High Tide

Just saw this at IFC in NYC to a packed house... Outstanding debut film by writer director Marco Calvani! Magnificent performances by Marco Pigossi (a star is born!) and James Bland and Bill Irwin!! Also Marisa Tomei shines! I'm blown away! Exceptional cinematography, editing and the music is sublime... I was moved to tears from start to finish, and even though it's a gay love story and I'm a straight woman I was completely Darwin in and touched and moved... Please go check it out! No surprise it's a New York Times Critics' Pick! Can't wait to see what Mr Calvani does next! Bravo bravo bravo!!!!!!

I saw this at the IFC Center during its opening week in NYC, and I was charmed by it. The intercut scenes did a great job of establishing the setting, and the relationships between the characters were nicely layered. The sex scenes were artfully done and evocative. The story of a Brazilian immigrant in P-town is not high drama, but it is human, and on that level, it did a great job of throwing the spotlight on gay culture and the theme of wanting to escape one's life, through dancing, swimming, drugs, or relief work in Angola. The casting was interesting, the performances very realistic, the cinematography beautiful, and the montages worked well. My husband missed much of the show because he lost his ticket and had to get up to use the bathroom, and he felt the plot was predictable. I however could not have predicted what happened at the end, I don't think he could have either.

One could drown in the sea of available titles to watch in the current cinema, yet Marco Calvani's 'High Tide', the story of a heartbroken Brazilian emigre in Provincetown on an expiring tourist visa so distinguishes itself from the other grains of sand on the beach as to reach terra firma. Beautifully shot and subtly acted, this film feels more like the work of a mature director, not a freshman debut. Provincetown, in its cedar-shingled and pea-gravelled splendor deserves a supporting actor credit for shedding her silvery New England light on the mortal proceedings. Bill Irwin and Marisa Tomei lead the pitch perfect cast, while the center of gravity, Marco Pigossi (Lourenco) so honestly inhabits his character as to make the film his documentary. James Bland's Maurice as the too-good-to-be-real love interest provides the plot propellant, but his meltdown for being mistaken as a total top just didn't ring so true. Bland's film presence is anything but, and his character more than redeems his missteps by the time all is said and done. Indulge this reviewer noting Maurice is from my hometown of Richmond. All understood, all forgiven.

'High Tide' is emotionally rewarding in its own right, but takes on additional gravity in the context of our immigration system and the new administration's plans to sink it. High tide indeed.

Relishing the freedom to openly be oneself can be a fulfilling and liberating experience, especially for those who have lived most of their lives hiding from disapproving family members and a close-minded society. So it is for Lourenço (Marco Pigossi), a Brazilian transplant seeking to resettle permanently in Provincetown, MA, a goal dependent on him acquiring a work visa to replace a tourist visa that's about to expire. He has an added incentive to fulfill that objective when he meets and falls for Maurice (James Bland), a vacationer from New York who's visiting the oceanside resort town before embarking on an ambitious, long-term nursing residency in the wilds of Angola. But can the two would-be lovers make this relationship work in light of the impending changes in their respective lives, geography and careers? What's more, as this budding romance begins to blossom, Lourenço also wrestles with leftover baggage from an old relationship, unwanted advances from opportunistic lecherous would-be suitors and never-ending pressure from his mother back in Brazil, who is unaware of his closeted sexuality and routinely prods him to settle down and find a wife. While writer-director Marco Calvani capably and sensitively presents a tender, authentic, same-sex love story, the picture nevertheless tells a somewhat familiar tale whose narrative is not particularly original in the annals of LGBTQ+ cinema. It also struggles to blend its own brands of comedy and drama, both of which are handled well in their own right but whose inherent natures frequently come across as too extremely opposed to one another to harmonize in a believable, coherent whole. On top of that, the film also tries to cover too much ground at times, with a number of subplots that could have been easily trimmed or eliminated entirely without causing any undue harm to the picture overall. To its credit, though, this offering sincerely has its heart in the right place, despite the aforementioned shortcomings, backed up by an array of fine supporting performances and gorgeous cinematography showcasing the beauty and character of this charming Cape Cod resort town. Unfortunately, however, "High Tide" is yet another recent release that could have used some significant retooling to help it fully live up to its potential, especially given its predominantly conventional premise. Gay cinema has increasingly been moving forward in new and innovative directions in recent years, so, if filmmakers in this genre attempt to tackle new expressions of tried-and-true formulas like this, they had better have a good grasp of what they're doing if they ultimately hope to succeed in the end.

This movie is so well done not only for the story line that most foreigners can relate, the gay life's nuances, but also for the photography and scenes cuts.

What seamed to be an ordinary story, was transformed to be a moving sequence of events and little details of life that made it all combined a gorgeous film to watch.

From romance, to drama, to fun, to suspense, the mix of emotions was so captivating to watch and lovely to learn more about the story.

I could not recommend it enough. Me and my friends left the theater crying and wanting for the second one. I hope there is a continuation of the story.