The Male Gaze: Boy Trouble

Another collection of LGBT-themed short movies in The Male Gaze anthology-series. The subtitle of this collection "Boy Trouble" is totally nondescript, it could as easily refer to any gay (or straight) romcom or drama. This goes for many other compilations in this TMG series, making it hard to tell them apart by their titles. I wonder why they don't pay a little more attention to this.

Anyway, as often in such compilations, the quality of the various films is a bit uneven. The first two "Billy Boy" (from Argentina) and "Verano" (from Mexico) didn't make a big impression, with their lack of a real plot and not very appealing characters. The last one "Checoslovaquia" (from Peru) fared way better: there's a serious story, a fascinating setting in the barren and hot rural outback of Peru, and a main character that you can sympathize with.

But the third film "Fabiu" from Austria is an absolute gem! The setting is extremely simple, almost clautrophobic: a little apartment turned into a sick-room. But thanks to the beautiful photography, a slow and thoughtful pace, and a clever script, we are made to feel how the life of 80 yo Arthur has come to this point, probably for the rest of his few remaining years caring for his invalid and non-responsive wife. And then, to his own surprise, he suddenly feels an infatuation for the new male nurse Fabiu. Actor Günter Tolar is absolutely great, and his old, lined face and body get a beauty of their own, in comparison with the smooth young physique of Fabiu. The story could have turned into something cheap, but here it's just endearing, granting Arthur his dignity and a wondrous memory to cherish for the rest of his life.