Category Archives: Gay theme

2013, Acorn TV, Based on a Book, Canadian Mystery Series, Canadian Police, Detective, Forensics, Gay theme, Made For TV, Murder Investigation, Small Town Atmosphere

Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery (2013)

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From IMDB:

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team arrive in Three Pines to solve the unusual murder of a much-loved woman and find dark secrets shadowing this usually peaceful village.

Canadian author Louise Penny has written a series of eleven mystery novels set around the life of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache (a Wikipedia article) a member of the provincial police force for Quebec. The first of these novels “Still Life” was presented as a 1 hour 25 minutesTV movie in 2013.  Most of the stories occur in the fictional town of Three Pines. To quote from the above linked Wikipedia article:

The Chief Inspector Armand Gamache book series contains little or no sex or violence and has been referred to as a kinder and gentler alternative to modern crime fiction.

Chief Inspector Gamache is played by Nathaniel Parker whose resume is quite long. Perhaps you remember him as Inspector Lynley in the 2001-2007 “The Inspector Lynley Mysteries” TV series.

Recall that Acorn TV presents British entertainment: Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and (in this case) Canada. Stream this film from Acorn and enjoy the hour and a half.

2014, Acorn TV, Action Film, Australian, Bullying, Crime, Detective, Ethical struggles, Gay theme, Plot Twist, Prison, Psychological Drama, Sex Scenes, Sexual Tension, Suspense, Violent

Cut Snake (2014)

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From Wikipedia:

Merv (Alex Russell) is an ex-convict who is trying to make a new life for himself in 1970s Melbourne. He has found honest work and even becomes engaged to Paula (Jessica De Gouw), but the prospect of his new life is challenged when his foreboding and charismatic former cellmate James (Sullivan Stapleton) arrives in town and pressures Merv into going back to his old ways.

According to the Wikipedia article, the title comes from the Australian idiom “mad as a cut snake” which describes either insanity or anger so extreme you don’t want to get near it.

Before seeing this film, I had more or less dismissed Sullivan Stapelton as a limited one-tune film actor who usually plays the role of a sexy tough guy.  In this regard, “Cut Snake” was an unexpected discovery. Because I refuse to give away the suprise part of the plot, I will only say that the film starts out with Stapleton seeming to be once again nothing but a mean tough guy determined to drag his former cellmate back into a life of crime. And that part of the plot was indeed tense enough to hold my attention. For some reason good versus evil just keeps me interested. But then all of a sudden there is another complication in the plot that I never expected. After seeing the film, think back to some of Stapleton’s behavior that initially did not make sense, for example his reactions in the night club.  From this point on Stapleton comes through with some very successful emotional acting. He is indeed a “cut snake”.

Lately so many Australian films really hit home. And don’t forget to subscribe to Acorn TV to see lots of British, Australian, and New Zealand films, although I streamed “Cut Snake” from Amazon Prime.

2014, 2015, Amazon Prime, Ambitious Dirty Tricks, Classical musicians, Crude Talk, Feel Good Not For Children, Gay theme, Lesbian Theme, Mostly About Sex, Orchestral Music, Sex Scenes, TV Series, Vulgar

Mozart in the Jungle (2014)

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From Amazon Prime:

A new Amazon Original Series: What happens behind the curtains at the symphony is just as captivating as what happens on stage. Created by Paul Weitz (About a Boy), Roman Coppola (The Darjeeling Limited), and Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore). Brash new maestro Rodrigo (Gael Garcia Bernal) is stirring things up, and young oboist Hailey (Lola Kirke) hopes for her big chance.

Most what this wonderful series is about is music and sex and sex and sex. Get the picture? Also the F-word is used quite a bit. Is it a soap opera? – You bet! Is it something that you do not want to stop watching? – You bet!

Amazon Prime offers free streaming of both seasons, each season containing 10 episodes.

