And here's another! Good!
http://www.nyunews.com/arts/film/ciao_offers_new_elements_to_gay_cinemaWashington Square News > Arts > Film “Ciao” offers new elements to gay cinema
by Thomas Sullivan
Published: Tuesday, December 2, 2008
“Ciao” is a breath of fresh air for a genre that really, really needs some variety. Queer cinema as it now stands basically consists of three elements: graphic sex, AIDS and coming-out stories. Fortunately,
“Ciao” features none of these. Director
Yen Tan’s film is a very quiet character study, providing the genre with an infusion of exactly what it needs: subtlety.
Because the film opens on a somber note with the death of main character Jeff’s (
Adam Neal Smith) best friend Mark (
Chuck Blaum), we immediately expect it to be a weepy drama about death and mourning. But in fact, it turns out to be exactly the opposite. As he sifts through the possessions of the deceased, Jeff discovers an incredible number of e-mails exchanged between Mark and Andrea (
Alessandro Calza), an Italian man with whom Mark was in an online relationship.
It seems that Andrea was planning on visiting Mark the following week, so Jeff takes matters into his own hands and e-mails Andrea to tell him the bad news. Unfortunately, Andrea’s ticket is already booked and paid for, so Jeff invites Andrea to come and stay with him regardless. The two men soon find themselves growing closer and closer, building a relationship out of the love they share for their mutual acquaintance.
It is obvious from the start that none of the actors here are very experienced, and it sticks out like a sore thumb against the rest of the film’s solid craftsmanship. Fortunately, although most of the main characters struggle with line delivery, it only slightly obstructs the smooth flow of the general narrative.
At the same time, however, when the actors get it right, they really get it right. What makes this film such a joy to watch is that the characters are all very honest and realistic. Jeff and Andrea aren’t the typical buff manly-men that dominate most gay films; they are average people. It is easy to relate to their grief.Most of the film’s situations are also eminently plausible, and as a result
“Ciao” rarely forays into cheeseball territory. It does spend a lot of time perilously teetering on the edge of soapy melodrama fluff, especially in an out of place musical performance towards the end of the film. But for every cringe-worthy moment there are several genuine and heartfelt ones, inspiring true empathy rather than derision. This is the kind of movie that, at first glance, seems pre-engineered to be dismissed as a soap opera. That it manages to gracefully avoid being smacked with that label says a lot about its poignancy — unlike a lot of queer cinema, which self-consciously aims to be loud.
Yen Tan still has a lot of work to do to establish himself as a solid filmmaker. But
“Ciao” is a simple-yet-engaging gay film that isn’t afraid to step away from genre clichés. The film isn’t necessarily new and original, but it is compelling and endlessly relatable. Which is, in its own quiet way, groundbreaking.
Thomas Sullivan is a staff writer. E-mail him at
[email protected].
