MINI MOVIE REVIEWS: International Spies, Dating Trials and Vocal Anxieties
I got five new movies this month. Let’s see how they fare…
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Walk On Water
Eyal is a professional hit man for the Mossad, the Israeli Secret Service. His newest mission is to track down the ex-Nazi officer Alfred Himmelman rumoured to be still alive. Eyal spies on Himmelman’s granddaughter, now living out in Israel after turning her back on her family in Germany. Eyal poses as a personal tour guide and takes her visiting brother Axel from the historical sights of Jerusalem to the shores of the Dead Sea. Soon after Axel’s return to Germany, the Mossad suspects that Himmelman could come out of hiding for Axel’s father’s upcoming birthday party. Eyal is sent to Germany, where he must get closer to Axel in order to discover the truth about the notorious family. Uncharacteristically vulnerable since his ex-wife’s recent death, professional killer Eyal will also have to discover certain truths about himself.
Not a gay movie per se or even romance but more of a movie with a gay major character. This is a movie full of ironies that kind of made sense if only people could be so open minded. It is, above all, a story of peace.
We find the granddaughter of a Nazi officer finding a home in Israel. An Israeli spy dancing an traditional Israeli dance in the house of a Nazi family. A straight guy having more chemistry with the gay brother than the sister he eventually married. Had this been filmed today, I think they would have added the romantic twist.
Be it the case, I have no complaints. This is a beautiful, underrated movie you should check out.
More Than Only
A young gay man finds how to love himself and accept love from another, despite the disapproval of his father.
Ridiculously cute! And realistic too.
A story of a university student who must accomplish three tasks ala Triwizard Tournament in order to win a date with a cute nurse. There are a lot of fluffy moments balanced by more dramatic, angstier scenes wherein the main character has self-destructive tendencies triggered by a homophobic father.
The scenes where the father suddenly calls are gutwrenching. The mood immediately plummets and you can see the raw hurt. In contrast to that, the scenes between the two MCs are bursting with love and joy. I also love their group of friends, especially their badass best friend who not only helped with the tasks but later on became the surrogate mom to their child.
This is a movie where you feel a rollercoaster of emotions and grow attached to the characters. And that last line!
(After saying thing like growing attached to the characters I actually forgot their names…(๑•́ㅿ•̀๑) ᔆᵒʳʳᵞ)
Happy Endings Sleepover
American CIA Field Operative, Johnnie Allen, is assigned to Denmark for his first mission. An American spy highly placed in the Kremlin is to be spirited out of Russia, and it is Johnnie’s job to get him safely to Antwerp where the agent will board a freighter.
This is based on the novel of Cade Jay Hathaway. I haven’t read it yet but I love this movie! It’s a slow-burn, friends to lovers, roadtrip story with danger and espionage thrown in.
The roadtrip part of the movie comes from the the part where Johnnie had to deliver a car and transport a spy across the boarder. His friend Sander tags along.
Normally, I’m not a fan of roadtrip stories but this one has a lot going for it, from mistaken identities, scenic pitstops, kissing a friend to piss off a homophobic asshole then kissing him again because you realized he has feelings for you too. Let’s not forget antagonizing the royal guards, shooting bad guys and getting shot back.
The MC is an American who speaks with a Curacao-an accent because he grew up in a cult in Curacao until he was 14. The main actor who is Dane pulled it off really well. The two MCs had great chemistry and the lead actors were good together.
Do I Sound Gay?
After a break-up with his boyfriend, journalist David Thorpe embarks on a hilarious and touching journey of self-discovery, confronting his anxiety about “sounding gay.” Enlisting acting coaches, linguists, friends, family, total strangers, and celebrities, he quickly learns that many people — both gay and straight — often wish for a different voice. In Thorpe’s feature-length documentary debut DO I SOUND GAY?, what starts as a personal journey becomes a chance to unpack layers of cultural baggage concerning sexuality, identity, and self-esteem.
Journalist David Thorpe tackles the gay sound. And yes, I agree, some people really do sound gay. I think it’s perfectly fine. One of the persons interviewed even said, he only needs to say hello and then everybody would know. No need to come out and say it.
This is particularly interesting to me because I have a bit of a thing with voices. Like I notice that people from different countries could have a certain voice quality. For example, some Asian women have a distinctive voice that I would immediately recognize as Asian even if they are speaking with an American accent.
I found interesting tidbits regarding Hollywood and gay culture. While it’s not surprising that there are many gay actors, I didn’t realize they had to work hard not to sound gay. There is apparently a voice coach who specializes in removing the “gay sound” in their speech.
This documentary features luminaries such as George Takei, Margaret Cho, David Sedaris and Tim Gunn. Random people on the streets all over the world were also interviewed.
This is a good film to watch if your interested in one man’s quest to change the way he sounds.
The 10-Year Plan
Myles and Brody are best friends and total opposites. Myles is an idealistic romantic looking for a husband. Brody joyfully bounces from bed to bed and revels in being single. Fearing what will become of them when they get older, the two friends make a pact to be a couple in ten years if neither has found true love. Ten years later, not much has changed. But now that their arrangement is almost due, both friends will do whatever it takes to avoid becoming each other’s last resort.
My first thought here, wasn’t there a Kate Hudson rom-com with a similar storyline?
Personally, I’m not convinced Brody is the best guy for Myles. He’s too much of a player. He is a great friend though because he’s always there when Myles needs cheering up.
There’s not much surprises here. It’s pretty obvious how things will play out. The highlight for me here is the friendship between the MCs. The movie also did well in capturing their gradual transition from friends to romantic interest.
Anyway, this is an okay movie, good enough to pass the time.
Hope you enjoyed today’s Mini Movie Reviews! Have a great weekend!
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