| 'Boy' Are These Shorts Good! |  |
Date: Thursday, 10/19/2006
Time: 5:00 pm
Venue: Lincoln Theatre
Tickets: Free
Type: Collection of short films
Metro Weekly Rating: 
(3 out of 5)
by Randy Shulman
YOUTHFUL
ENDEAVORS comprise this collection of five seductively-charged,
internationally-flavored shorts. Things commence with the ragtag,
relatively aimless Rid Off (
), in which three punks -- two
guys, one girl -- never quite make it to a concert and instead find
that three-way kissing has a certain, how you say, boner-producing
appeal? Otherwise, Huy Chau's film is 12 minutes of blah.
Davy
& Stu (
) ain't much better, though it does culminate in an
intensely blissful moment between two Scottish lads who spend much of
their time tromping around a murky bog talking about ''minty chewing
gum'' and Jenny Greenteeth, a witch who eats little boys. Through it
all, they allude to, but don't act upon, an apparent attraction.
Until the final moment, at which point the romantic dam breaks --
albeit in a lyrical, tasteful way.
Things
perk up significantly with David (
), a Mexican entry about
a young mute boy who seduces a much older gentleman. There's an
endearing sweetness to the story -- not to mention a kind of
inappropriate creepiness -- but the performances are strong and the
lovemaking scene is stunningly ferocious and feral. Out Now
(
) finds us in Germany, as a gay high schooler deals with his
emerging gay inclinations, all the while dodging the school ruffians.
The lesson he learns -- that hypocrites abound behind every closet
door -- is rather mundane, but artfully presented.
The
series wraps up with Summer (
), a rapture of a short film
in which two teens on a forest stroll get into a playful rough and
tumble that leads to an ill-fated kiss. Expertly acted, and written
with sheer, heartbreaking (and heartwarming) honesty, it's a prize
worth waiting for. The final line, uttered by one of the boys,
doesn't pull your heart strings, it strums them, producing a lasting,
reverberating melancholy note. -- RS
| More information |
Film Links:
· Reel Affirmations details
Festival Venue:
Lincoln Theatre
1215 U Street, NW; Washington, DC 20009. (202) 328-6000. (map)
Directly across from Green Line Metro / U Street-Cardozo station.
Tickets:
You may buy your tickets or passes in advance: Online at BoxOfficeTickets.com
or by phone at (800) 494-TIXS (494-8497). Or you may visit the Lincoln
Theatre (1215 U Street, NW, WDC); the Landmark's E Street Cinema (555 11th Street, NW);
or Lambda Rising (1625 Connecticut Avenue, NW, WDC).
|
For more info visit the official Reel Affirmations website. |
