This stars Pierre Perrier as Chris, he is hot and he knows he is. He leads an unconventional life in that he lives in a rubbish Puegeot van and makes money by playing poker. As he says, he is just lucky and as luck would have it he bumps into Lizzie Brouchere who plays Aurore. She is a Daddy's girl, half American, half French and half stupid, as she falls for this Romeo at the drop of a hat or as it turns out a drop of her knickers. Any way it isn't just a one night thing for either of them as the following day he whisks her off to a life of free living and free loving.

The only catch is they have to go in his van, and he also has a thing for men. When I say a thing I don't mean his trouser snake, no he sort of wants to seduce young men and then sort of kill them. Well for most this could be a big `elephant in the room' moment when she finds out, but in true lover's style, they decide they can work something out.

So not an average tale and not an average production, as the production values are really good; there is an underlying air of tension through out and there is lots of `getting it on' right from the start. The acting of the two leads is both assured and accomplished; the soundtrack is pretty good too.

To say any more might spoil the plot, but really so much does happen and there are subtle twists that keep the atmosphere of brooding dread ramped up right until the conclusion. I was pretty much hooked from the beginning. It is in French with some `American' as Chris calls it and the sub titles are all pretty good, with a ninety minute run, this is another really good independent French film so if that is your `le sac' then you should enjoy

I always want to support new independent cinema, especially so when it is in the gay genre, this though I found very difficult to like for many reasons. It is supposed to be a `dark comedy', but I only got that from the box. It is about med school drop out Jason (Danny Bedford) who is taking time off work as he keeps having blackouts. These seem to coincide with the murders around London of gay men. He asks his co-worker Richard (Sean Hart) to come over and mend his television, while he is there Jason admits to having a dead gay man in his bed, The two of them then decide to try to help the police by solving the crime themselves.

That is the basic plot and it sort of develops to the point where it becomes totally unbelievable, but not in a `Father Ted' way which is funny, but in a sort of insulting your intelligence way, which is really not so good. There are plot holes a plenty, the sound levels vary and acting that has both its feet firmly in the school of regional am dram. That may have been intentional, and certainly the ludicrously stupid copper was the closest to being funny that this got. Fenella Fielding does do a decent job with a less than decent script though which does pull it back on track.

It is also filmed mostly in Jason's flat and has a claustrophobic feel, they also switch from colour to black and white for no discernable reason at all, maybe they ran out of colour film, we will never know. Jason collects Steven Segal movies which makes him a bit of a tw@t and Richard declares that they are `cool', which sort of means they have way too much in common. They also fancy each other, but the only bedroom scenes are with the dead bloke, so nothing to frighten the horses here either.

I actually said at one point "is this a comedy?" and had to check the box to make sure it was. This has obviously been made on a shoe string and that is forgivable (I give you `Shank'Shank [DVD] [2008] [2009] for example) it just is not funny, not really `sexy' and also seemed to go on for ages and yet it is only 71 minutes long. Sorry I can not recommend this at all, there are so many good gay comedies out there that this is just passable, but only as a rental and with mates around, and probably lots of alcohol, and another back up film - a good one that is.

This is a film by director Justin Curzel who, with Warp Pictures, had to get reporting restrictions lifted on the real life case that this film depicts, in order to screen his work. It is about the `Bodies in Barrels' murders that took place in South Australia between 1992 and 1999. In the film we start with a low rent family in Adelaide's suburbs, a place that is beyond bleak, full of slots, smokes and squalor. The mother (Elizabeth Harvey) has three sons and an elder one (half brother) who comes in later. They have a `special uncle' who lives across the road, and whilst he seems to be interested in Elisabeth, he is actually abusing the young boys. She finds out and goes `ape' to coin an oft used vernacular.

Enter new guy John Bunting (Daniel Henshall) he appears as a knight in rusting armour and sets about ousting the paedophile. Now ensconced as a vigilante hero, he takes on the mantle of local moral guardian and enlists the help of others in his `work'. Jamie (Lucas Pittaway) is sixteen and has more troubles than most of that age, John decides he needs to `grow a pair' and thus he gets sucked into a world of violence, torture and murder.

