In From The Side: Steady-paced gay romance drama mercifully lacking the usual ‘gay drama’ tropes

https://youtu.be/lvBPreot80g

A great discovery – and interesting that it was partly crowd-funded too. It’s a steady paced (some critics mistook this for slowness) drama that unfolds steadily and convincingly about relationships in an amateur rugby club. Its best characteristic is that it features none of the standard tropes of gay drama – coming out trauma/prejudice/personal angst. This is not to say that it lacks personal drama and trauma of course, but the ‘being gay ‘aspect is completely taken for granted in the way that it usually is in hetero drama.

The shots of the games of rugby (an important aspect that helped drive some aspects of the drama)  seemed, to my inexpert eyes, very convincing and they were made dramatically gripping and involving.

It’s a mature drama about more mature individuals (in age if not always emotionally) which is refreshing in the ‘gay film’ category.

 

Red Eye: Initially promising but it then lapses into a drearily clichéd ending.

Candyman: A soundly effective re-working of the classic tale but relies on earlier versions for full comprehension.