I managed to catch a few movies at the virtual 45th Cleveland International Film Festival, and thought it best to do a little roundup of everything I watched. This acts as a sampling of my thoughts, especially on the films I cannot cover yet in full. I have also linked to films I already viewed … Continue reading CIFF 2021 Festival Wrap-Up
Film Review: Tu Me Manques
★★★★ Gay drama Tu Me Manques deals with heavy topics like suicide, rejection, coming out of the closet, death, and love while managing to juggle some light comedy. Rodrigo Bellott, who also wrote the play, adapts and directs this symbolic meditation on coming to terms with acceptance after death. Visually, it evokes the feeling of … Continue reading Film Review: Tu Me Manques
SIFF 2021 Festival Wrap-Up
This year, the Seattle International Film Festival went virtual! From April 8th - April 18th, I checked out 17 total films, and 3 short films. It was a pretty fascinating selection of unique (and often challenging) films. Anything not afforded full coverage is included here, as well as a personal top 5 favorites from the … Continue reading SIFF 2021 Festival Wrap-Up
Film Review: Bloodthirsty
★★ Bloodthirsty opens in visceral, gory fashion with a nightmare sequence that sets the tone for what’s to come. Sadly, what follows is only passingly enjoyable. The presentation of a lesbian horror film about a struggling indie artist (Lauren Beatty’s Grey) as she tinkers with the conception of her second album, only to run into … Continue reading Film Review: Bloodthirsty
SIFF 2021: Summer of 85
★★★★★ Passionate, emotional, and heartbreaking, Summer of 85 is one of the best gay romance dramas I’ve seen since Call Me By Your Name. Based on Aidan Chambers’ British novel, Dance on My Grave, director and screenwriter François Ozon imprints personal touches and authenticity in adapting the material. This raw snapshot of young love and … Continue reading SIFF 2021: Summer of 85
Oxford Film Festival 2021: Sublet
★★★★ Sublet is a cute depiction of gay life told entirely through the romantic lens of a flashy travel destination. When New York Times writer Michael (John Benjamin Hickey) comes to Tel Aviv to “see how much he can discover about the city in just 5 days,” he doesn’t expect the connection he forms with … Continue reading Oxford Film Festival 2021: Sublet
Oxford Film Festival 2021: Gossamer Folds
★★★★★ Gossamer Folds is a positive and uplifting drama that takes you on a spectacular journey with its phenomenal characters. Once I entered director Lisa Donato’s colorful world, I never wanted to leave. While brimming with positivity and hope, Gossamer dips its toes in the troubling waters of vicious transphobic hate crimes, adultery, transphobia, and … Continue reading Oxford Film Festival 2021: Gossamer Folds
Film Review: Moffie
★★★★ Nominated for a BAFTA award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer, South Africa’s Moffie is a harrowing depiction of military service during the Apartheid regime. The title, a slang Afrikaans term for a gay man, clues us in on what we can expect: intense racism, toxic masculinity, and deep-seeded homophobia. … Continue reading Film Review: Moffie
Favorite Film Friday: Call Me By Your Name
Each Friday, I will be exploring (and dissecting) one of my favorite films of all time. I’ll be delving into spoilers for each film, as I elaborate on why they remain so vital. This week, I decided to cover 2018’s poetic, visually stunning drama, Call Me By Your Name. This gay romance/drama film had so … Continue reading Favorite Film Friday: Call Me By Your Name
Film Review: Shoplifters of the World
★★★★ Shoplifters of the World, set in 1987 Denver, Colorado, captures the specificity and time period setting through a passionate eye. Featuring 20 songs by iconic British band The Smiths, the film celebrates the community and power of music. If you’re not a big fan of The Smiths, have no fear: Shoplifters of the World … Continue reading Film Review: Shoplifters of the World