floatingleaf | another obscure European flick ;)

So... I finally found the time to see a movie that Blockbuster Online sent me sometime about the middle of February.:) And it floored me. I mean, really. It's one of those independent European movies no-one's ever heard about - Danish, btw.;) After reading the blurb online I was somewhat curious about it, but didn't really expect it to be that good. Apparently I have developed a knack for fishing out the really good ones. Anyway... it's called Pretty Boy, and tells the story of a 13-year old who runs away from home and falls in with the 'bad crowd', so to speak. Just like the title might suggest, the kid is utterly stunning (almost like a cross between a very young Viggo and a very young Orlando - if that's even possible... LOL); and hardly anyone is able to see beyond that. So, very predictably, he becomes a sex-toy for rich, middle-aged guys. It happens almost before he actually realizes what's going on. Then, also predictably, he meets his competition - the local gang of male hustlers. And so this little angel-faced darling is forced to start acting just as ruthless as everyone around him, in order to survive. And he learns so fast it's utterly heartbreaking to watch. But at the same time, under the newly-developed harsh exterior, he is still this sweet, innocent kid, hungry for love. *sniff* Just makes you want to open your arms and say "come to mama".;P (not that I would know what to do with a 13-year old boy... but that's beside the point, somehow) The story itself may not seem very original, but it is extremely well-done. And the acting is superb. I believe the actor who played the protagonist must have been significantly older than 13 (he looked at least 15 to me), but he was totally convincing. So were the others. For example, there was this young, androgynous girl, dressing up and working as a MALE hustler (adopting typically boyish mannerisms, bandaging her breasts etc.). The role was played so well that she was actually a very 'unsympathetic' character for the better part of the movie; only to gradually start showing another side to her personality towards the end, evoking deep compassion. There was also this creepy cross-dressing type with a strong masochistic streak, who liked being referred to as 'Mrs. Mortensen'. Yep, that's right. *evil smirk* (though, judging by the credits, Mortensen is a pretty common last name in Denmark :P) Anyway, the gallery of characters was quite impressive. And no happy endings or miraculous redemptions in sight; because, well, in real life they usually don't happen. And this movie was very real. No black-or-white, good-or-bad people either. And no true justice; just the bittersweet, ironic kind. The ending is sort of open, but you can pretty much imagine what the life of this troubled & traumatized young man is going to be like. The damage has been done; even though his face still looks as fresh and angelic as before. You get a distinct feeling that what you have seen was only the first circle of hell. *shudder*

OK. That's it for now. Bedtime again.:/

Oh, and on a side note, I have just ordered the new Viggorli zine.:) And I did vote for Slashy Oscars - and am very happy that some of my favorite stories won. I am also very excited about the upcoming A/L ficathon. Just a side note, in case anyone wondered whether I had forgotten that there is FANDOM out there.:P