There are too many enjoyable characters to name them all. Gael Garcia Bernal stands out as the young new conductor of the fictitious New York Symphony. Of all the fine female actors, Lola Kirke as Hailey, an aspiring oboist, is probably the second most important character. Malcolm McDowell is perfect as the crusty, aging, and wildly eccentric former conductor.

But don’t miss Bernadette Peters as Gloria, one of the board members. Her character is a non-musician who really wants to be at least an amateur singer. In one memorable scene she gets a chance to sing at an open-mike night where she proves that as a singer she still has what it takes. Think goose flesh.

Give this Amazon Original Series a DO NOT MISS!

2015, Action Film, AIDS, Alcoholism, Bloody scenes, Cold War, Communists, Drama, Father-son relations, Gay theme, German, German History, Marital Infidelity, Murder, Nudity, Political Suspense, Sex Scenes, Spy Theme, Suicide, Suspense, Violent

Deutschland 83 (2015)

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From NetFlix:

After U.S. President Ronald Reagan describes the Soviet Union as an “evil empire” in 1983, rising suspicion between the two superpowers prompts a bold move to plant a communist spy in the midst of NATO’s military leadership.

If you want to see this excellent TV series, you can get Season 1 in three DVDs. Discs 1 and 2 contain 3 episodes each, whereas disc 3 contains 2 episodes.

Dialog is in German with English subtitles.

Martin Rauch (played by Jonas Nay) is the center of the plot. He is a young East German whom the East German communists convinced to spy for them as a soldier in West Germany. As he is manipulated by his handlers, he is forced to make moral decisions, something that would never occur to ardent communists. In this series we see unconscionable acts perpetrated by the East, although I would assume both sides got their hands dirty (CIA anyone?).

Suspense is constant as this young, clever, inventive spy does his work. Will he at any moment be caught? Will his masquerades be discovered?

Usually I try not to rave, but this series is a DO NOT MISS!

2013, 2014, 2015, Acorn TV, Anti-Semitism, Australian, Bicycles, Catholic culture, Corny at times, DO NOT MISS, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Flirting, Gay theme, Homophobia, Italian culture, Japanese WWII Behavior, Jewish Culture, Love Story, Made For TV, Melodrama, Mildly Violent, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Optimistic, Religious Theme, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Soap Opera, Suicide, TV Series, Unmarried mother, War Veterans, Wasp Snobs, Wonderful photography, WWII

A Place To Call Home (2013)

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From Acorn TV:

An instantly irresistible saga (Wall Street Journal) brimming with secrets, passion, romance, and intrigue, A Place to Call Home explores the ties that hold families together and the betrayals that can tear them apart.

In this case Acorn’s description got it exactly right: INSTANTLY IRRESISTIBLE!

UPDATE May 2016:

Usually I hate spoilers, BUT — you at least have to know that this soap opera is destined to go on forever. Each season ends with agonizing cliff-hangers that force you onto the next season.  Unfortunately that includes season three which ends with all the characters in their own separate threads in great difficulty and with evil about to triumph. As of this update there is no season four, which makes me cry “Foul!”

Our audiologist alerted me to Acorn TV and especially to this Australian soap opera. Acorn TV shows presentations exclusively from the British commonwealth, including New Zealand and Australian. Currently Acorn TV costs $5 per month and offers a huge selection for streaming. We use ROKU to do the streaming.

Season 1 ends as a cliffhanger which sent us diving immediately into Season 2. Originally there were to be only two seasons, hence Season 2 ends happily ever after. BUT — when someone decided to do Season 3 they cleverly offer a Season 3 on Acorn TV which begins with a substitute episode for the last episode of Season 2. This rewrite ends with cliffhangers to prepare us for Season 3. Never before have I found such a maneuver. Season 1 has 13 episodes, Season 2 has 10 episodes, and Season 3 has 11 which includes the substitute final episode of Season 2.

