'The Last Match' DVD: Everything You Could Hope For In a Homoerotic Cuban Teen Boy Love Story

Canteen Outlaws, which is the international/indie division of LGBT video leader TLA Releasing, scores a goal regarding the DVD release (no pun intended) of the 2013 gay-themed Cuban drama "The Last Match." This Caribbean version of "Brokeback Mountain" is much more apt for an art house than a video booth.

The following clip, courtesy of YouTube, of the trailer for "Match" includes plenty of glimpses of the erotic elements of the film and a sense of the underlying story. It further demonstrates that the depiction of the lives of ordinary Cubans is realistic.

 Related awesome things about "Match" are that our lads are not doe-eyed freshly scrubbed twinks and do not immediately get all girly or otherwise emo on meeting. Further, Yosvani is who ultimately takes one (two actually) for the team despite soccer teammate Reinier having the mad sports skills that provide him a chance to escape the poverty that plagues both boys.

Other gritty elements relate to Reinier working as a low-end rent boy to keep a roof over the heads of his family and diapers on the bottom of his baby. The limits that this sole proprietor places on a "date" are reminiscent of the willingness of some gay men to place their lips on ANY part of the anatomy of another male except the lips of that person.

Yosvani gets by living with his seemingly perpetual informal fiancee and her small-time operator father. One spoiler is that Daddy does not mind Yosvani sharing a bed with his little girl but gets very upset on learning of Yosvani drifting toward the homosexual end of the Kinsey scale.

The plot progresses from Reinier sending Yosvani very clear signals on the soccer field to the two sharing a drunken kiss and ultimately having a youthfully exuberant rooftop encounter. This of course leads to mixed feelings, an unrealistic desire for an ideal life, and a quasi predictable melodramatic ending.

All of this is told in a nicely artistic way that should appeal to anyone with an interest in art house film and an open-minded attitude toward sexuality. This story is much more about two late teen boys living in poverty and trying to come to terms with their sexuality in a very traditional society than hot young things dropping trou and getting it on. It is very nice that all this amounts to "Match" not being anything close to "Another Gay Movie."

Anyone with questions regarding "Match" is  strongly encouraged to email me or connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.