Tierra de Dios

Absolutely stunning film that is now right up there among my all-time favourites. It's sensual and romantic; and raw and ugly at the same time which is actually quite an accomplishment. The partnership between O'Connor and Secareanu is incredibly effective; the magnificent Ian Hart made me cry and Gemma Jones is amazing as well. Along with a breathttaking scenery and the haunting melodies of A Winged Victory for the Sullen, it's truly a film to remember and cherish.

One of the most powerful films I've seen in years, with fearless and authentic lead performances from Josh O'Connor and Alec Secareanu and beautiful, understated writing and direction from Francis Lee. Lee says more in a wordless scene than many filmmakers do in a whole feature.

Joshua James Richards shoots Yorkshire with a cinematic quality rarely seen in British film and operates his hand-held camera with an empathy and intuitiveness that allows him to capture many astonishingly intimate and truthful moments of performance.

It's these telling and tender moments which make up the film - small gestures that carry huge emotional weight. It is testament to Lee's writing and direction, and the performances of his entire cast, that these small moments (a glance, fingertips touching...) carry such a large emotional weight.

That title is in no way an insult. 'Brokeback Mountain' is a masterpiece, one of my favourites. 'God's Own Country' is also, in its own way. A film with an interesting, if potentially not the most accessible subject matter, that ended up being one of my favourite films of the year so far and for me the film that moved me the most.

'God's Own Country' is a film where, providing that the subject matter appeals (personally think it is an important subject and not explored enough on film and treated very judgementally in society) and one goes in knowing what to expect, it wouldn't make a difference whatsoever as to what gender or sexuality the viewer is. Speaking as a heterosexual female with "gay" friends (among the nicest people personally met too). It took the festival circuit by storm and it's no wonder.

It's a beautifully made film, especially in the luminous photography and rich in atmosphere scenery. The music has presence but is never intrusive, even only being used when needed. Minimal dialogue proved to be a good choice and what there is of it was still thought-provoking and flowed well. When not with spoken dialogue, 'God's Own Country' really resonates. Showing the beauty of registering so much and inducing emotions when understated and very quiet in mood, with as little as small gestures, expressive eyes and faces and no words.

Francis Lee does a remarkable job directing, cannot believe that this is his directorial debut. There are not many great first-time-director films, even the very best went on to much better things (for Kubrick's first film was also his worst), 'God's Own Country' is one of them. Story-wise, the film is deliberate and understated but beautiful and very poignant, with a lot of nuance in how the characters are developed in compellingly real characterisations and not cardboard stereotypes. It is hard to pick the most moving element or part, because it was mainly how the quiet, nuanced atmosphere, writing and acting was executed and the beauty of it all, basically the little things. It is a very different and sensitively handled slant on same-sex/gay relationships, such as in the attitudes towards the relationship, and that was done in a way that felt real and refreshing, not an easy thing to get right when portrayed on film or television but this is one of the better examples.

There are also strands crucial to the character development, like with the father. That added a lot of emotional weight. The characters are interesting and the central relationship beautifully realised and handled with tact and sensitivity, spark was absolutely there. Are there clichés? Perhaps. Whether that's an issue in film is wholly dependent on how they're written and incorporated, neither issues here. Maybe there could have been more depth to why the change of attitude, agreed, but this only occurred to me after the film finished rather than bothering me while watching and the realisation hit that it was an insignificant nit-pick that wasn't enough to bring the film down.

Here in 'God's Own Country', one couldn't ask for better performances. Not just from the fantastic leading turn of Josh O'Connor, really hope he goes on to great things after this, but also the ever wonderful Gemma Jones, Ian Hart (with some of the best acting he's ever given) and Alec Secareanu in a role not as meaty but just as movingly portrayed.

Overall, one of my favourite films of 2017 and the most moving one. 10/10 Bethany Cox

What a wonderful and unusual experience, to see a film without knowing anything about it. Before I knew it I was in Yorkshire. The silence was deafening, emotions unspoken. Then, Josh O'Connor - a miraculous actor - I didn't know who the actor was and that helped enormously to get sucked into his world - exterior and interior - and to live his experience fully. Alec Secareanu produces the perfect emotional blow. Roughness and tenderness in a stunning, totally believable performance that, I know will live in my mind forever. They changed me somehow. I was forced to look at something in a different way, without preconceptions. Gemma Jones and Ian Hart. complete this masterpiece that I intend to see again tonight with a group of friends who, like me, don't know the first thing about the film, other that I loved it. Francis Lee I'm joining the chorus with a heartfelt, thank you.

Everyone in the reviews is like "Brokeback Mountain this" and "Brokeback Mountain that" reducing both films to the absolutely superficial account "just a gay love story involving sheep herding". This is such a completely different tone, scope, setting, storytelling, type of character portrayal - in fact a completely different cinematic tradition from Brokeback Mountain, that it makes me wonder if people assuming an influence/considering the comparison obvious even saw the film.

There's five main characters in the film: Johny the frustrated teen/young adult who reluctantly takes over his dad's farm while he's recovering from a stroke, the dad - a typical hardworking man of few words who, we learn, raised his son alone, the gran who is caring but no-nonsense/unsentimental, the newcomer Gheorghe, a young Romanian farmer with lots of experience and genuine interest for the farm, and then there's the farm itself. The farm has needs, moods, emergencies, and ultimately drives the plot.

It's not a story about the discovery of sexuality, it's a story about the discovery of love and camaraderie, as well as a story of acceptance. Johny's journey towards settling into a life as a farmer is more or less that of the five stages of grief: denial (assisted by heavy pass-out drinking), anger, bargaining, and depression. In this journey Gheorghe becomes his guiding light.

It's beautifully shot, nicely paced, and naturalistically acted. I can hardly find a fault in the artistic result. As for its emotional impact, I can say for sure that I was moved, not only by the love story, nor just by the understated yet powerful portrayal of family bonds, but also by the portrayal of farm life, which (having grown up in a similar setting myself, albeit far far away from the hills of Northern England) made me think how people can be united by common experiences a lot more than by language, ethnicity etc.