Here's a beautiful and sensitive coming-of-age story about friendship, love, sexuality and the last moments of innocence revolving
a group of friends and a hidden love affair. Zeb Daemen's short film takes us back to the late 1950's/early 1960's (can't say exactly) truly
capturing a great sense of innocence and discovery through a teenager in love with his best friend and trying to hide his feelings from everyone
else.
It's the end of summer and as James (Alfie Noble) is about to move to another place, his mates plan a fun afternoon at the beach, enjoying
the waves and the place. Leaving everything and everyone behind is not an easy task as he's also leaving behind his best friend Simon (Ben Wilson),
of whom he has a huge crush and tries to spend most of his time with him, as Franky (Joshua Lewis) and the girls (Amelia Eve and Monica Forero)
are having fun at the beach. James is too immersed in his thoughts and occupied with his camera filming everything, a way to keep a good memory and
also film the love of his life. It's hard for him to show his love for Simon, it feels impossible to speak out but slowly comes some demonstrations
and a most needed talk to set things clear, once and for all. What can possibly happen with such hard decisions?
It's a very interesting gay-themed short that takes us through a period in life where this particular topic of sexuality and attraction/feelings
for a same gender was kept in hushed tones, secretive and subtletly, out of the open but those with eyes to see and with a great sense of perception
would know exactly what one likes, maybe caring in a good way or at times with some prejudice coming. It makes us see how times changed and improved
from then on. I like that the characters, despite hiding themselves for some time, they know what's up and they're acceptive of each other without
saying much, typical of adolescence and its issues of confidence and awkwardness.
Another great point is that the film aims more at feelings
and closeness rather than the current trend of going for sexual acts; sure, there's some interesting and brief homoeroticism, the observation of
shirtless guys, but it's main focus is more of a romantic, tender one. And when James and Simon finally get some time alone the film reaches sublime
peaks of poetry and romance, way too beautiful and greatly acted by the young actors. Those bittersweet minutes in the other world will never
be forgotten by them. 9/10.
