Top 5 DVDs – November
The Men Next Door
This is a charming romantic comedy about finding love a little too close to home. As he reluctantly celebrates his 40th birthday, Doug finds himself falling for two very different, yet equally lovable, men – 50-year-old Jacob who came out late in life, and Colton, an adventurous 30-year-old who literally is the boy next door. But what he doesn’t know is that the two men are, in fact, father and son! Everything comes to a head when all three show up at the same cabin for the weekend – creating some hilariously awkward farce and fun.
Yossi
Returning to the role that won him many fans in Eytan Fox’s ‘Yossi & Jagger’ in 2003, Ohad Knoller is extraordinary as Yossi, a closeted gay man living a solitary existence in Tel Aviv. A chance encounter with a group of soldiers ignites Yossi’s desire to live an open, fulfilling life. Directed with uncommon honesty and compassion by Fox, this is a deeply moving film about the power of second chances.
The Doctor’s Wife
This Australian documentary follows Jonathan Duffy and his partner, Dr. Vincent Cornelisse, as the couple makes the angst-inducing decision to leave the Australian metropolis of Brisbane for Mundubbera, a small country town in Queensland. Neither of them had ever lived in a country town and were excited about the scene change, but also nervous about how they would be received as perhaps the first openly gay couple in the town.To their surprise, the town welcomes them with open arms, especially as Jonathan becomes involved with a variety of local activities (in his new capacity as “the Doctor’s Wife”). This endearing film is an uplifting story of change and acceptance which explores and challenges many preconceived notions of country life.
Dead Europe
This adaptation of the controversial novel by Christos Tsiolkas (author of The Slap) is a searing film about history, guilt and secrets.Following the death of his father, gay photographer Isaac takes the ashes back to his father’s birthplace in Greece where he finds himself on the trail of a buried family secret that draws him deeper into the underbelly of contemporary Europe and threatens to tear his family apart.
The Seminarian
Ryan is a closeted gay student in his final semester of seminary studies. Ryan has to face the demands of completing his thesis, beginning a relationship with a man he has met on the Internet, figuring out how to tell his mother he’s gay, and holding on to his faith. This is a sweet and gentle film dealing with the issues of homosexuality and spirituality.
