VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Boys Briefs 2 (2002)
QQQ1/2
Edit out all of Real World has-been
Danny Robert's inane, ham-fisted introductions and this compilation of international
gay-themed shorts is well worth adding to your collection. Some of the shorts
are a bit on the "arty side" -- Jeremy Podeswa's Touch
is a particularly disturbing portrayal of the effects of abuse while Barry
Dignam's Chicken is so short (3 minutes) and subtle, it barely registers.
But three terrific shorts make this collection a must-have. Antonio Hens'
Spanish import Doors Cut Down is a funny, sexy and sweet look at
a cocky 16-year-old whose excursions cruising the bathroom of the local
mall yields surprisingly romantic results. Another Spanish film, Guillem
Morales' Backroom, explores the inner thoughts of the inhabitants
of a sultry dance club back room. Despite the film's graphic sexual content,
its meloncholy glipse inside the heads of folks engaged in various lustful
scenarios catches you off guard and its finale is as devastating as it is
bittersweet. Finally, Jean-François Monette's Canadian short, Take
Out, is a touching look at a closeted pizza delivery boy whose chance
meeting with a middle-aged man awakens new feelings for both of them.