Benjamin

Took me a while to get into this but have to say I really enjoyed it. It felt quite raw to watch - here you have an actor acting as an actor depicting his struggle to love, be comfortable with himself to let others in. It's a struggle not often spoken about among gay men and albeit a diversion from a lot other gay movies out there, I think this depicted the matter really well and shone a light on an - in my opinion - untouched topic.

It's also a funny film, cringe in some areas where I found myself saying out loud "ohhh nooo" but I think that added to the charm and cuteness of the film. Definitely worth the watch!

Phenix Brossard gives power to one of the finest love scenes on film. Like the magic of the love scene in Louis Malle's ' Les Amants ' it happens in a bath. Two people in a bath together and then the moment arrives which made this a perfect film for me. Phenix Brossard says ( to my ears, although the copy I saw with French subtitles translates as ' Bonjour ' ) almost inaudibly ' I love you ' and in that split second I saw a totally new way of expressing those time old words. The whole scene expresses it even if the word ' love ' is not said and it was in my own imagination. Let those who see it decide. In fact his whole performance radiated an inner glow that shows up the lack of depth of the people ( not the actors ) around him. All the hypocrisy of the ' cultured ' and pretentious London media scene with its overnight failures and successes has rarely been so accurately portrayed. The hypocrisy of words insincerely felt, the tantrums, and I got the feeling that Noah played by Brossard sensed it all. The one scene of real talent is when he plays a prelude by Shostakovich and you know for once the applause is justified, and there is nothing London trendy about it. I want to congratulate Simon Amstell for such a perfect gem of a film. Now to get to the core of what I am trying to say. Colin Morgan gives a brilliant performance and he truly deserves all the praise he gets from his acting, but for me the acting that went beyond acting was Brossard and without him in the film it would not have had that special quality rarely achieved in a performance; a real sense of being. And to those who think the film is cliched, then see it again and not through a glass darkly. If there are awkward moments they are negligible, and the entire cast were well chosen. As for the ending Brossard urges Morgan into a very, very powerful affirmation and for a while after the film had finished I saw Paris. There is a lot of pretentiousness in Paris but somehow Noah ( an appropriate name ) will save Benjamin from being out of his depth. A deeply moving love story.

Small, original, quirky and very well crafted film about an odd, smart and sweet young filmmaker falling in love. I loved the oddball writing and the performances, particularly the lead, Colin Morgan. He plays this unconventional character very well. Phénix Brossard and Jack Rowan are both new to me, but they were both very appealing. Joel Fry, who I am familiar with, is a good actor who retains his offbeat sense of humor, but his character is the one that eluded me. I don't think the role is very clearly conceived. I'd never heard of this, which is a shame as it should be seen by more. Loved the bathtub scene, but it has a few special moments. Short, unusual, touching and recommended.

So surprised at just how much I loved this film! Simon Amstel has clearly taken much from his own experiences, because the moments and situations are so beautifully nuanced, it must surely have been sparked from lived experience. I'm so happy this film exists.

Every character was so hypotnisingly layered. Everyone had a life beyond their screen time and I would be interested in following all of their respective journeys.

The theme of human connection and the struggle of letting love in is something that I profoundly related to. Love is always shown in a dangerously romantic way on screen, it's so refreshing to see the complexity of the feeling for a change.

My only criticism is that it could have been nipped and tucked abit as a film... but I actually wanted more! I would love to see this as a series so we could explore the lives of everyone abit more, and also take our time in letting love in, just like the wonderful Benjamin himself.

Finally, just to comment on Colin Morgan's central performance. Though Amstel's dialogue is what stands out in every character, Morgan really runs with it and flys! Had me chuckling all the way and many moments I was howling at the back of the cinema.. especially when it came to the difficult choice of which bottle of water to purchase.

I was feeling abit glum and grey this weekend, but I came out of the cinema and my sun was shining. I hope this film gets the audience it so truly deserves, and all people deserve to see a film like this.

And Jack Rowan's bum is fantastic isn't it?!

Such a beautiful film. Colin Morgan captures exactly what it is to be human in an extremely vulnerable way.