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| a short film by Mark V Reyes |
| 2005 | 18 mins | Philippines |
| ›› Last Full Show |
| a lesson in love; Death in Venice style. |
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In a tale in which a seedy cinema is seen more as a place where gay men come to meet and chat, rather than a cruising ground, writer and director Mark V Reyes delightfully charts the coming-of-age scenario; albeit Death in Venice style.
For this is the story of Crispin; an affluent middle-class schoolboy whose burgeoning sexuality sees him take his first tentative steps the gay friendly cinema way, that is provided he can shake off his bloodhound of a driver / guardian. Yet sex would appear to be the last thing on this boys' mind and for that matter the mind of working-class Gardo; a much older man who tired of the cruising game is soon to befriend the new kid in the stalls. Only as the two go on to enjoy on a series of tender dinner dates together, is Cupid's last course about to be served?
As his final thesis piece, Reyes tells a tale that is as much to do with infatuation, as it is of learning about the other side of life; be it a different class or alternative transport. It is a mix that includes a number of nice touches, including the length of the relationship between the two being defined not in terms of weeks or months, but by ticket stubs. Only here Reyes opts to play it safe, not only by way of an ending that should arrive as no surprise, but by depicting the core man-boy friendship as more akin to that of a father-son relationship, making his lesson in love more sweet, than controversial.
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Gay Visibility - overt.
Nudity - none.
Overall - file under ... 3 stars.
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| FREEVIEW screening courtesy of the FrameLine VOICES program: |
| a new digital initiative dedicated to showcasing diverse LGBT stories online. |
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starring: Francis Villanueva / Crispin, Sugus Legaspi / Gardo, Jeremy Aguado / Jess,
Nanding Josef / Bert, Mae Paner / Ticket Lady, Jojo Nones / Waiter
and Jose Reyes as the Driver.
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| official website: www.markvreyes.com |
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| Copyright 2011 David Hall - www.gaycelluloid.com. |
| archive reference #422 |
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