This is a beautifully shot film and has been accused of being too arty, lingering shots, periods of no dialogue etc. However the seeming ordinariness of those moments is the perfect juxtaposition for the brutal things that are happening on screen. All of the actors are totally convincing, even the world ropiest transvestite and the guy with learning difficulties. The music is minimal but potent and we have a full grotesquery of supporting characters, plus scenes of kangaroo butchery which is pretty disturbing.

I was so gripped by this that I felt I had only been watching for about an hour when it had finished, when this is a two hour film. I then checked out the real case and it is actually worse than what the film depicts, which is probably a good thing. The film leaves it up to the viewer to judge the people and whilst you are clear who the guilty parties are, as things progress the clear lines of guilt and innocence get blurred to beyond recognition.

Once again Screen Australia has brought us an excellent film that whilst many will find disturbing still makes a powerful statement and an engrossing film into the bargain. I can only recommend with the caveat that the violence is disturbing, but despite that is far from gratuitous, this is not `torture porn'. If you find this to your liking then `Animal Kingdom' will be one you might enjoy too.

The synopsis is that a closeted Seminarian, who is writing his thesis, finally meets a guy he can connect to and then decides to come out. Now you might think there are opportunities to take this story to new and unchartered waters, and that there would be an opportunity to explore some of the ethical questions that surround The Bible and homosexuality; and you would be right. The big question that I was left struggling with was why the makers decided not to bother.

It stars Mark Cirillo as the student, he is in his thirties so a better casting might have made this more believable as the struggling thesis writer, and we are never told he is a mature student, but then again I don't think he was meant to be. He likes going on line for self gratification and pretending to be straight with nearly all his friends.

Well all of that is nothing new and quite understandable. His thesis is about reconciling the love that Jesus has for all mankind with the love we feel for each other and the suffering it causes, and from a theological perspective this part of the film is fairly well fleshed out. He meets Bradley on line and they hook up, it turns out he is an emotional wreck and a bit of a loser. We then have lots of interplay with his friends, all of who have never graduated from am dram school. There is an awful lot of making phone calls that do not get answered. A lot of sitting around reading books, having strained and obviously scripted conversations and minimal music.

There are some full frontal shots but not a lot more for the more raunchy minded viewer of the gay genre. It is not very sexy, the acting is almost universally below par and it is crying out for a good edit because at 101 minutes I was itching for the fast forward. All in all this is a missed opportunity as the backward and homophobic attitudes that are portrayed are never adequately dealt with. If they had have been then this may have been a worthwhile watch, as it is it really remains barely ok hence my rating.

This has been made on a shoe string and so inevitably suffers for it. The main characters are only three people with writer and director Todd Verrow making a cameo at one point. It is about Claude (Yann de Monterno)who finds a drunken hunk on the street and decides to take him home to make sure he is safe. The following morning this bloke awakens with a hangover and an apparently insatiable need to suck the living daylights out of Claude. This is Brad played by Kevin Miranda, he says he is a vacationing American. They decide to meet up again and see where things lead.

Claude also has a best friend in the shape of Catherine (Florence d'Azemar, who is actually really good. They act as emotional crutches for each other in a really nice way. Well there are a few other things that happen, but essentially this is a Parisian love story with croissants, red wine, Gaullois cigarettes and the obligatory shower scene. There is some bedroom rutting but it's all pretty basic. The most annoying thing for me was the soundtrack which is all repetitive disco trance stuff with a back beat that sounds like an underwater beating heart and it just grated.

There was nothing new here, nothing inspiring and very little in the way of actual plot, the twist just about saved this from being a total waste of time, hence my rating but this is just ok, and there are so many more films out there more deserving of your attention, so only buy if you must have all films of this genre. The acting is ok but this is just a triumph of budget over ideas.

