Tierra de Dios

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.

One wouldn't think that Ang Lee's seminal "Brokeback Mountain" would be ripe for a remake already, but damned if first time feature director Francis Lee hasn't moved the action from the American West to the hills of Yorkshire, England and come up with a comparable film. Recently screened at the 60th Annual San Francisco International Film Festival, "God's Own Country" is the tale of young sheep farmer Johnny Saxby (Josh O'Connor) struggling to keep his family farm going while avoiding coming to terms with his sexuality. Salvation (in many ways) arrives in the form of a Romanian emigrant worker, played by Alec Secareanu.

The film is awaiting a commercial release so a full review isn't possible but let me say that the film is terrifically acted, beautifully shot, occasionally erotic and gut-punchingly emotional. It doesn't skirt away from the realities of the harshness of either farm life or the challenges of living as a gay man in a rural community. Thick accents make the film difficult to understand at times, but a scene between Johnny and his father (Ian Hart) that culminates in two crystal-clear words will make you shudder.

There are some striking similarities to the Lee adaptation of the Annie Proulx story (shirt smelling, again?), but it stands on its own and is, in some ways, an improvement. The ending, in particular, is significantly more uplifting. It also has something to say about the value of immigrants that could stand to be heard in this country.

This is one to look for in a few months at your local independent or art house theater.

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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.

This review does NOT contain spoilers.

How do you review a film that leaves you speechless? I'll try my best for this magnificent film recently shown at the Sydney Film Festival to two sellout screenings.

Rarely does a film do such an amazing job at saying so much with so little script. There were probably only 100 lines of dialog but the film conveyed feelings that would be hard to convey in a 500 page book. The cinematography easily filled the gap as the actors executed their craft to perfection. The movie pulled me in and I was totally mesmerized by the story. It was so genuine that you felt as if you were there with them.

Johnny Saxby (played by Josh O'Connor) is stuck in a life of isolation and debilitating loneliness on a Yorkshire sheep farm. His father Martin (Ian Hart) is sick and no longer able to contribute any meaningful labor to help on the farm. The grandmother (Gemma Jones) does everything she can to care for her ailing son Martin while trying to keep her grandson Johnny from going completely off the rails. When lambing season starts Johnny is incapable of handling the workload on his own. To fill the gap the family hire a short term farmhand (Alex Secareanu) to assist Johnny with the work. A visceral "tug of war" starts immediately between the two men in every area of their lives: physical, emotional, psychological, and sexual. It is indescribable and can only be experienced by watching the film. I've never seen it done so well. It is amazing to see a production unfold where the screenplay, cinematography, acting, and landscape conspire so perfectly to tell a story. This is a movie for any adult - regardless of personal attributes or orientation - and captures what it means to be human.

This film is storytelling unbridled. Hiding nothing, the audience was treated with intellectual respect, and there was not a pandering moment to be seen. Regardless of who or what you are, this film will stir up emotions you had forgotten you even had. I highly recommend this rare and special film.

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