"Strawberry and Chocolate" is definitely one of the best foreign films I've seen so far. It's both entertaining and moving. In the opening scenes, I couldn't help but laugh at the fish-out-of-water interactions between the main character and the gay man. But the actor who plays the gay man isn't a walking stereotype. He shows many feminine characteristics, but not in a way that he seems to be almost laughing at himself. Often times, gay men feel like women stuck in men's bodies, so it's only natural that they act feminine, but that doesn't mean all they talk about is which guys they think are hot and their longing for promiscuous sex. During those interactions, the gay man hits on the main character, but that's because he's a handsome guy. If a straight man were to meet a pretty girl, he'd hit on her too. Only that wouldn't be disputed, because heterosexuality is considered normal. But the gay man's advances aren't too forward and he doesn't start harassing him or anything.
The friendship between the two characters develops slowly, but realistically. You can't expect an average heterosexual man to immediately click with a homosexual. During their later conversations, the gay man expresses more of his emotions, and how he's shunned by society. Of course, we've seen other movies where gay characters express their disgust for being treated as third-class citizens, but in this case I felt connected to the characters to the point where it didn't feel like a plot device. As I said, the relationship develops naturally and not through sentimental coincidence.
Some directors would augment the relationship to the point where the main character decides that he himself is gay. But what are the chances that'll happen in reality? I have some gay friends, but that doesn't tempt me to like men as well. In fact, I still cringe when certain gay friends of mine talk about their sexual episodes. In this film, the main character remains straight and even falls in love with the man's older next-door neighbor. I enjoyed that little subplot and felt it strengthened the narrative, instead of driving it off course. The next-door neighbor also adds more comic relief to the film, with her quick wits.
The acting is excellent. Aside from the actor who plays the gay character, who I feel gave a tour de force, the main actor also delivers. His reactions are very genuine, as he's sort of the straight man (no pun intended, seriously) feeding off his co-star's energy. The film is directed the same team who made "Guantanamera," another independent gem which I had the pleasure of watching in one of my previous film classes. The two movies show the directors' knacks for telling an engaging story that can be both riotously funny and incredibly moving.
My score: 9 (out of 10)
The friendship between the two characters develops slowly, but realistically. You can't expect an average heterosexual man to immediately click with a homosexual. During their later conversations, the gay man expresses more of his emotions, and how he's shunned by society. Of course, we've seen other movies where gay characters express their disgust for being treated as third-class citizens, but in this case I felt connected to the characters to the point where it didn't feel like a plot device. As I said, the relationship develops naturally and not through sentimental coincidence.
Some directors would augment the relationship to the point where the main character decides that he himself is gay. But what are the chances that'll happen in reality? I have some gay friends, but that doesn't tempt me to like men as well. In fact, I still cringe when certain gay friends of mine talk about their sexual episodes. In this film, the main character remains straight and even falls in love with the man's older next-door neighbor. I enjoyed that little subplot and felt it strengthened the narrative, instead of driving it off course. The next-door neighbor also adds more comic relief to the film, with her quick wits.
The acting is excellent. Aside from the actor who plays the gay character, who I feel gave a tour de force, the main actor also delivers. His reactions are very genuine, as he's sort of the straight man (no pun intended, seriously) feeding off his co-star's energy. The film is directed the same team who made "Guantanamera," another independent gem which I had the pleasure of watching in one of my previous film classes. The two movies show the directors' knacks for telling an engaging story that can be both riotously funny and incredibly moving.
My score: 9 (out of 10)