Another month, another batch of reviews for Videovista.
- Garcon Stupide - Is a visually stylish Swiss-made arthouse film about a young gay Swiss guy who essentially lives the life of an idiot until a friend kills herself. Nice to look at and spectacularly sexually graphic, the film is undeniably bold but ultimately struggles to say anything all that interesting. The fact that it is banking on how attractive the gay lead is, there's also a slight whiff of exploitation about it.
- The History Boys - Based on a seemingly all-conquering play, this screen adaptation not only fails to translate theatrical vibrancy into on-screen energy, it also goes on at great length and in incredibly self-righteous tones along avenues of thought that are not only nonsense but actively creepy. The film's failure is understandable, the play's success less so.
- Next Door - A pan-Scandinavian psychological horror in the tradition of David Lynch and Marina de Van's In My Skin, this film is as stunningly good as it is short. a portrait of insanity, unhealthy relationships and transgressive sexuality it makes for compelling viewing for any fan of weird films.
- Special - Another descent into madness, but this time of a more whimsical kind. It tells the story of a man who tries an experimental drug to get rid of his self-doubt only for his new-found confidence to manifest itself as the belief that he has super powers. Let down by a slightly direction-less second half, it's still worth looking at.
A month that clustered around the edges of quality rather than the middle, I'd say that this month's stand-out film was undeniably the superb Next Door. Worthy of your time and your money.
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