The recent tla releasing DVD release of "Mexican Men" consists of five short gay-themed films about the titular hombres. Common elements of each are attractive Latin men, tasteful nudity, and erotic themes.
The trifecta regarding this collection relates to it demonstrating the exceptional international nature of releasing, the spirit of both Pride and the gay film festivals that are part of that celebration, and the good depictions of universal truths that apply across the entire spectrum of the Kinsey scale of sexuality. We all have desires that are forbidden in one form or another, must do what we must to get by, and yearn to express ourselves.
"Tremulo" starts things off with an endearing tale that is the most traditional of the quintet. This wonderful blend of straight and gay has a 20-something soldier meeting a teen boy helper on entering a barber ship for a haircut. This leads to a wonderfully romantic night (with a peacetime element of "I'm shipping out tomorrow") followed by the harsh reality of the morning after.
The Latin America novel vibe of the title "Young Man at the Bar Masturbating with Rage and Nerve" extends to the theme of this one. Our hero in this fauxumentary short is an aspiring dancer who works as a rentboy to pay his monthly lease payments. Much of the exposition consists of his sharing his life story while we see him engaged in his dual professions. Suffice it to say, he is adept at both. Some of the best scenes involve his discussing his limits with his "clients."
"Wandering Clouds" also follows a fairly traditional narrative. This one has a sweet young man whose interest in his fellow speedo-clad boys at an indoor pool leads to the expected emotional and physical pain. Like the rest of the "Mexican" films, it is artistically filmed and sensitively presented.
"Atmosphere" eases the audience into the Calvin Klein avant-garde style of "To Live," which rounds out the group. The first of these two follows two guys and a girl during a pandemic that seems to be an analogy of the early days of the AIDS crisis.
The three pretty young things, who never speak, in "Atmosphere" inhabit deserted landscapes and hear constant reports of alerts to stay inside due to the threat of a virus of unknown origin that can have catastrophic effects on those who contact this air-borne plague. The prescribed means of prevention is to stay inside and avoid contact with any other people.
The 10-minute "To Live" is divided into shorter expressive statements that the Vimeo description for this film aptly describes as "To live is a dream. The fight to communicate and ward off loneliness. The story of ourselves."
In choosing these five films and presenting them in the selected order, releasing nicely guides the viewer into what each offers. Starting out with a traditional boy-meets-boy story and ending with a much more stylized and sensual production provides good foreplay for a highly satisfying climax.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Mexican" is encouraged to either email me or to connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
No comments:
Post a Comment