Altromondo (2008)

"Altromondo" is an experimental drama composed entirely of monologues. It's a personal journey through male homosexuality, from darkness to light, from total denial to complete acceptance, as told in monologues performed by actors adapted from interviews with ordinary Italian gay men. Each character tells about his own life experiences, sufferings and joys. Starting from the denial of homosexuality itself, and through stereotypes, prejudices, and the various submerged obsessions it comes to the acceptance of homosexuality. The film is a multicolored kaleidoscopic trip through a varied and multi-faceted aspect of the human experience that is rarely represented on the big screen. It reaches into the depths of Italy's gay community and pulls out stories that range from the taboo to the heartbreaking. Closeted, openly gay, occasionally gay, proud, ashamed, fetishistic--the men come from all walks of life, and they turn their reminiscences into little works of art.

This docudrama is an indictment against homophobia, animated by the hope of showing the way forward for those who have not yet found a way to express their sexual orientation. It's a lucid film on the myths and prejudices surrounding the homosexual reality in Italy, without false modesty and without compromise. Overall, this fascinating patchwork explores the constant struggle between the individual's innermost desires and the ongoing search for normalcy. Giordano Corapi composed the original music, and Fabiomassimo Lozzi directed and wrote the screenplay adaptation from the works of Antonio Veneziani. In Italian with English subtitles. The English title is "Another World".

Arizona Sky (2008)

Jake (Blaise Embry) and Kyle (Kyle Buckland), two teenagers in rural Arizona, go camping out in the desert for one last time before Jake and his family move away to the big city. They have become sexually intimate, but they agree to keep it a secret. Kyle is worried about facing the consequences if his sexual relationship with Jake becomes known. They express their mutual love, and sadly face the impending separation and sleep together in the bed of Kyle's pickup truck for one last time. Kyle says tragically, "My best friend is moving away--forever!" He wants to go to college, but stays home to care for his ailing mom, tend the horses and work the diner.

Fast forward fifteen years, and Jake (Eric Dean) is a successful filmmaker in Hollywood working on a science fiction film project in his living room with his assistant Brian (Evan Cuthbert). They discuss their respective main goals in life before they get down to business. Due to the growing stress of his work Jake begins to have anxiety attacks: he has one in front of Brian, who urges him to take a vacation. Jake has come to realize that he is gay, but his understanding of life is that it is 10% show and 90% business. He has virtually no private life. His straight friend Steve (Brent King) reinforces Brian's suggestion that Jake take a "personal journey" away from it all, and after another anxiety attack Jake decides to go back to his hometown in Arizona to see if he can find himself. At the last minute he asks Steve to come along, and he agrees.

When Jake gets back to Arizona he tries to find out about Kyle (Jayme McCabe) through Kyle's Aunt Elaine (Patricia Place), whose name and address he finds in the local telephone directory. In a warm visit with Elaine he finds out that Kyle still lives there, just a few blocks away from his aunt, whom he visits several times a week. In a way she has taken the place of Kyle's deceased mother in his life. He holds down three jobs: the morning cook at the diner, ranch hand, and a partner with his cousin Heath (Emerson Smith) in fixing cars and tractors.

Jake and Kyle have a pleasant reunion in Kyle's living room. To both men's surprise, old emotions are rekindled and they discover that they still love each other. But this time, with the help of family, they are about to find out how they can be happy once again---under the Arizona Sky. In a scene in Jake and Steve's motel room, Steve tells Jake about a secret he discovered about his grandfather when he was a boy riding his bicycle around town: his grandfather gave food to an indigent family. Steve concludes that doing things like that may be what life is all about. Later Jake discovers that Kyle like Steve's grandfather is also helpful to a poor woman, Cora (Bernadette Murray), and her family. She tells Jake that she wouldn't know what she would do if it weren't for Kyle's help. Jake sees that Kyle understands what life is all about, and in his desire to share in it, he gives the woman money.

Kyle is unsure and troubled about his feelings for Jake, still self-conscious and afraid of coming out as a gay man. He is encouraged to do so by his Aunt Elaine, who has always known the truth. She urges him to be himself and find happiness in life. Kyle's cousin Heath is not so open-minded, and when he discovers Kyle and Jake in bed together one morning, there is an emotional showdown and a confrontation. Kyle stands his ground in admitting to Heath that being gay is part of who he is and something he will not hide any longer.

Jake and Kyle decide to move in together with Jake concluding that he can make films just as easily in rural Arizona as in urban California. The last scene of the film shows Jake and Kyle once again in Kyle's pickup truck looking up at the Arizona sky.

This is a beautiful old-fashioned gay romance with a happy ending. If you're fed up with gay-themed movies with tragic endings, this one is for you! It also proves that not every gay film requires sex scenes to keep the audience interested. The young actors who play the leads as teens have good chemistry, and actually resemble Eric Dean and Jayme McCabe who play them as adults. The supporting cast is also very good, but all suffer a bit from heavy-handed direction. The sound is a bit strange at times, as the microphones seem to be switched on and off so background noise comes and goes with it. The DVD has director and actor commentaries and chapter stops only. Mark Krench composed the original music. Jeff London and Jefferey London wrote the screenplay and directed.