F.L.Y.

Who would have thought that a truly queer film by queer filmmakers would actually have something relevant to say and say it in a genuinely heartfelt and humorous manner. This film does just that without being cloying or pretentious or stereotypical. I was actually interested in the characters. Kudos to the directors for making a film that looked much more expensively made than it actually was. The actors all showed great range and comfort with their characters making the viewing even more enjoyable. The final shot of the movie is rather spectacular and could easily have been in a great Spielberg movie. I hope to see more work from the two directors/actors.

This film was my big surprise at the Puerto Rico Queer Filmfest, directed and co-starring by Rafael Albarrán, at first and to be honest with so many international films at the festival I hesitated to see it. I had a movie marathon, one after the other, and I thought I would take a break to eat something and watch the next one. But at the end I rethink and decided to watch it. And damn good I did!

F. L. Y. It is one of those few queer comedies that you really enjoy from beginning to end, whose plot flows from a fearless comedy to some tender drama. It's goofy but brave goofy. Its plot focuses on the lives of Max and Rafael, Max has always felt a little contained in the queer world, while Rafaelis more relaxed. After a breakup, they meet 5 years later, Max has another partner, Rafael arrives completely different and to make matters worse, they are both trapped by the Covid pandemic in a house.

This is a genuine comedy, with very good performances from its two protagonists played by Trent Kendrick and Rafael Albarran, very well supported by a super effective supporting cast, highlighting Shea Diamond, a transsexual best friend of Max who has among the most funniets and tender moments of the film. Ursula Christian also stands out as Max's endearing grandmother and the Puerto Rican actresses Carola García and Irma Mendez, Rafael's mother and grandmother.

The production values are impeccable, the editing, the music. A comedy that manages the times very well. It knows when to make you laugh, cry, but above all F. L. Y. Dares to move like Rafael's character, without fear, without complexes; honest with themselves.

Highly recommended.

Such a fun film! A beautifully fun camp experience revisiting lockdown, while also making room to draw a few tears. This film has a great representation of today's dating culture too. The film highlights so many realms of love, and the different relationships throughout giving this unconventional and divergent love story an adorable perspective to unconventional relationship dynamics not seen represented in mainstream film. I fell in love with the characters. The chemistry between them was amazing <3 Definitely a great movie to revisit and rewatch. Hopefully will be available to stream soon!!!

Start to finish FLY feels all genuine. You can definitely listen to all it has to say so loud and clear it's hard not to pay attention. The characters aren't stereotypes and that was very refreshing, because I could see them portraying a complex actuality and not a romanticized version of life. It was very easy for me to identify myself with the struggles and reactions to LGBTQ+ community related issues that the movie taps into, but also with the worldwide context that the movie is situated on. It made me laugh and almost sob. The writer definitely managed to turn all classic rom-com clichés into heartfelt genuine moments that makes it easy for anyone to see themselves into even if they're straight. And the ending made me feel both uplifted but grounded somehow. I definitely would recommend this movie, it's an all queer movie for everyone.

It's not often that one finds a work of LGBTQ+ cinema that intentionally (and successfully) incorporates material related to personal growth and development, especially within the unlikely context of a romantic comedy-drama. However, actor-writer-directors Trent Kendrick and Rafael Albarran have done just that in their debut feature about two former partners (Kendrick and Albarran) whose envisaged brief reunion after many years apart suddenly and unexpectedly thrusts them together into an exercise in quarantining in place at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their unplanned cohabitation leads to both a look back and a look forward as they jointly and individually review where they were and now where they're going in their respective new lives. That experience subsequently prompts considerable soul searching as they each seek to come to terms with their true selves as individuals and what that may hold for the future, both for themselves and in relation to one another. In the process, they experience a variety of shifts in perspective as they come to discover themselves, often aided by an array of colorful supporting players from their present and past. And their odyssey is further fueled by a wide range of unusual and often-hilarious experiences, some related to the pandemic, some related to gay life, some tied to the world of drag and gender identity, some based on individual aspirations, and some reflected through recollections shown in flashbacks. The result is an appealing, heartwarming slice of life tale that combines all of the foregoing diverse narrative elements. Admittedly, there are times when these story components don't always mesh quite as effectively as they might have, and the picture tends to get stretched out a little too much in the final act. But, generally speaking, these varied aspects harmonize well, providing a tale unlike what's typically found in most LGBTQ+ or personal growth-oriented film offerings, an outcome that gay community members who have undergone their share of experiences of disappointment, disempowerment and heartbreak will find personally inspiring. And that point is nicely driven home when the acronym that accounts for this release's title is at last explained (an uplifting notion that I won't spoil by unduly revealing it here). "F. L. Y." is an impressive debut from this writing and directorial duo, something that we can hope we'll see more of in future projects.