~Sunday~ We were up at 8:00 after eight hours of sleep. We had turkey sausage patties on a bun for breakfast. And coffee, of course.
Our first film on our final day of the NCGLFF was called Redwoods, which started out with an unexpected short film before it, whose credits that started running after about 7-10 minutes surprised us. After that the feature film started.
The director (I think, or maybe the producer, I don’t know, don’t really care) and one of the two leading actors of the film were in the audience.
 From the director of Rock Haven comes this romantic drama set amidst the splendor of the Russian River. Redwoods portrays the difficult choices one faces when confronted with an unshakable love.
Everett and Miles share a comfortable but uneventful domesticity, sleepwalking through the mundane motions of daily life. It is clear to anyone that the intensity of their relationship has diminished, and all that holds them together now is a shared love for their learning disabled son Billy. When Miles and Billy go on a trip together, Everett meets Chase, a writer passing through town. Chase and Everett’s chemistry is evident from the start and Everett suddenly finds himself re-awakened to love. Questions of loyalty, family and desire become entwined as Everett and Chase discover their shared bonds. Director David Lewis deftly weaves romance and the very real concerns of the lead characters, using the beautiful setting of the Northern California redwoods to their fullest. Both Brendan Bradley (as Everett) and Matthew Montgomery (as Chase) display their full acting talents — Bradley as a stifled and awkward young man who eventually comes into his own, and Montgomery as a persistent but respectful suitor. The result is a rounded and tender account of the hard decisions that come with true love. In the short drama, Twoyoungmen, UT, Will Oberlain, a high school senior, sneaks into Salt Lake City’s only gay bar with a bad fake ID. When the cute bartender invites Will to a clandestine party, a strange, haunting and emotionally surprising road trip begins. |
I see now, clipping this synopsis from the NCGLFF site that the short was mentioned in the write-up. Why it’s at the end of the synopsis, when it was actually shown before the feature film falls into the communications FAIL realm in my humble opinion.
Robert and I thought this movie was over the top in sappiness, among other things. In retrospect, I would describe this movie as a gay version of The Bridges of Madison County.
We had close to five hours before our next film, so after a quick lunch at McDonald’s we stopped by the downtown Durham Public Library for about 45 minutes, and then hung out at Robert’s for the rest of the time.
I worked a little on the Manbites Dog board meeting, which is coming up on Tuesday, and then we had a couple of slices of Papa John’s pizza before heading back to the Carolina Theater for our final film, Patrik, Age 1.5.
 A touching crowd pleaser at festivals around the world, including Centerpeice Selection at the 2009 Frameline San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Film Festival!
Goran and Sven are the perfect gay couple; they have a beautiful house in the suburbs, a solid relationship, a home full of love and warmth. Newly approved for adoption, they believe that baby Patrik, age 1.5, is on his way. One tiny decimal mistake later, they find themselves saddled with a 15-year-old homophobe… who may have a criminal past. The guys struggle to make it work as Sven reaches out, Goran’s trepidation escalates, and Patrik flat-out refuses to live with his new parents. As the tug of war between three very human and flawed personalities begins, an intriguing yet subtle series of events plays out, and it’s not apparent who is going to win the battle. This beautifully shot feature by Ella Lemhagen is a heartwarming drama – dark in parts, sweet in others – but always extremely genuine. |
We both loved this movie, as did everyone we talked to who had seen it.
After dropping Robert off, I headed back to Raleigh, stopping by home to put the leftover pizza in my fridge and to brush my teeth. Then I met Joe, Alex, (Walter’s) Steve, and Bill at karaoke. A good ending to a good weekend.