Reviewing this little-film-short-that-could, On the Bus, requires me to approach director/editor Tracy D. Smith's short cautionary tale from a personal perspective. By personal, I mean floating through the last few years of high school, longing for the unobtainably hot crush. And by cautionary, I mean fearful confession of a same-sex attraction to said crush who sits high atop the social pillar of heterosexual “cool kids.”
A handful of high school teenagers are waiting on an idling school bus. Sean, portrayed by a quietly handsome Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, is seated by himself as the disconnected gay student who's intimate conundrum becomes apparent when gorgeous Jeremy (the steely Giles Panton) spontaneously appears in the seat next to Sean. What unfolds between the two young men is a calm (and well-written) dialogue that strikes a particular chord, resonating back to yesterday's teen years of just about anyone that had to endure the scariness of exposing that which you knew was too different for the social majority in any given era.
Conveniently for Sean, this is only a fantasy, as evidenced by the “inner-conscience Jeremy” who confronts and persuades (and even teases) him to have the courage to approach the real Jeremy. But Sean defies his own budding feelings of love, only to be surprised when the real Jeremy actually gets on the bus and plops down right next to him, setting an open destiny in motion during the roll of credits. I would have loved for On the Bus to be lengthier, but thought provocation within a 5-minute timeframe is a powerful skill. This universal coming-of-age memory with a sweet undertone serves as a perfectly humble, little cinematic treat.
Two young men share their stories about being gay and being in love during their conversation over the the Internet until they have realised that they have already met each other.
Stars: Eva van der Gucht, Jelle Florizoone and Mathias Vergels
Belgijski režiser Bravo Defurne nas nije razočarao svojim najnovijim filmom 'North Sea Texas'
Pim je 15-godišnji dječak koji odrasta uz nemarnu majku, izgubljenu u moru životnih neuspjeha koje je sama kreirala u malom graću na belgijskoj hladnoj obali.
Svoje snove izražava crtajući na komadima papira i skupljajući predmete koji karakterišu događaje koje želi da zapamti.
Njegovi snovi postaju djelimično stvarnost kroz druženje sa dvije godine starijim Ginom, dječakom iz susjedstva sa kojim kroz malo riječi dijeli svoje skrivene emocije. Zajedničke vožnje na motoru, spavanje u šatoru na pješčanoj plaži, prvi poljubac i prva seksualna iskustva ih vežu u nešto više od običnog drugarstva, a Ginova majka i sestra Pima smatraju djelom svoje porodice. Problem nastaje kada Gino nađe djevojku, a Pima počne da razdire ljubomora.
Lijepa priča koja će kod mnogih gledalaca probuditi sjećanje na djetinjstvo i prve ljubavi koje se definitivno nikada ne zaboravljaju.
Film me je podsjetio na jednog rođaka sa kojim sam se družio na tavanu njegove kuče učeći me kako da se ljubi, ali i ono što ide uz sve to. Odrastemo i kroz naše živote prođu neki drugi ljudi koje izljubimo, ostavimo ili budemo ostavljeni ali svako ima neki tavan kojeg se rado sjeća.
Ovo je film koji svakako vrijedi pogledati.
Bavo Defurne’s debut feature is a beautifully measured coming-of-age drama based on André Sollie’s novel, This Is Everlasting. He built up an international reputation with his highly stylised shorts such as Campfire and Particularly Now, In Spring.
Pim lives in a small town on the Belgian coast, together with his single mother Yvette, a local accordion starlet. It’s an ordinary existence which Pim brightens up by dreaming of princesses, beauty queens and handsome Gino, the boy next door. But when hunky traveller Zoltan blows through town, Pim’s life takes an exciting and unexpected turn.
Influenced by filmmakers such as Carl Dreyer and Eisenstein as well as photographers such as Herbert List and Pierre et Gilles, North Sea Texas celebrates the heartache of first love.