God's Own Country

11/14/2023

The "British Brokeback Mountain" label that follows this film around is really unfair as it sells what is a magical move in its own right (and a stunning feature film directorial debut) really short. The film is paced so well (I'm a fan of slow, gentle pacing that lets a story unfold; I know others might find it boring), giving us time to really get to know the characters and immerse ourselves in their world so that the plot evolution hits the way its supposed to. The cast is phenomenal, bringing depth and realism to their performances, it's easy to feel the emotions they feel. The way the film handles intimacy and sexual tension is both sensitive and raw, making the characters' connection feel incredibly authentic. One thing I really liked is how it does a good job steering clea

5/30/2024

Josh O'Connor ("Johnny") is excellent as the frustrated rural English farmer cruising through life on the bottle, peppered with the occasional romp with the only other gay in the village (Harry Lister Smith). His father (Ian Hart) has long since stopped being able to run their farm and can now only contribute to the futility of his son's existence. They recruit an itinerant Romanian worker (Alec Secaeanu) to help out with the heavy lifting and a bond quickly forms that initially induces confusion and conflict before they realise that what both truly seek they can find in the other. It's a film that doesn't pull it's punches; isn't at all sentimental and aside from the occasional gentleness provided by his mother (Gemma Craven) is much less of a sanitised "urban" story about homosexuality t