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THE DEN | IF ONLY YOU WERE MINE | LOLO | STANLEY


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This lively little drama from Germany is in English, and set in what could be a suburban anywhere. Iit features a terrific cast of pre-teen actors who adeptly reveal details under the surface of their characters to bring them vividly to life. And filmmakers Goddinho and Menezes take a free-wheeling, almost absurd approach that sharply captures their youthful exuberance.

At age 11, Lolo (Starrett) is desperate to become official with his first love Max (von Schonburg) at tonight's party. His hilariously colourful best friends Toby and Elena (Atlas and Tober) are trying to encourage him by consulting their tarot cards. But Max is wary about being linked with Lolo because, as he says, "You're a gay gay, and I'm more heteroflexible." Meanwhile, Lolo and his friends discuss what it means to be gay or straight, and whether they have any other options. Or maybe all of this has to do with feng shui.

They may be too young to understand these things, so their interaction is riotously funny, and also remarkably knowing and insightful. The film is a wonderful expression of personal yearning, wildly creative children who haven't yet realised that they're different. And you get the feeling that together, Lolo, Toby and Elena have the ability to make the world a much better place. Hopefully they'll never think that they need to hide their true selves.

Bright and sunny at the start, this skilfully shot and edited short has insinuating dark undercurrents that come to the surface as the narrative develops. Director Caproni keeps everything subtle and intriguing, pulling the audience in as the characters attempt to control their underlying thoughts and feelings.

At a seaside resort, Luca (Caserio) reintroduces himself to Christian (Mariani), who is relaxing with his wife (Sinceri) and young son (Linadei Maroder) in the sunshine. Luca and Christian used to holiday here as teens, and when they speak together in private about their sexual history, old feelings begin to emerge. Soon, Christian is tying Luca up like in the old days. But maybe his goal is simply to assure his silence.

The actors have an earthy, natural presence on-camera, stirring microscopic details into their performances to offer hints at the reality gurgling underneath. Where the story goes is both provocative and thoughtful, cleverly balancing humour with aggression and yearning. The sadomasochistic reconnection between Luca and Christian is played with complexity, allowing us to ponder our our questions even as deeper truths are revealed. This is a challenging exploration of the sometimes blurry nature of desire, most notably how impossible it is to deny the truth about yourself.

An artful exploration of the nature of desire, this Brazilian drama takes an unusual approach, capturing the epic landscapes, colourful homes and specific elements of the local society before honing in on some personal interaction. Filmmaker Roberto takes a loose approach, cutting between seemingly random scenes and unnamed characters to create a sensory experience.

A young woman kills a chicken to prepare it for dinner. A young man practices on his guitar. At a roadside pop-up nightclub, the neighbours drink and dance. A woman provocatively picks up a handsome guy and dances with him, and they're joined by another guy under the flickering lights. As the sun comes up, the three of them take off on a scooter, heading to a reservoir, where the two guys go off on their own for a swim and other things.

The film has a real sense of rhythm to it, cleverly painting a picture of youthful playfulness in a rural setting. The imagery is striking, often tactile in its depiction of the countryside, light, water and skin. The entwined bodies have a sexy ferocity that's rarely depicted on-screen. And when these men finally begin speaking to each other about their mutual friend Stanley, the film becomes both hilarious and powerfully moving, a wry look at a deeply religious culture that isn't something to laugh about.

Shot like a feature, this observant Slovak drama has layers of complexity in its simple exploration of a relationship. Filmmaker David Benedek carefully observes details in the performances of fine cast. Each actor skilfully underplays scenes to provide insight into the ways their characters are thinking and feeling. So it's remarkably involving, even as it remains minimalistic.

In Bratislava, university student Dominik (Jablonsky) gets help with studying from his older boyfriend Adam (Martincek), who's part of the city's super-cool art scene. Their relationship is warm, affectionate and passionate, but Dom is afraid to admit that he's in love. Perhaps this because Adam's friends make him feel inadequate. But Dom feels guilty about looking online for someone to date.

In just 23 minutes, this film lightly deconstructs the connection between Dominik and Adam, adding knowing textures in brief scenes with other people. Most notably, the film allows space around these young men to highlight unspoken issues between them, leading to conversations that are laced with subtext. The pointed question is whether Dominik can overcome his self-doubts enough to let himself be happy with Adam. Which of course is important whether or not their relationship survives.

No Strings  
dir-scr Eoin Maher
with Aaron Cini, Richard Hay
15/Ireland 23m

Reviewed at BFI Flare 2016

themes, language, violence, sexuality

23.Jan.21