PlatinumRead Just so...so bad

SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Wyatt There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

krme I have watched this movie several times now. Being an American I must confess that I am rather dense when it comes to understanding the nuances of many European films. In the beginning I was very confused, there is almost no dialogue for the first ten minutes of the film, and then, what little dialogue there was I did not understand the language. I thought that my closed captioning was turned off. But no, it was not. These limitations, however, are strictly my own. As I watched repeatedly, with breaks in between viewings, I began to realize. In Daniel's world, his attractions to the younger "Eastern European Boys" must be conducted in secret. In darkened corners and away from prying eyes. This is because his attraction to teenage boys (presumably underage) is illegal, and treated as shameful, sick, deranged, even, perhaps deserving of pity. Marek's world is much the same, he plys his trade in the open, but retreats to the same shameful corners and dark spaces to arrange the sale of his services to those that would buy them. What this story is really about then is; how do these two men. One older, one younger learn to see each other as something other than the simple fulfillment of sexual desire and a source of income. That is what this movie depicts. At first we see them only as caricatures, stereotypes of what (American) society would expect of Daniel, as a man who desires sex with much younger men. We see Marek as the person who is paid to provide that service, and that's it.As the movie slowly (yes, slowly) unfolds so does their relationship. So, also, do their characters. We begin to see that something more than desire and object is happening here. Marek returns after his friends completely strip Daniel's home of literally everything they can carry. My first reaction when I saw him return and ring Daniels doorbell was to shout; "No! No! Don't open the door to him again!" I realized on the third viewing, that this seemingly stupid action on Daniel's part has great significance. It is representing the opening of his heart.For, perhaps the first time in his life, Marek experiences a love from Daniel that asks for nothing in return. He pleases Marek at each encounter, until Marek lets go of his layers of cynicism and protection. He open's his heart to Daniel. Over time they struggle, fight, make-up, discuss and negotiate and work their way toward a father and son relationship. Which, by the end of the movie is exactly what it has become. Or, perhaps the status of their relationship is left for the viewer to decide. I can see it going both ways.Yes, this film will challenge the way you look at attraction between disparate ages. Yes, this film my make you uncomfortable at times. However, if you watch with an open heart and an open mind you may see that love, compassion and respect can grow in the oddest of places. It took me a lot of time and many viewings to give this movie room to breathe in my heart. Once I did I was glad. It has become my favorite LGBT movie. Thank you for reading my review. I hope it helped.

derrickluciano It's difficult to predict what's gonna happen next, till the very end. The characters are non - stereotypes if you take a closer look, and you might question why a gay guy would make such crazy decisions. The plot is not something you would get from a gay May-December affair story.It started and ended like a thriller but at the heart of the film is a love story of a different kind. This is the relationship of Daniel, a 50's something French career guy and a young Ukrainian hustler. From a sexual relationship, it evolved into something more profound. At first, it may seem implausible. But people start to show their natural selves. One gets to know the histories of a person, or why he acts that way, like using sex to interact with people or gain trust, or learn to understand that he might need something else, like guidance and paternal love.It would be easy to miss out symbolism on what led to this change - the airplanes, fireworks, how they dress up and their antics, etc. The night scene after the fireworks is crucial as the couple showed acceptance of a new kind of bonding.The movie dealt with other realities like the dangers of prostitution, gang behavior and undocumented illegal migrants. These actually made the film more interesting and realistic.The acting of the two leads are top-notch. Their facial expressions convey so much emotions that words can't tell. Kudos also to The Boss who showed his weakness at one part. Very good actors and that includes the hotel manager.This requires a second viewing...

millionsknives-178-107308 This movie lingers so much that it's running time is filled with nothing substantial, which is a great shame as the premise feels like it could have grown to more had the pace been quickened to include more meaningful interaction. Instead we're given a bare bones story, where characters are underdeveloped and there doesn't seem to be any real connection between the two main characters. Other than simple pity I see no reason for the older characters actions. There is no personal drivers to keep the characters interacting. A bit of depth is given during a scene with fireworks, but it's the one time we're given insight into a character's inner mind and emotions. I stuck with the whole movie as reviewers said I'd gain something from the ending, however the journey felt paper thin and there was nothing to be learnt from the movie.I've given it a four as the movie has some moments of promise and it's cinematography is visually nice.

SADFI 1 I was only prepared to give this film just half a chance (which I'm glad I did), and bail out as soon as it got too "Euro" for me.Aside from one semi-painful and overly long techno-music / dancing scene early on, the film was perfectly palatable to this particular Mid-Western American's tastes.As others have noted, it starts off a bit slowly, and you're left wondering if there will ever be any dialogue.Turns out there is, and in multiple languages too. I loved the realism of the two initially only being able to communicate through their own broken English, instead of their native tongues (each being unfamiliar to the other).Really well acted by all, and beautifully filmed. It had a documentary feel to it, without the obnoxious jittery camera work that some directors think that look requires.There are some mildly graphic gay sex scenes, so if that's too much for you, consider yourself warned. It's hardly gratuitous though, and nothing you haven't seen between heterosexual characters in other movies over the last thirty years.The story could have used a bit more background on the primary characters, which is what prevented me from giving it an 8 or a 9. I can see how time constraints might have gotten in the way of the film maker's doing that however.Anyway, it's a breath of fresh air from the usual formula and is much recommended.