably uneven: Affecting in themselves, the talking heads come to play as interruptions, holding the narrative back from deeper historical scrutiny. Still, its unconventional construction — and multiple Berlinale prizes — will make this an attractive option to LGBT-friendly fests and distribs.

Whatever their aesthetic limitations, the documentary interludes prevent “The Circle” from playing entirely as a period piece, which makes sense given the still-burning political currency of its subject matter. Would that its impressions of homosexual persecution and censorship in Europe half a century ago were more dated than recent events in Russia and Uganda make them seem.

The back-and-forth over Proposition 8 in California also comes to mind in a study of rights permitted before being retracted. In the wake of WWII, Switzerland was viewed as something of a safe haven for gay men, with no laws denying them sexual or social activity. Gay clubs flourished happily, notably the eponymous Circle, a “self-help organization” for gay intellectual and bohemian types, founded in 1942 by actor Karl Meier, that also published a multilingual, frequently provocative magazine. It’s at a Circle ball in the mid-1950s that naive literature teacher Ernst Ostertag (Matthias Hungerbuehler) becomes smitten with 18-year-old barber and moonlighting transvestite Robi Rapp (Sven Schelker), and the two fall swiftly into a profoundly affectionate relationship.

The present-day footage of the still-besotted Ernst and Robi — the film opens with the latter performing one of his signature drag numbers with creaky gusto — means the outcome of the film’s personal narrative is never in doubt. (Indeed, their romance dovetails nicely with a closing message celebrating the contemporary legalization of gay marriage.)

But there’s plenty of external tension elsewhere, as a spate of brutal murders within the gay community lead the authorities to an about-face on their once-liberal attitude to same-sex behavior. When the Circle’s income-generating socials are declared illegal in 1960, with the police placing increasing pressure on its leaders to reveal the personal details of all members, the organization becomes impossible to maintain. Surprisingly, it’s the formerly cautious Ernst who persists with dangerous acts of activism against the will of the more domestically inclined Robi. Their romance is sweetly articulated by the subjects and actors alike, but is most gripping as a catalyst for Ernst’s own self-acceptance and political awakening.

Even when the stakes are at their highest, there’s a gentle tone to the dramatic proceedings that is unexpected but not unwelcome — Haupt’s emphasis throughout is on the benevolent, supportive virtues of the gay community, even at its most threatened and compromised. (Though Ernst’s coming-out process was a long-term one, there’s refreshingly little angst in this department; Marianne Sagrebrecht is delightful as Robi’s sage, thoroughly accepting mother.) That prevailing tenderness is also suggested by Tobias Dengler’s softly burnished lensing and Federico Bettini’s pretty, mildly over-sugared score.

The opportunity for harder tonal contrast provided by the film’s documentary portions, however, go largely untaken: The testimonies of the elderly lovers are touching, but don’t reveal many circumstantial details or emotional nuances beyond those played by the capable, appealing leads. Other, more academic talking heads add little; at a tidy 100 minutes, the film’s portrayal of the Circle’s complex, intriguing social network could easily have been fleshed out at their expense.

Land of Storms (2014)

Land of Storms (2014)
"Viharsarok" (original title)

Director: Ádám Császi
Writers: Ádám Császi, Iván Szabó (screenplay)
Genre: Drama
Country: Hungary, Germany
Language: Hungarian, German,
English
Duration: 105 min
Year: 2014



Stars: András Sütö, Sebastian Urzendowsky, Ádám Varga, Lajos Ottó Horváth

Sabo je mađarski fudbaler, koji je zaljubljen u Bernara, jednog od svojih saigrača iz nemačkog fudbalskog kluba.
Jedna izgubljena utakmica i ružna svađa navode Saba na odluku da se vrati u Mađarsku u nadi da će mu život tamo biti jednostavniji. Počinje da radi na udaljenom i zapuštenom imanju, koje je naslijedio. Ubrzo sreće Arona, 16-godišnjeg tinejdžera, koji tek traga za svojim identitetom, Sredina je jako konzervativna i sumljičava, a Aron i pored toga pomaže Sabu da renovira kuću, popravi krov i osposobi je koliko je to moguće za život. Pojavljuje se i Bernar koji pita Sabu da se vrati u Nemačku sa njim, jer su potrebni timu...
Nakon što u selu posumljaju da je Sabo gej Aronovi prijatelji postaju nasilno nastrojeni.
Tipična priča jedne homofobne i konzervativne sredine koja jednostavno i ne umije drugačije da se ponaša.

Ádám Császi je rođen u Mađarskoj 1978. Diplomirao je na Mađarskoj filmskoj akademiji 2010. godine, a stekao je i zvanje magistra engleskog jezika. S prvim igranim filmom SEDAM DANA (1 HÉT) i SLABI DANI (GYENGÉBB NAPOK) je osvojio više nagrada festivala Mađarska sedmica filma, uključujući i Nagradu za najbolji kratki film i Nagradu kritike za najbolji kratki film. Film je također prikazan u sklopu međunarodnog audiovizualnog festivala FIPA 2008. godine. Scenarij za film OLUJNA ZEMLJA je odabran za učešće u programu Midpoint Srednjeevropskog scenarističkog centra 2010. godine.

Best friends Szabolcs and Bernard are playing in the same German football team. After a lost game, Szabolcs decides to go home to Hungary where he meets another boy, Áron with whom they become lovers but soon Bernard comes after his friend.

The search for our true selves takes us to unknown territories – far away from everything we believed in. The movie is the drama of the search of sexual identity of three boys in their teenage years, a story of a sensual but fatal love triangle in the Hungarian Puszta. It is a real love story: it presents the intense, vibrating teenage emotions and revolting filtered by facing homosexuality.

Szabolcs plays in a German football team, as does Bernard. They are roommates, best friends, inseparable. A lost match and an ugly argument make Szabolcs reconsider his life and go back to Hungary in hope for more simplicity. Yet his solitude does not last long. Soon after his arrival he meets Áron and a mutual attraction between the two boys develops when suddenly Szabolcs receives an unexpected phone call from Bernard: he has arrived to Hungary.