Despite the advances made in queer cinema, it is still exciting – and unexpected – to see a film about the delight of a homosexual man who recognizes that sex exists.
For Sebastian, sex, in fact, is the point.
The film, written and directed by Mikko Makela, set Park City’s snowbanks on fire when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January (it’s now officially in theaters). It stars fascinating newcomer Ruaridh Mollica as Max, a young aspiring homosexual. He lives in London and earns more money as an escort.
He presents himself on an escort site under the name of Sebastian, a tight ego that makes his sexual encounters with rarely older, deformed and rarely aggressive men more comfortable. Because it’s all a copy, Max uses his exploits as Sebastian as a curtain for a novel he’s writing, even if he passes it all off as fiction.
What are emerging are desirable questions about sex and storytelling in the age of fashion. In Max’s novel, the concept of misfortune and trauma, similar to sex work, reflects the transformative attitudes in the Onlyfans era. To make “Sebastian’s story” more compelling in his novel, the concepts of fact, fiction, and autobiography are all confusing, as is Max’s perception of his own sanity.
Then, with the onslaught of the film’s heartfelt sex scenes, it’s necessary to watch it without wondering how its depiction of gay sex, in particular, can replace the industry and fuel conversations.
This is a film that I love to present because there is so much to say. (Plus, a lot of things are hot!) I interviewed Makela and Mollica at the film’s premiere at Sundance. Read our verbal exchange here.
Overall, I feel like the world could use a huge, calming, comforting “aww. ” Sometimes the Internet is good, and this week it caused an incredibly uplifting emotional crisis.
Remember the beginning of the pandemic, when we were all obsessed with the game show Supermarket Sweep from the 90s, after it was available to stream on Netflix?For me, and for many others, this obsession has never diminished.
Actor and pop culture enthusiast Tom Zohar posted a photo of Sweep contestants Tim and Mark on X with the caption: “I love watching old episodes of Supermarket Sweep because those two just said they’re ‘business partners. ‘ who ‘design sets for plays’. ‘And I say, oh, I’m sure of that.
Well, Tim tracked Tom down and informed him that he and Mark were more than business partners: they’ve been together for 41 years, 25 of them as husbands after same-sex marriage was legalized in 2008.
The sheer goodness of this heartwarming story only intensified when Slate’s Dan Kois interviewed Tim and Mark, learning their life story, and their love story, which comes to a twist where Mr. Night Shyamalan is said to be jealous. Read it here. (And when you’re done, read an equally sweet interview here, Where Are They Now?I did with former Sweep contestants Brandon and Kevin. )
I had an unforgettable time watching Twisters, one of the worst videos I have ever seen in my life.
Shortly after I had an unforgettable time with Deadpool.
It is an attractive phenomenon. In the old days, it was easy to dismiss the abominations of summer blockbusters that were so bad you didn’t care.
Now, and with those two films in particular, there’s a tension: they were undeniably fun to watch, even if they couldn’t escape the glaring fact that they were awful in every way, from plot to script. , in peak cases, the script. performance. (Glen Powell and Channing Tatum, respectively: they are acquitted of this).
On the one hand, when there are videos like these that everyone, including me, will go to see regardless of their quality, at least they are enjoyed. On the other hand, what if a summer blockbuster was good? I’ll keep you posted after I watch M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap this weekend.
As I continue to watch the Olympics, my total persona for next week, I’m encouraged by this clip from one of my favorite accounts on Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb’s fourth hour on Today: You guessed it, context.
In the clip, Kathie Lee and Hoda head to Rockefeller Plaza to talk about the 2012 Olympics with giant wine glasses raised in the air, as if they were Olympic torches. It’s perfect, precisely in the logo for them. . . and for me.
Catch: A Josh Hartnett win is a win for all of us. (Now in theaters)
Hello: You have to love one that lives up to its name. (Already in theaters)
Ballhead: The answer to the question “What would happen if we did an Irish edition of 8 Mile?” » (Now in theaters)
The Instigators: What a bad star-studded movie. (Now in theaters)
Editor-in-Chief, Obsessed
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