›› Colours ‹‹ a short film by Peter Lee Scott. 2015 | 25 mins | UK. a gripping drama on the ingrained homophobia that exists in the so-called beautiful game. Dave says: Written and directed by Peter Lee Scott, this gripping drama like so many other short films before it and I dare say after, shines the spotlight on the ingrained homophobia that exists in the so-called beautiful game. The story revolves around best friends Adam (Harry Jarvis) and Tom (Makir Ahmed) who literally live in each other's world, playing as they do on the same football side, one that's headed by team captain Mike (George Somner) whose vile attitude and temper would not be out of place in the bigoted pre-Stonewall days of yesteryear. No surprise then that Tom has kept from Adam a secret - the fact that he's gay; for fear of not only being on the receiving end of a brutal beating, but of losing a friend he holds dear. Only as Shakespeare wrote "truth will out" and with Mike, Adam and teammate Alex (Connor Catchpole) having accidentally seen Tom and his boyfriend in an intimate embrace, it isn't long before Mike demands that Adam choose sides; either he's with him against Tom, or else equally face his homophobic wrath. In short, now is the time for Adam to show his true colours. Realistically violent at times, this powerful short plays like a feature poignantly showcasing the inner turmoil of a man who feels betrayed by his best friend; enraged not by Tom being gay, but by not being told the truth. That their relationship forms the cornerstone of this piece, goes without saying. Yet this work belongs to George Somner who frankly steals the show, getting under your skin in his all too believable portrait of the repulsive mindset of a man determined to give the gay boy a bloody lesson he won't forget. Only and as they also say, what goes around, comes around. Sure, there's a few negatives in the mix, with the team coach all too conspicuous by his absence. But that said, this is a work that vividly depicts the dilemma of a man faced with the knowledge that to openly support his friend would make him a sitting target, regardless of his heterosexuality. That Mike is outed for the vicious bigot that he is, is not a spoiler. Rather his character is reflective of a part of society and indeed a game that even at this grassroots level, seemingly cannot deal with openly gay players, making the world’s most popular game a sport in which it remains to this day solely acceptable to engage in man-to-man contact on the field, but not off it. ›› available as part of THE MALE GAZE: STRIKERS & DEFENDERS shorts compilation. ›› posted: Sunday, 23rd August, 2020. Gay Visibility - overt.  Nudity - from the waist up.  Overall - file under ... 4 stars.  donations are the lifeblood of Gay Celluloid; every drop helps keep it online - thank you :) Copyright 2020 David Hall - www.gaycelluloid.com. archive reference #2020015 ›› previous page | back to top | print me ‹‹