floatingleaf | it seems I haven't posted a gay movie review in a while ;) (Reply)

I saw an unforgettable film last night. David's Birthday (original title Il compleanno). It came out in 2010, and apparently was a big hit at Cannes. It's a story of a middle-aged, seemingly straight, happily married guy falling for his best friend's teenage son. I think the name David is a very deliberate choice, because the boy totally has the look of a Michelangelo sculpture about him.:) And he is an underwear model (played by an actual Brazilian model, Thyago Alves). Anyway... his parents are spending the summer at a country house on the Italian Riviera, accompanied by this other couple - Matteo and Francesca. Matteo and Diego (David's father) are very good friends, despite not having a great lot in common (Matteo is a refined intellectual - Diego a classic Mediterranean macho type with shallow interests and traditional views). Shary, Diego's wife, is American, and they had been separated for a while, so their son had been living mostly in New York. Now, however, he comes for a visit. Matteo hadn't seen him since he was a little kid. So he is totally thrown off-balance by the appearance of this godlike creature.;) We don't know if he's ever had sexual feelings for other men - his own stunned reaction and struggle to process what's happening definitely seem to suggest that it's never happened before. It is also pretty obvious from the beginning that it's more than just a "midlife crisis" or casual lust. It's more of an epiphany. There's a scene where another character in the movie (Shary's brother, Leonard) is reminiscing about his deceased wife, and he says: "When I met her, I understood why I came into this world" - and it is pretty obvious from Matteo's reaction that this is how he himself feels about David. Btw, the actor who plays Matteo (Massimo Poggio) totally floored me with his performance. He was simply amazing. I don't recall seeing him ever before, but I will definitely keep an eye out for him now. I also loved Maria de Medeiros as his wife, Francesca. They both portray complex, vulnerable individuals struggling to comprehend what is happening to their seemingly happy, peaceful relationship. And the development of the relationship between Matteo and David is extremely subtle, understated... almost magical. It is the farthest thing from an older guy trying to seduce a teenager. It's actually David who makes the first move. Everyone else seems utterly oblivious to Matteo's fascination, at least in the beginning - but the boy notices his interest, because he is (perhaps subconsciously) looking for it. He seems to be craving exactly that sort of attention from men, and he encourages it in subtle ways (while his parents are busy gossipping about the multitude of local girls who are also showing an interest in David). By the time we finally get a proper sex scene (yeah, I'm a slasher, why do you ask?...;P), we also know that the tension between various characters in the film is close to the breaking point, and that something terrible is bound to happen. But I won't say any more, because I would hate to "spoil" anyone who might actually want to see it. Let it suffice that the emotional impact of the final scenes left me gasping. Btw, this movie reminds me a lot of the French one, Man of My Life, which I mentioned here a few months ago. It was based on a similar plot premise - except both guys were in their forties - and also had a similar kind of subtlety and complexity to it, but a very different ending. Which is perhaps a pointless remark... except to reinforce the fact that European cinema, in general, tends to hit the spot for me.;) Particularly the gay spot, as it were.:P