Beneath the Skin

This was seriously terrible, on so many levels. This movie was nothing more than a vehicle for writer/director/star Ellis to make out with porn star "Hunter Page". In an interview with Page, he exposes Ellis for finding him while "viewing his work" (gee, I wonder what that means). Page didn't seek out this job, it was Ellis who pursued Page and then (conveniently) cast himself as Page's love interest. The film itself is equally awful. I literally made it to 39 minutes into it before having to turn it off. The idea that Ellis' character, who has the personality of a dead snail and the looks of the most boring accountant on earth, would cause Hunter Page to instantly fall for him and then Page be the aggressor, is beyond laughable. Steer clear of this one folks.

It is tempting to be very critic about this film. Yes, many motives, a lot of mistakes,awful dialogue, not small expectations, wooden acting - the supporting actors as a sort of some spice - and a story not very inspired driven and, more important, the feel about nudity as axis saving the film. But the good intentions are obvious, the story works , in some measure, for a time, as crumbs, the naivety can be, first, terrible but it sounds reasonable to end, the plot is not bad but wrong used and a better chemistry between lead actors could be a good detail. But, short, not so bad.

People expect to much out of indie films. No it's not perfect by Hollywood standards. It's a sweet love story that had a few bumps in the road, can be a little slow but, I loved the story. That first couple minutes were really intense,and that bully and his bimbo girlfriend will get you upset! But in the end love conquers all..

OK some of the reviews for this are unjustifiably harsh. Yes, the writing is a lil' cringe in places, the acting can be a bit wooden in parts and the British actors trying to do Canadian accents could've been left out... but over all it was a lovely story. Especially since the writer was just 20ish when this was made! I think for a film made on what was most likely a shoe-string budget, by a very young writing/directing team this was a fantastic effort! I believe with a bit more time and experience, they'll make some wonderful lgbt films in the future (with more HFN endings please.) I was actually considerably impressed with the production value knowing that the budget would've been microscopic.

Also did anyone else get an Ed Sheeran vibe from the main actor/writer?

CHRONICLES OF FIRST AND STRONG LOVES... WITHOUT TIME OR DISTANCE

I wandered off to see this feature film because I don't usually watch low-rated films, as it's a clear warning of what you're about to see. But that's not a rule written in stone (as we say here in LATAM), so I decided to give it a chance. And it was, at least, enjoyable.

We have the typical plot of first-time teenage love, that plot over-explored by independent cinema and Hollywood to the point of nausea, but here, at least on paper, it didn't feel like a rehash of other films or cinematic devices, although ironically there are some, but they are necessary to a certain extent.

The acting was good for what the script proposed. Even judging by the script, the acting was above what one would expect in a typical film of these modern times, and even more so in a plot that's already over-explored in general cinema, but it wasn't perfect either. Despite the fact that some actors occasionally didn't connect with their characters (there was, at times, a slight discomfort on the part, mainly, of the lead actor/director), and Wayne Virgo, who wasn't even the raw promise of the time, did something as good as he did in his debut feature and, to this day, his greatest film, Shank (2009), because they gave him a mediocre, almost filler character, forgetting how great he can be without feeling pressured. Still, it was clear that an effort was made to avoid falling into mediocrity.

The script was the film's downside. It has many flaws that seem straight out of a super-amateur film or a university thesis-type project, even though it was noticeable that there was production and certain resources (I mean, it didn't feel like a cheap film, at least from what you see in close-up), and it's a shame because the essence of the plot isn't bad. In fact, I saw some similarities with Steel (2015) or a better-made film in every way, Gameboys: The Film (2021), but due to a mediocre script and direction bordering on amateurish, it felt empty, without substance, and at times, like something that was done more than anything to please mass audiences than to make a more robust, daring, and courageous proposal. The film needed that because the proposal required it.

In short, it's not a bad film, but it's not perfect either. At least by its release date, there weren't yet the 1,000 films made in droves, repeating the same plot indefinitely, with different approaches, but which contributed little or nothing to cinema in general. It's entertaining to watch, at least if you want to relax in your room watching something for those nights when it's hard to sleep.

The title of my review was taken from the song "Mas Allá De La Piel" by Frankie Ruiz and curiously, it coincides with the film's title in Spanish.