So subtle and much richer than Call Me...There are three supportive character/thematic strands which each feed off and develop each other with markedly effective mutual support and enhancement. These all centre around the central character Josh’s life and situation and are:
His relationship with his ailing father and grandmother with whom he lives and helps to run their Dale sheep farm. He feels that he is just a pawn and not able to make his own decisions about the farm and how it is run
His feelings about his location...a beautiful but brutal environment that he does not ( initially) see.
His conflict with his sexuality which will not allow him to either honestly accept who he is or have any sort of meaningful relationship with anyone even when it is offered ( the trainees auctioneer). Instead he takes refuge in binge drinking on Saturday nights and casually brutal sexual encounters. The honesty and explicitness of all sexual encounters is very well done by the way. At various times honest, brutal, tenderly erotic..in fact the whole gamut and their changing nature is just one way in which Josh’s emotional growth is shown in the movie.
The catalyst in the drama is a Romanian migrant farm who they take in during the lambing season to help. Gheorghe allows Josh to open up..to him, to himself and perhaps most movingly to his father who becomes even more incapacitated later on. There’s a marvellously touching scene where he bathed him and gets a broken and heartfelt thank you from him and by the end having been told that he appreciates what he has done, Josh is also able to make his overdue bid for independence and run the farm in his way.
A marvellous film subtle and thoughtful and with an ending that is just right. It’s been described as ‘the British Brokeback’ but it’s more than that...much more Go watch