May 22nd INSIDEOUT Day 4

http://www.insideout.ca/

2 30pm SHAHADA

A well made Muslim movie set in German that deals with three main characters who have very different problems. A young woman dealing with her faith and sins. A cop dealing with an accident and guilt. And then there is the reason for this film being in the festival. A young man dealing with his faith and his desires.
The movie is good and well put together and deals with issues that are generally not talked about at all in the Muslim community. There is only two small problems I have with this movie. One you need to know a bit about Muslims and the Quran in order to get the full effect and two the gay characters are a small part of the over all movie. It is a Muslim movie not a gay movie or a gay Muslim movie.

5 15pm TOGETHER (ZAI YI QI)

This is the type of movie that epitomizes a gay film festival. A movie that shows you part of culture, you may no very little about and an aspect of that culture that people in it aren't even talking much about. It only has a small gay content really but that shows how much people with HIV and AIDS are discriminated against, that a movie like this is not shown in every film festival not only a gay one. The movie is a documentary about a famous Chinese director who got HIV positive people to be cast and crew of his new feature film, LIFE IS A MIRACLE. Its a movie that will make you cry, make you angry and will also make you laugh. Definitely one of the best in this year's festival and one of the most touching I have seen in a long long time.

7 pm HARVEST

Goes to prove that a couple of good looking guys in a movie is not enough. The slow pace and too much talking about farming in stead of their building a relationship or even sexual tension makes this movie one of the most boring movies I have seen yet at the festival. Hoping it will be the last, can't have movies like this when seeing 3 or 4 screenings a day. That will ruin my sleeping at night.

9 15pm GOING DOWN IN LA LA LAND

Again people thinking that a good looking guy (okay the lead in this movie is absolutely gorgeous) is enough to carry a movie. The story is okay but very common. Wonder if the book was better? The acting for the most part was very bad and stiff, are these porn stars trying real acting? Even with all its faults the movie was okay. At least it wasn't a long out boring movie about farming.