Frankly speaking, to write about the US legalizing gay-marriage in the states one by one while people try suicide being sexually not-traditionally oriented and at the same time living in the Russian Federation of 2015 is kind of strange at least.
Whatever the law says, the non-traditional representatives of anything will always be less numerable, will be a minority, and this very idea is sufficient for oppressing anyway.
The material filmed by the USA gives a wide panorama of bullying at school and suicide among homosexual (and other sub-groups of) teens. There is a wide range of: musicals, docu-drama, mixed with hints of poetry, and mind-blowing art-house sketches. The highest amount is concentrated in toneless short-films, in the flow of plot line of which the tension becomes so high till the denouement frame with the dangling feet in the air. Oozing out sarcasm talking about death is quite a bad idea. The ground problem of those films is that the viewers feel relieved watching the credits: the story is finished, though very tragic, we terribly sorry main character, the world is unfair and yet it is fortune it all happened to someone else. Catharsis of the viewer is counted in directors' ups, but the primary goal of the socially oriented films - the action – is hardly accomplished. Passive sympathizing never inspired anybody on acting more sincere and helps for the closest ones.
The film by Dominik Hukstone stands out many things on the given background. On the one hand, the film shows sufficiently the edge and the intensity of the problem, that is likely to have a solving, but the statistics is worsening only. On the other, we see not the kind of topical social film only, but the sufficient holistic picture, that doesn't lose its artistic merit even when this topic will die down.
Naturally all the aspects and "actors" of the problem showed off in "Teens Like Phil". The experience of first love and attraction; conflict with the agemates; the role of school depicted in the empathic teacher and in the principal having much more important things to do; the example of "unsuccessful" life in the representation of Phill's homosexual uncle; psychological support centers; prevailing prejudice made by Adam's brother, that all homosexual men are femmy and they apply some female trait anyway, which makes Adam to run further and faster, to flip the jumping rope and to hit Phill more violently. We can face two examples of homosexuality acceptance at the end of the film: the boy, who accepts his identity, but doesn't want to pain his parents and the whole world at once (Phil), and the boy, who cannot afford to accept him owing his own reputation among the agemates (Adam). Phil's suicide attempt that failed appeared not so giant price just to live free. Adam has to pay dear for his errors to the grave.
Reverse chronology of the plot line is tickling your nerves from the very first seconds: "Has he died or not?.." This is the ideal state for sensation of beauty of any kind and the director is skillful in applying it. You'll sure remember this film thanks to Egon Schiele and Francis Bacon pieces of art, thanks to really impressive solid off-screen words and Alan Wates' voice, thanks to Adam's perfect body; lips detail shot that were on the edge to kiss; beautiful and unaffected nature or the motion to have a long thinking about the past or the future with roman god Janus. Something is likely to touch your insides. It doesn't matter what it will be: deep psychological thoughts or light sexual excitement. It is stronger than sympathizing anyway. One day you'll be more emphatic and caring. Someone will change his mind to hang his head at the end of the rope one lovely Saturday morning only because of this.
Blindfolded eyes are the semiotics of the whole film. This "blinded" society doesn't see and doesn't want to see (accept) the problem. People are blinded and made cruel by stereotypes. This symbol, at the same time, the idea that till our eyes are closed, till we are young and didn't have the opportunity to face the unfairness of the world around us – we feel much more better, understand everything better and believe in ourselves. Let's face the real world. Let's have a look in each other's eyes. Let us not have a fear to look in our own soul.