“Schmaltz” is German for rendered chicken or goose fat. Have no doubt, this is a real soap opera with lots of schmaltzy emotions, nasty villains, noble heroes and especially heroines. If you do nothing more than just stare at the beautiful and entrancing Marta Dusseldorp (who plays the heroine Sarah Adams), you will have enjoyed yourself. Deborah Kennedy plays the best town gossip I have ever seen. All the conflicting topics are there: Catholic versus Anglican, Jews versus Gentiles, Italian workers against the upper class snobs, homophobia, veterans versus the Japanese, and the enticing list goes on. Australia is beautiful, especially in a perfect rendering of the years just after World War II.

Don’t blame me if your life is devoured by this captivating series.

DO NOT MISS!

2015, DO NOT MISS, Explicit sex, French, Gangs, Gay theme, Male Prostitutes, Nudity, Several languages, Suspense, Thriller, Violent

Eastern Boys (2015)

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From NetFlix:

A middle-aged Frenchman gets more than he bargained for when he cruises the Gare du Nord train station for a lover and invites an attractive young Eastern European hustler back to his apartment.

Hoping to find an interesting film, I streamed this French film from NetFlix and was rewarded because I was patient with the story’s beginning and pace.

To prevent you from being offended by some parts of the story, let me briefly explain the plot.

Daniel, a middle-aged Frenchman cruises the Gare du Nord and makes an appointment with a young male hustler Marek to come to Daniel’s apartment the next day. During that cruise we note that Marek is part of a large gang of young Eastern European boys aged 11 to 27 who also roam the train station until the police arrive.

Next day Daniel in his apartment hears a knock on his door and opens expecting to see Marek. Instead the apartment in invaded by that gang of young undocumented Russian youths lead by a near sociopath named Boss. Daniel can do nothing because his cruising of an underage boy is illegal so he stands by mutely while the gang strips his apartment bare. What is amazing in this scent is indeed the fact that Daniel just stands silently and watches.

Next day that same Marek comes to the apartment and for a price offers himself sexually to Daniel. You might be offended by the sight of a naked Daniel tenderly caressing a naked Marek and then having anal intercourse (you never see genitals in any of this) during which Marek shows no emotion.

There is less and less sex because the whole point of the story is that over time Daniel befriends Marek, learns of his tragic life in Ukrania in which Marek became an orphan, and ultimately stops sex completely and decides to adopt Marek.

But it is not that easy because Boss, the young Russian psycho is the leader of the gang. Boss holds all their official papers hostage in a locker. Daniil Vorobyov, who plays Boss, does an amazing job of acting and in fact steals the show.

No American film that I have seen could balance the maddeningly slow pace and reactions of Daniel with the suspense of his rescuing Marek. That slow pace drove me crazy as I sat on the edge of my seat rooting for Daniel and Marek.

For what little dialog there is, there are subtitles for the French. At one point Daniel trys to teach Marek some rudimentary French.

If you can get by the explicit gay sex, this is a DO NOT MISS.

2014, Asperger's Syndrome, Based on true facts, Biographical, British, Bullying, Computer geeks, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, Flirting, Gay theme, Homophobia, Military, Spy Theme, Suicide, Suspense, War, WWII

The Imitation Game (2014)

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From NetFlix:

Chronicling mathematical wizard Alan Turing’s key role in Britain’s successful effort to crack Germany’s Enigma code during World War II, this historical biopic also recounts how his groundbreaking work helped launch the computer age.

War is complicated business involving heroism, boring minutiae, and a great deal of good or bad luck. Imagine the daily grind of trying to break Germany’s Enigma code, made even more difficult by the clash of egos and arrogant military personnel. Add to that Alan Turing’s Asberger-Syndrome-like personality.

Only a gifted actor like Benedict Cumberbatch could undertake the role of Alan Turing so successfully. Of course, he often plays bizarre characters such as his TV role as Sherlock Holmes.

Keira Knightley is the perfect accompaniment to Turing’s idiosyncrasies. But be sure to read the Wikipedia article that clarifies Turing’s relation to the code breaker Joan Clarke.

As a faithful viewer of “Downton Abbey” I was happy to see Allen Leech in the role of John Cairncross. His place in the plot shows the precarious position of homosexuals in the British society of those times. Blackmail was a serious possibility.

