Movie Review: Beautiful Thing (1996)

It has been quite sometimes that I have been watching (or speaking as it matters) in thicked English accent. Sometimes, I myself found it to be hardly enough to understood.

But, that is not case here why I'd suggesting this new PLU Theme Movies (GTM, another term for those who don't). This is another movie that I think has it own meaning trajectories and that go far beyond what we usually think of things to happen.

Main character is Jamie Gangel and Steven (Ste) who fall in love with other, and yet they are young, still going for school and living next door to each other. Ste who lives with hot-temper father and bullying brother, founds his escape with Jamie - often taken home by Jamie's mother, Sandra. Put on the same bed, sleeping as top-and-tail, it laters develop another term to Sandra, "Seventy minus one".

Ste who cannot accept and think what would the society think of him to be known as queer, afraid that others will know and tried to hide it from everyone, especially his father. Since they have no other place that they can share the romance without letting know by others, Jamie proposed to Ste that they can go to gaybar at Gloucester (and bus 180 route takes them there) and Ste being seen to start to accept who he really is without the worries that they are the only two in the world that being different.

It caught laters, that their relation exposed to Sandra - and it amazes me enough to see how Sandra cope with it and giving her support for her son (and son-in-law). She even said to her mate, "I will never have grandchildren."

The story ends where Jamie and Ste dancing together right in front of their town-house and crowd watching them densely dancing will full emotion towards each other. How Jamie and Ste cope with their feeling, and how they are not afraid of the society labels inspired me.

This is a must watch for everybody, since being different doesn't mean that we have to be separated from our loved family - but it should ties us closer.

One way ticket takes me anywhere, northbound, southbound, I don't even care. I know the grass is greener there. Age is only a number.

Some things are just hard to say. When it's going to happen, it's going to happen at last.

IMDB review: This tender story of two teenager's sexual coming of age in a working-class development in London is an inspiring, tender, emotional tale. Jamie is a reserved teen, close to his pub manager mom, who prefers old Hollywood musicals to sports. His friendship with his hunky neighbor Ste, a fellow student who suffers through a troubled family life, soon develops into a sexual and eventually a loving relationship. How the two boys tentatively handle their nascent sexual drives and how it affects their family and friends is handled in both a fresh and surprisingly upbeat fashion. A wonderful comedy-drama and possibly the best coming out film to date.

Aleph: It comes to me that either we face it or we'll never know of ourself. You're on your own when you're swimming, but loves will give the route for you to follow. I give 5/5 - a must watch!

Movie Review: Breakfast with Scot (2007)

Ever wonder if two committed person taking care a child? How would it looks like, then? How if one of the person is not ready, thus creating situations into their daily lives? Or one of them trying to be in closet?

I think this movie answer so many part of two committed guys, on how they see life, and how can they put more colours into their life and blend it so that the colours can also bring emotion. How Eric still trying to keep closeted of his personal life, though the things he tried to hide was well known to his friends and co-workers (including his boss), the reason they don't want to say anything was they want to respect his choice. Hardly enough, that Sam tries to heat their relation and putting thing of being couple into their daily lives, but being rejected by Eric whenever they are in public.

Being cold for sometimes, Eric later realises that people already knew that he is gay - and yet they still don't mind. He tries to nurture Scot's ever growing tendencies to be closeted as his, but only to find that he can never run away from being who he is and who he was.

Despite being the one who ruined the atmosphere, Eric then being the one that warms his committed relationship and put away the homophobic shyness (internalise homopobia) in himself.

Breakfast with Scot brings another dimension, on how relationship and life and colours and emotions play greater roles into being who we are and how we choose to live with and to live about. Not only that, we need to assimilate from personal life and professional life so that people not going to see that we are not someone without talent.

I love this movie, and will watch it again... I hope we can benefit much from this movie on the part of understanding our own emotions.

IMDB Comment:

This is a fantastic script - hilarious with heart. Ed and Sam have been in a committed relationship for four years. Ed's a former hockey player turned sportscaster and Sam's a sport's lawyer. But when Sam's adventure seeking brother Billy, takes a job in South America, his ex-girlfriend, Julie, is discovered dead from a drug overdose leaving her son Scot (not Billy's son) to Billy. But Billy is missing in action so Sam is left to pick up the pieces. But the problem is Ed never wanted kids. When 11 year old Scot arrives and they open his duffle bag, inside they find... one pink musical hairbrush, two plastic containers of beads and faux-gold chains, a pink poodle belt, and four pairs of white sock-ettes with lacy fringe at the top... they realize Scot is more out of the closet then they are even though he does not know it yet. A unique boy in an even more unusual situation, Scot throws Ed and Sam's life into complete disarray. When Billy finally show's up to take Scot back to South America - Ed and Sam can't bear the thought of losing Scot. In the spirit of ABOUT A BOY, BILLY ELLIOT and MA VIE EN ROSE, BREAKFAST WITH SCOT explores what it truly means to be a family, hilariously contrasting familial stereotypes with the realities of family life and showing how it feels to be a boy who doesn't quite fit into the role society has prepared for him.

In sum, a PLU movie does not need to have sex frames to make it lively.

Queer as Folk (UK version) - Season 1

I spent the weekend watching Queer as Folk (UK version) season 1 from the morning, episode one to four straight until 2.30 pm and continue after shopping split, from five to eight. All in a day!

Since I have watched season one Queer as Folk (USA version), I not much anxious of to what going to happen next and no more nerve breakdown as the time I watched QaF Season 1 (USA). Perhaps I am not ready to watch it (stopped at Season 2, episode 4, need to find time and put my mind together, lots of things happening lately.)

It brings sentimental in it. Reminding me to the time during prep-colleg and good time in university in Penang, which all of those are worth remembering. To which I will never forget nor regret for what I did.

It has been quite sometime to hear English accent (London outskirt’s to be exact, which I made terrible laugh when I first heard to them spoken to me, way back like ages ago – their vowel U pronunciation sounds ticklish funny. No offend, though!)

Having watched QaF of both UK and USA version, I would rather say – US version has many issues that it tackled about whilst UK version of more towards reality – not everyone has super great look and only going for sex. But, US version has better impression. I’ll vote 10 for US version, and leaving 9 for UK version.

Now, looking for suitable time to do two hours marathon for second season (or better, finale) QaF UK.

H. Shahirasul Idrewoods

15-Nov-2008

Introduction Post

Hello,

This is my new blog since I need to have things afresh to allow me to discuss and doing review regarding GTM (Gay-theme movies) or well known as PLU (in Malaysia - People Like Us).

Some of the movie might have obscene and nudity, therefore I should remind that these suppose to be treated as art rather than porn.

I will not provide illegal download link as its intention was to discuss and promote good relation among bloggers as well as providing good materials to read and refer into. I may not be taken liable for any URL redirection (as I may use some links in my article/review) as well as any link provided by my visitors in comments.

I do hope that you will enjoy ur stay here.

Shahir