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I finally got a chance to watch a movie last week...it had been over a month! This movie tells the story of two young boys that fall in love, one a post-pubescent student at a boarding school, the other the pre-pubescent son of the school's headmaster.

First, the movie is beautiful. The interaction between the two main characters is touching, and handled with tender care. The two young men (who are the actual ages they are portraying) are excellent and convincing in their roles...as are the other young actors who make up the rest of the students at the school. The interactions between all the characters in the movie are incredibly realistic...not sugar coated, or worse, over dramatized.

There are issues, however, with this movie that make it less than excellent. For one, the script is terribly fragmented. For a while, you forget that there is supposed to be a relationship developing between the two main characters. The main storyline gets lost amongst a jumble of other side stories going on inside and outside of the schools walls. While these side stories don't dull down the movie (on the contrary, they are often humorous and charming), they strip any semblance of order and purpose from the narrative.

The other issue is that all the other characters are either completely oblivious to the affection that Bo and Kim share (which is nearly impossible), or they don't care (which seems equally odd). While I've nothing against a story that is simple, innocent, and charming...you'd think that these two boys would suffer some of the hardships that come along with being young and gay. :giveup Overall, I applaud the movie for approaching it's subject material so openly, in a way that would NEVER be seen in an American film. The characters are engaging and a joy to watch. Too bad the story wasn't more cohesive. Still, worthy of a 7/10.

Anyone who finds this film shocking, exploitive or revolting doesn't have a closed mind; they have a problem. This film is very reminiscent of a French film version of the novel Les amitiers particulaires shot in about 1958 I think. For anyone boy or girl who has had a crush on a member of their own gender, these films tell it all. The boys in You Are Not Alone were luckier than me:-) I was absolutely nuts about some of my friends at that age and extremely attracted to them physically. Unfortunately they weren't as smitten with me as I with them. A difficult time ensued for several years, confusion and hormones raged and reigned and certain scars remain. So, it's nice to see a film where boy meets boy, and boy gets boy. Maybe it would just be a passing thing. Who knows? I think sometimes that people who rail all wholier than thou against the type of relationships depicted in these films should be subjected to unjust accusations and then come up against a gang of gay bashers. Hopefully no harm but a lesson learned and eyes opened would come of it.

Hugh

I would like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film, although the subtitling on my copy lagged a little nearer the end.

It was a charming view of life at a Danish boarding school where two boys meet for the first time, and their friendship slowly evolves into something more. I wish that more films were like this and, having just finished watching it, I want nothing more than to start it again and watch it over, however I have to go out in 5 minutes, so I shall have to wait for tomorrow.

My only criticism is that the plot seemed to wander and be a little disordered at times. It had some, though fun, unnecessary sub-plots that could, to be honest, have been cut in order to have some more development of the two main characters, who were so well acted by the two boys.

I live every day with all the negativity that surrounds being openly homosexual in High School (I'm 14 and gay) and I can only say that I wish my own peers could be as accepting of me, and others like me as the other boys in this film, however, in our British (and even more in the US) society today, there is still a lot of stigma surrounding homosexuality and I feel that even today, thirty years after this film was originally released, most of the people I know would not be ready to see it, and that is a terrible shame as it is a fantastic film.

This is a great movie, and you will either walk away with a warm fuzzy feeling or you will simply start the move over and watch it again if, unlike me, you have the time.

This is not merely an enjoyable film, but it is a very unique and important movie too. This is the case because it approaches with taste and dignity a sensitive subject matter which is often regarded as taboo. The subject is that of homosexuality between teens and preteens. Bo is a 15 year-old boy who finds himself smitten with Kim, who is younger and extremely handsome. Kim more than reciprocates Bo's interest and passion. The result is a beautiful and loving relationship between two nice and decent boys. The movie contains incidental nudity and fabricated intimacy, however it is in no way vulgar or dirty. A previous viewer remarked that the musical score is unremarkable, but I found it to be both beautiful and catchy. Any youth who has experienced feelings similar to Bo's and Kim's may have found it difficult or damaging to attempt to discuss these matters with influential people, such as parents, teachers or peers. This may tend to cause such youngsters to feel isolated and defective. This movie offers vindication and progressiveness, even if the level of acceptance which Bo and Kim enjoyed is unfortunately somewhat fantastic. Maybe it's true, as this movie suggests, that characters like Bo and Kim (and people like me) really are not all alone in this world.

You Are Not Alone is an extraordinary film and one would not be surprised if it became a classic. The characters although not fully developed, much like the script, are nonetheless exceptional in that it sets the foundation for other similar works. Two young gay boys searching for understanding and acceptance, find love in a Danish private school. The film itself is sketchy with undeveloped nude scenes and hampered with an equally fragmented plot. Still rising above the script are the young actors Anders Agenso and Peter Bjerg who add a certain innocent vitality to an otherwise humdrum story. You'll enjoy the final sensual scene. It's the stuff dreams are made of. *****