Without further ado, I can only say DO NOT MISS!

1997, Based on true facts, Drag Queen, Gay theme, Imperfect, Love Story, Magic Realism, Mediocre, Murder, Murder Trial, Somewhat trashy, Transvestite theme

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)

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From NetFlix:

When magazine writer John Kelso (John Cusack) travels to Savannah, Ga., to cover a chichi party thrown by urbane antiques dealer Jim Williams (Kevin Spacey), he is pulled into his subject’s intriguing murder trial and introduced to a throng of colorful locals. Set against the beguiling backdrop of Southern high society, this retelling of John Berendt’s novel by director Clint Eastwood also stars Jude Law as Williams’s lover, Billy Hanson.

After I read the book in preparation for a trip to Savannah, which is the scene of the novel, I then watched this film, which turned out to be fairly faithful to the text. In the book Jim Williams has four trials, whereas in the film he has only one. Unfortunately this long film is merely mediocre. In fact, some of my watching companions went to sleep.

Jude Law, who was 25 years old at the time of shooting, has a rather limited part although his murder is central to the story.

Kevin Spacey is ever the cool, suave gentlemen.

“The Lady Chablis” is played by a real life drag queen named “The Lady Chablis”.

John Berendt’s novel is base on actual events.

Heard enough?

2014, Basically Sad, Catholic culture, Drama, Feel Good Not For Children, Gay theme, Love Story, Quiet, Sensitive treatement of emotions, Wonderful acting

Love Is Strange (2014)

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From Netflix:

After 28 years together, Ben and George finally get hitched. But when the marriage raises controversy at the school where George works, he’s fired. Unable to afford their New York City apartment, the couple is forced to live apart.

Poignant is the first adjective that comes to mind. Despite the fact that real life always seems to get in the way, you could call this a “feel good” film. As the Netflix summary indicates Ben and George (played to perfection by John Lithgow and Alfred Molina respectively) must live apart until something better happens. Meanwhile it is the living with kind relatives or friends that is so difficult for everyone concerned. Their uncomfortable presence either (in Ben’s case) interferes with the family life of their hosts or shows (in George’s case) how badly the guest’s age matches the other inhabitants.

What is striking is how many times the camera lingers on a face, on a scene, or on someone’s great sadness. But that lingering is entirely appropriate. Note especially the scene in which Ben’s nephew Joey silently morns someone’s death.

If you are at all homophobic, this film will be uncomfortable for you (or quite possibly it may nudge your attitude). Otherwise this sensitive story is

A MUST SEE!

2014, AIDS, Based on true facts, British, Comedy, Corny at times, Dancing, Feel Good Not For Children, Gay theme, Homophobia, Human spirit, Lesbian Theme, Miners, Optimistic, Senior citizens, Small Town, True Story, Wales

Pride (2014)

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From Netflix:

In an unlikely alliance, striking British mineworkers draw support from a coalition of gay and lesbian activists who solicit donations to help tide over the miners’ families during the 1984 standoff with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s government.

From a Netflix DVD Kathy and I watched this 2 hour feel-good and had many good laughs. Never mind that the film is a bit maudlin, somewhat over the top, has an obvious agenda, and is too long.

What saved the film for me was especially the fact that it is based on true events during the Thatcher era in Great Britain. Be sure to watch the final credits because during the final Gay Pride parade you see screen text which tells you what happened in real life to some of the characters. Sion’s success in later life is especially inspirational.

Among the many actors you might recognize:

  • Dominic West (Jonathan) who stars in the award-winning TV series “The Affair”
  • Imelda Staunton was “Vera Drake” in the famous film of that name.
  • Bill Nighy has a long resume. He played Johnny Worricker in the TV Masterpiece Contemporary series.

Probably the only dark cloud in the story is the emergence of AIDS, which did affect some of the gay men in the plot.

Enjoy the Welsh scenery. Not a perfect film, but lots of fun.