Jongens

Theme: "Jongens" is a coming of age drama. It's about accepting one's own homosexuality, and the struggle that comes along. The love story is pure and natural, set to the background of an all male sports team for teenagers.

Photography: "Jongens" (Boys) has the most incredibly and beautiful imagery you can wish for, both in landscapes as well as sports and love. This movie is almost entirely shot outside at Utrechtse Heuvelrug (Utrecht wolds), a very green part of the Netherlands, and nearby lakes. The surroundings breathe innocence and flourishing life. It challenges physical exercising. Camera man Melle van Essen has done a great job. Young actors Gijs Blom and Ko Zandvliet are brilliant.

This movie is excellent educational material for high school students because homophobia is still an issue world wide.

I'm not going to tell you the story, and you better don't read it elsewhere, just watch and enjoy it.

sport. love. innocence. a simple story. and splendid images. one of films who are touching and spectacular for its profound simplicity. because nothing is new, nothing is great - except, maybe, the last scene- but the science to present the expressions of an age, the pieces of sport as frame of special friendship, the emotion and desire and shy reactions and courage, family crisis and fight to be the image of the others about you are the virtues of a film who real impress. the young lead actors, the stories around the boys, the scenes of joy, the beauty of age and the nature, all only parts of an ordinary expressions of youth are the ingredients who transforms in a kind of experience the film.

Despite my longstanding love for the genre, I did not expect to be so moved by this film. In the same vein as movies like Shelter, Just A Question Of Love, Beautiful Thing, Jongens is about a boys struggle with sexuality, family obligations, growing up. There are plenty of plot points that are similar, admittedly, but Jongens had something the others didn't. Or perhaps it steered clear of things the others didn't.

While some reviews suggest there needs more elaboration, or elucidation, I think that's where the beauty lies. The main character, Sieg, and his love interest, Marc, fall for each other. You don't know that because they say it, or because they are physical with each other - you know that because of their stolen glances, their fleeting touches, the way they play and laugh and muck around, just like boys do.

There are serious elements to the film - we constantly see Sieger punishing himself with his athletic training, his overbearing brother always in the background - but they don't overwhelm you, or steal anything from all the sweet, gentle moments. Playing out parallel to the upcoming athletic championships, and with the backdrop of the river,forest,and long dirt roads - so much can be taken from what you see, and how it makes you feel, rather than what is told or forced upon you.

I agree there should be more, but only because they're special, their feelings and shared moments are fun and enthralling, and you'd like to be privy to hours of them.

If sweet, subtle, coming-of-age films are your cup of tea then definitely take time to see this movie. Sieg's journey into love, and identity is universal, and I think a lot of people - regardless of their sexuality - will relate.

I totally agree with the other reviewer. This is really a beautiful and wonderful film. Like what he/she has said, the cinematography and music are good, and the key point about " Loving someone and not being able to show it, ....................., driving you to do things that disgust and hurt you inside." is the most significant message of this movie that need to be told to the whole world no matter we are gay or not gay.

The two young leading actors has done a good job especially the one who plays the boy who hesitate to come out. The only thing that is not yet perfect is that the total play time is too short that they have only shown how the boy who hesitate to come out suffers but has not shown much about how his lover suffers from his jojo hesitation. Otherwise it will be perfect.

Although I have recorded it down with my DVD-recorder, I still hope that one of those big studios will appreciate this film and release it on DVD and Blu-ray, not just with Dutch subtitles but also with English subtitles so that we can share this wonderful film with our family and our friends all around the world. Here in the Netherlands, it seems that only big studio like Universal, Warner, Paramount, Fox and MGM will release Dutch films with English subtitles. Let's pray for that!

At this writing the previous reviews save one all heap praise on this sweet little movie. The lone dissenter hated it.

I understand both points of view. It's well done, nicely framed, and tells a story that flows quite naturally. It is subtle, and it shows us what's happening rather than tells us, which is what a good movie needs to do. On the other hand, we have seen this story and virtually every plot device it uses in countless other gay films from the last 30 years.

More than one review here compares Boys to Beautiful Thing. No, sorry. Not even close. Beautiful Thing is unflinching in its hard boiled, sardonic view of teen age angst. This movie should only be compared to Beautiful Thing by calling it Beautiful Thing Ultra Lite.

Now, that's not a bad thing, necessarily. And, evidently, for a lot of people, Ultra Lite is enough. I won't say I didn't enjoy it, because I did; it's very watchable. But if you go into this expecting a masterpiece, well, you may not find it. Especially if you've seen a lot of gay-themed movies that are really good.