Our Paradise (Notre Paradis) is the latest film from Gael Morel of `Le Clan' fame. It stars Stephane Rideau (`Presque Rien') as Vassili, an ageing rent guy who cruises the streets of Paris looking for tricks. He is also a dab hand at `finishing his clients off' and I do not mean in a `professional' way - yes he's a murderer. Then one wet, Parisian night he stumbles across a young man who has been attacked and robbed. He decides to help him and ends up taking him home. The boy has no name and says no memory of before he met Vassili.

So they decide to give him a name and hit upon Angelo (Dimitri Durdaine in his big screen debut). They then start a passionate relationship that does not exclude paying clients. Then they start to work as a team, but Angelo is attracting most of the attention and Vassili can't let his own proclivities stay dormant for too long. They end up seeking their paradise which will involve others, with unexpected consequences.

This is a really original piece of cinema, it is acted superbly the shots are framed with the eye of an artist and it is still tasteful, despite some of the less wholesome scenes. We have a plethora of scenarios especially with Vassili's clients and the stories of a number of the characters all told along the way. This is one of those films that you don't even think about looking at the clock, it is paced so perfectly and flows so well; there is some nudity as you would probably expect, but I did not feel any of it is gratuitous. For gay cinema fans or even fans of gay cinema this is an absolute must.

This is about a young Mormon lad or Church of the Latter Day Saints to give them their new name. Elder Smith and Elder Merril are made ‘companions’ for to go out converting people or giving away free copies of the Book of Mormon. This new joining they start ‘with a prayer’. Anyway we start to get to know them and their pasts and they actually came across as very believable characters.

On their converting missions they happen upon the door of a Vietnam veteran called Rodney (Brian Allard) who has the most amazing voice and was my favourite character. He helps them realise there is more to life that nice teeth and clean shirts. Well they start to have feelings for each other but as Mormon’s aren’t exactly into the ‘summer of free love’ type ethos it is pretty obvious that their new found ‘companionship’ is going to bring a lot of grief.

I actually liked this film but there are a few howevers, and the first one is production values. This is a small budget film and as such you know there will be some issues. The first was background noise, we have squeaking floor boards and variations in the sound level as this has been obviously taped live with the acting, which I do not have a problem with and it gives it a kind of doco drama feel to the whole thing. There are a couple of plot holes that had me harrumphing a bit but they are not too obvious.

There is no bedroom Olympics either which I was sort of looking forward to as I was feeling shallow when I watched this, but on the strong point there was an attempt to examine the theology that gives credence to out dated homophobic reactions which was sadly missed in ‘The Seminarian’. At 89 minutes long it does keep you involved but this will never make a best films ever list – sorry. I am being generous at 4 stars but as I said I actually liked it but not everyone will as is the way with things, but I hope you do.

This is new French adaptation of the Agatha Chrstie novel from veteran French director Pascal Thomas, and is a very light hearted amusing comedy rather than a belly laugh fest. It stars Andre Dussollier and Catherine Frot as husband and wife team Belisaire and Prudence Beresford. They have retired from the French secret service and are given the chance to run a private detective agency in Geneva. Eager to escape the mundanity of retired life Prudence jumps at the chance.

Their first case concerns a Russian heiress to an oil magnate, whose fiancé is desperate to trace after she disappeared whilst visiting friends. This leads our intrepid duo to a health resort where rumours abound that a Professor Lanson has the cure for ageing. Then the bodies start to pile up and it is quite clear that there is more to this tale than meets the eye, especially when Lanson’s former colleagues deny all knowledge of him or his treatment.

Well this is done in a stylish and light hearted manner the way things were often done in the sixties. All the cars are fab too especially their Austin Healey. The acting is played just right being over the top only when absolutely necessary. I love the fact that she ran away from the circus career as an acrobat to marry a man with vertigo. The starring couple have also made ‘Crime is our Business’ with Pascal Thomas so if you enjoyed this then it would be worth checking that out too.

With a run time of 100 minutes it is paced just right for a movie that is aimed at the crime solving, lighter side of life. I watched the version with sub titles which were good and this also has an interesting sound track, I really like the song that the rope acrobat scene was played to. So for a Gallic bit of stylish and easy to access entertainment you could do a lot worse than this offering, recommended.

