Movie Review # 80 Boy (2009)

Release: 2009
Director: 
Auraeus Solito
Writer(s):
 Jimmy Flores
 Arturo Calo
Cast: 
Aeious Asin
Aries Pena
Belinda

Ratings:
Rotten Tomatoes 0% Audience 
IMDb 6.0/10
Netflix 2.7 Stars


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Review:
I am going to do my best not to through in bad puns, it is just that with the a film simply named Boy. It is inevitable as the movie itself focused on that through out. With its constant poems about a poem told in spoken word by Boy (Aeious Asin) that is all he is known as through out the movie. Which leads to a bit of mystery and allure about that most leads do not have.

It is also this simple premise that made this beautiful. As you see the world from two points of view. The clean, kept and intellectual world of Boy and the dark seedy underbelly that is Aries (Aries Pena). As one is educated and the other is from a small village who moved to the city to make money and to dance. It is with this polarizing opposites that this movie is set.

As Boy accepts his budding homosexuality and goes out seeking a boy to love. A boy to hold and to cherish and this is where the real story begins. On Christmas day Boy and Aries meet for the first time. Aries is a dancer at a local Gay Bar run by a Transgendered woman named Belinda. Whom tries to set up Boy with a myriad of men and transgirls through out. Only for her to strike out each time.

But all that changed once Aries steps in and goes on stage. It was at this moment Boy falls in love and Belinda the ever present manager sets up a price plan for her dancer. Which is straight up pimping in my book. Yet what follows is magical and alluring as Boy goes out and sells his comics or at least part of his collection. In order to have one night with Aries and in hopes of Aries falling in love with him.

So on New Years Eve he goes back to the club with money in tow and pays for the night with Aries. Once paid Aries and Boy return to Boy's home. Where they spend part of the night with Boy's mother celebrating New Years and eating dinner and partying. Till they leave and go back to Boy's room. This is where the magic happens and I am not talking about how they shot the love scenes.

Which where gorgeous and sensual. But the story of isotopes and how fish thrive in different environments. It was this simple analogy of life that struck home with me. As they put humanity in the fish bowl and explained life through fish. In not only of being accepting but how some fish can not thrive in certain environments. While others can and how some bite and others protect.

This simplistic approach to a broader subject that is still taboo across most of the world. Opened my eyes and I am accepting of the GLBT lifestyle and I am part of it. As Boy explained the isotope world and how each lives a certain way and how Aries not only accepted it. But he wanted to learn more as he fell in love with Boy. Which is the same story of the girl that falls in love with the boy on the wrong side of the tracks. Just with two boys and it was just as magical.

Especially after Boy's mother came in and despite her initial shock. She was accepting of it. She didn't care as long as her son was happy. Even when morning came around she never spoke of it. But let Boy come to her which they alluded to but never broached. Yet you could tell from the context and fun at the morning breakfast table she loved him with out judgement and that is all anyone could ask for.

Even Aries got love and acceptance from Boy. As he tried to walk out on Boy in the middle of the night. Only for Boy to follow and want to be part of his isotope. In Aries world we see how Aries lives and how he doesn't dance for money he does it for pleasure and fun. We learn that Aries is a poet when drunk and how caring and kind he is.

It was just simply beautiful and magical. But it won't be for many people out there. As this film shares many of the same ascetics as movies like Brokeback Mountain and Y Tu Ma Tambien or Bad Education. Where people come of age and accept who they are but with out the death toll and slamming of the Gay Community at large. Which was refreshing.

I just wish that humanity as whole could be more accepting as this movie wants us to be. But one day we will be and films like this will be part of the reason and solution.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars