200 American [2006]

Customer Reviews:

200 American.......2007-08-30

Poor storline, poor sound, poor acting and dreadfully cheap looking sets and that is without having to put up with "hammy acting". It is sad that millivres think that this is an acceptable type and quality of dvd. The gay community deserves better. NOt remotely worth the money. My advice...give this dvd a miss.

Rubbish.......2007-07-31

This film was very weak. Poor acting, poor camerawork, poor directing, etc. The story is very weak and that guy's dodgy Australian accent was laughable!! Don't bother with this one.

Pretty Lad - the remake of.......2007-07-02

Not a remake of Pretty Woman, but... Apart from a few hometruth this film has all the qualities of a student project in cinematography. Shaky camera, squeaky floor boards, wooden acting, stilted dialogue, dust on the lens, under-focused, music where it doesn't belong, too much lighting then not enough, and don't mention the word 'editing'... odd, to say the least

It has some charm, but I have seen better, even at a low budget. One highlight is Sean Matic's understated acting - and that he resembles Nigel Harman.

An avarage night's entertainment.......2006-03-18

I have to say straight off so to speak that this film cannot be considered the greatest of all time. This said the characters are intriguing and the plotline has enough twists to just keep you watching the next five minutes to see if you can make sense of it all. This film is an evenings entertainment which is all that can be asked of it at the end of the day.

No budget.......2006-01-15

Nice modern day gay love story. Made with no budget and that you can tell. Acting and technic are so so. But for a first movie it only can get better. The idea is good! And we need more movies with a gay theme!

Customer Reviews:

"Why are there girls' things and boys' things?".......2007-11-14

The latest pedigree offering from the impeccable Picture This! stable, 'Glue' (Spanish, with English subtitles) is a film not easily forgotten. The cast is minimal, focusing largely on Lucas, our 16 year old protagonist, his best friend Nacho, and their age-mate Andrea. We are treated to a glimpse into a few short weeks in the lives of these three characters, as they hang-out, flirt, sniff glue, and enjoy polymorphous physical intimacy in a dusty South American desert town.

But to categorize 'Glue' as a coming-of-age film would be trite in the extreme. While there are many examples of what would be considered the usual 'adolescent angst' (secretly comparing body development against that of friends, awkward silences, parental conflict, watching porn on TV, the importance of music as a form of expression), the portrayal of youth in 'Glue' is more iconoclastic; they are not simply going through a 'phase'. The nihilism portrayed is of a degree commonly seen in films by Gus Van Sant, or in Araki's 'Doomsday' trilogy. There is no sense that the characters will ultimately follow in the subservient footsteps of their parents: they are the last in the line; the contemporary, disenfranchised generation. Araki aficionados will note the subtle, background TV news reports about 'another 15 year old suicide'.

The reference to Van Sant is appropriate also from a stylistic viewpoint. Time-lapsed clouds; blurred and shaky camera shots; sunspots on the camera lens; an emphasis on reddish, earthy tones in the hue and color employed: all add to the impression of a youth eschewing the modern world and trying unsuccessfully to find their way back to nature. This is further emphasized by the role of gender identity in the film - or rather, its absence. The three main characters - Lucas, Nacho and Andrea - are seen in various combinations of sexual interaction; but again, there is none of the typical 'sexual confusion' that we usually see in a pro forma coming-of-age film: they simply follow instinctual enjoyment of physical intimacy, unburdened by their forefathers' limiting preoccupation with gender role:

"What's the difference between kissing a boy or a girl? Boys have beards. That's the only difference, otherwise it'd be the same thing...Why is it that boys don't cry?...Why are there 'girl's things' and 'boy's things'?"

While there is a great deal of humor in 'Glue', the occasions when the viewer can laugh serve as a temporary palliative, rather than as a remedy for the starkness of the nihilistic existentialism. It is only really the characters' attitude towards rejecting received gender identity that provides the film with any genuine optimism. Clearly 'Glue' will not be for everyone: those who find comfort in the simplicity of hard plot lines and linear story-telling, or the superficiality of 'good guys/bad guys' scenarios, will struggle to see the cold, desolate - yet captivating - beauty that provide 'Glue' with it's enthralling, brilliant portrait of contemporary youth. Glue appears to be the first feature-length film from Writer/Director Alexis Dos Santos, a name that is certainly one to watch.

Customer Reviews:

Cynara from a woman's point of view.......2003-03-23

Although I can appreciate that this film was not your normal, run of the mill film released in the new-improved lesbian genre I personally feel that it does not deserve only one star. The music was pleasant as was the scenary, and the poetry was particularly enjoyable.

Try not to be put off by the lack of dialogue as this film attempts to show the strength of feeling which could be portrayed through poetry or sculpture.

I have to admit that I was relieved that the film was not excessive in it's length, as the tension which has built up by the time our two heroine's finally give in to their desires was quite unbearable.

The nicest touch is the scenes which show during and after the credits at the end of the film - how nice to include shots of all the main people involved.

Whilst it wasn't was the best film I have ever seen (certainly not in the Desert Hearts category) - it was inoffensive and the story-line was very good.

Cynara.......2003-02-27

I was not impressed by this film. From start to finish it felt so artificial it was untrue. The type of cameras used gave it a 'porno' feel to this movie and that is not what I was looking for. If I wanted that, I could have choosen from a number of sleazy lesbian porn titles. It was such a huge disappointment but I suppose the 40 min running length should have given it away. I was expecting a lavish, pre-twentieth century lesbian romance full of genuine tenderness and the adventurous trepedation you would expect given the theme and the era it was set in. Instead, we got a couple of women (if you could call the butch female a woman. No offence, but from a male's point of view, two lesbians should actually look like women i.e feminine!) farting about in the house or on the beach looking at each other for twenty minutes before finally doing something. The only vocal was some woman blabbering on, as if she were reading from a diary. Yes, the sex scenes were tender and to a degree passionate but there was no build-up and it left me feeling completely frustrated. If you're looking for something that's strictly sex then this is for you (but to be honest you'd be better off buying something else)but that's not what I bought it for. Thoroughly disappointing.

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