Change Your Image
qouth_the_raven
Reviews
Wrecked (2009)
A movie that challenges the nice boy gay image of Hollywood
Movies that depict flawed people are rarely popular, more so when they address a community that likes to keep it's real self hidden.
'Wrecked' is a low budget indie with so-so production values and the occasional poor acting. But that is soon forgotten as the viewer engages with Ryan, a boy trying to maintain a clean mainstream persona but who is continually undermined by his ex Daniel. This is their story. Ryan is weak: Daniel strong, and there is no feel-good ending for Ryan in this movie. To that extent it rejects Hollywood (US cinema?) values and looks to Europe for its depth of storytelling and richness of characters.
Ryan is engaging in his way but Daniel is magnetic in his use of sex and drugs as weapons. In a scene where Ryan, after a down-putting rejection over his career, walks in on Daniel having sex with another boy we'd expect Ryan (in your average gay flick) to fling a hissy-fit and try to throw Daniel out but rather he's immediately seduced by the pill in his mouth and the other boy on his bed. His slide continues.
The acting of the main leads is good: we 'get' them. The sex is astonishingly explicit: I'm surprised it was able to be released like this. This is a movie that tells it like it is and it will be criticised for that.
Whirlwind (2007)
QAF movie version
I thought that this is a refreshing change from a lot of recent gay movies.
Supposedly we have a group of mature men: 20's and 30's. But dig below the surface and we see their true selves when Drake appears. I won't explain Drake's motivation for his action but his role as, essentially, a psychopath, is well written: he has the ability to charm his way into any one's like quickly spotting their weaknesses and exploiting them for his own reasons. I wouldn't like to have him in my workplace. Although the 'villian', Drake also serves as catalyst in exposing the shortcomings each individual in the group.
Of the other characters a couple are stereotypes but most are complex enough to carry the story but still be resolved in a movie time-frame. This is a good looking movie. Yes, some of the guys are hot (not, to my taste Drake though)but the settings work well and the small apartments add to the claustrophobic-like relationships that these friends have together. New York as a background works well: not a West Hollywood convertible in sight.
My Penis and I (2005)
How body image affects us
I don't think it's a stretch to say that eventually all of us will have issues around our body. For teens it's being overweight or not well muscled; as we age weight issues reappear; then, for men it's hair loss, for some women is breast size. Society has thrown up many industries to 'help' us along our way in life.
This well made and insightful doco looks at one young man's issues with the size of his penis. Along the way he finds that, yes, he is below average, but does that matter to his long-term girlfriend? Are the issues simply internal ones of his?
The doco slightly strays into others area of life as well including how we are treated by others, especially in school.
Spoiler information from here on.
Finally Lawrence seeks medical and quasi-medical advice which, in the end, he rejects in favour of a self-help group in New York and having a plaster cast made of his member. This is the point of liberation and we see this in the excellent film work. The doco ends with Lawrence's girlfriend adding her views and from this we know all is well.
I found this doco insightful and satisfying.