Originally released as ‘The Horde’ this is a Russian historical epic, according to the blurb. Well it is set in the events around 1357. The Mongol‘s or Golden Horde as they were oft called had rampaged across Asia and Europe and had brought much of the then known world under their dominion. But the empire is now running out of steam and laziness and in fighting is starting to take their toll. The Khan is murdered by his younger brother and he assumes the throne. However, the real power lies with the matriarch and she is one scary lady. This is Taidula, and after witnessing some gratuitous blood letting on some poor Russian prisoners, she is struck blind.

Well the doting and slightly mental son decides that she must be cured and so starts a search for anyone who can help, and the parade of quackery begins, with some very odd ‘facts’ like camel dung being a known cure for eye problems. But as you may have suspected none of them work. Then word is brought of a ‘sorcerer’ of great renown who has even cured plague victims and the Khan decides that he must come and do ‘a miracle’. This turns out to be the leader of the Orthodox Church in Moscow, Metropolitan Alexei, Maxim Sukhanov, who puts in an excellent performance. He is given no choice so sets off to the Horde.

This is a story about haves and have nots and the sheer terror that the Mongols could convey and that aspect is very well fleshed out here. There is a lot of random ruthlessness which was probably how it was. There is also a great attention to period detail and to the universal grime and dirt including of a faecal nature, so not a TV dinner movie this. There is a lot of symbolism which is a trait that Russian cinema goes for often with brilliant and iconic results. Whilst this may be epic in terms of scope it is not a full on battle fest. There is very little medieval action and I thought we might have had some. This is the story of the Metropolitan Alexei and his struggle with his mission and ultimately his faith and redemption, so if you wanted some battle fun, this is not for you.

Whilst this is superbly shot and well framed, it is also brilliantly acted however, it is a bit on the ‘not a lot happening’ front, but it is done so well that you don’t really notice until afterwards. On reflection the pacing of the story and the brilliant camera work all are used to drive the story home and some of which is really desperate and I found it ultimately rewarding. If you are open to World cinema being a bit different then I think you may well enjoy.

This is another one of those films that slipped under the radar and I think deserves more attention. It stars the brilliantly versatile Joseph Gordon-Levitt (just made ‘Looper’ and so many more great films) as Chris Pratt. He was a promising ice hockey player and then one night whilst out with his girl friend and two bestest mates, he totals his car killing the friends and badly injuring Kelly. He wakes up some time later and has suffered brain damage. He now can not do sequencing so needs to write things down in a note book, all the time. He sometimes forgets things, gets angry and swears and can find everyday tasks impossible to do.

He lives with his blind friend Lewis, (the always excellent Jeff Daniels also ‘Looper and my fave ‘Gettysburg’) who is far more capable than Chris. He works as a night janitor at a country bank but his wealthy father still picks up the bills for major items. Chris just wants his old life back, but finds it hard to even open a can of tomatoes. Then as luck would have it he runs into a guy who was above him at school and he seems to really like him and even gets him to meet ex erotic dancer Luvlee Lemons (Isla Fisher who plays it with aplomb).

Soon he finds out why they are really interested in him and the title of the film is a bit of a clue. What we have here is an understated gem of a movie. It is a story of regret, failure, loss, love and realising what really matters in life and it is done in such a way that it all comes across as really believable. Alex Borstein appears as bank clerk Mrs Lange and ‘Family Guy’ aficionados out there will know she is the voice of Lois Griffin, just a small part here though.

I really enjoyed this film and was going for 5 stars as I am a bit of a fan of both Mr Daniels and Mr Gordon-Levitt so was prone to be biased, but in a pique of objective restraint I went for 4 as this is good, even ruddy good but not excellent . I often hear criticisms of Hollywood but there is a role for most films and ones like this prove how good American cinema can be, in both its originality and high production values, heck they even use ‘My Morning Jacket’ as the musical intro. Seriously recommended and I still want to up this to 5, so please think 4 and a bit.