Cicada

"Cicada" isn't anything you haven't seen before. A quiet and grounded examination of a complicated LGBTQ relationship. The script could've been a bit stronger, since I guessed a lot of the storyline as it played out. Sometimes I was a bit confused about the genre... the comedic moments felt a bit out of place amongst the plot. Overall, I think this film was a really strong effort! There's loads of potential for the director and cast to springboard off of.

Cicada picks at the affects our trauma and our past have on our current relationships. The story has a ton of depth but the acting and the script not as much.

In this semi-autobiographical film, two men meet in 2013 New York City and develop a relationship. The time is set by the cicada emergence in New York, and harkens back to events in the earlier 17-year cycle. However, other radio reports of the Sandusky sexual abuse case seems to place the action 2 years earlier.

Early on, there was a rapid-fire sequence to establish Ben as being bisexual. However, The short-scene technique used later was just distracting, as if assembled by someone with a short attention span.

In addition to common relationship problems - like different speeds of feelings development and degrees of outness - both participants also have prior traumas that make it difficult for each one to move forward. That is one of the problems of this film - there is too much story potential, which makes each story feel underdeveloped, especially with occasional scenes of simulated sex. I'm torn between interest in the sex and nudity, and yearning for more time for character development.

It has very good potentials but it could've been better. It has a beautiful story with a powerful topic but it fails in portraying it . It's very well shot and acted but the script is weak and the dialogues are uninteresting which makes it flat and boring. What's supposed to be emotional and deep turns out emotionless and dull.

A film that draws you in with slices of life from a blooming romance, up against the internal traumas that throw obstacles in its way. Low key and really beautiful.