Boys Briefs 2

This compilation of short, non-US films starts off well with "Doors Cut Down," a story about a Spanish teenager who is quite skilled in finding men for sex. It's funny yet realistic, erotic, and well-made.

Some of the other films don't fare so well, in particular: the unoriginal "Backroom," in which a camera floats through the backroom of a Barcelona club while the characters' thoughts are revealed in voiceovers; and "Touch" an interminably long, first-person narration of a teenager, kidnapped and beaten from a young age, who escapes and is returned to his family, only to seek out other men to beat him. "Touch" could have been a harrowing. It could have been erotic. Instead, the monotone narration renders the film BORING.

Despite one or two weak segments, the powerful ones are quite compelling and erotic, particularly "Touch" and "Doors Cut Down." I wish "Touch" had been a bit less grainy and arty but the style does serve the story, which is brutal yet perversely erotic and very psychologically astute. One could quibble that in real life, the adult characters would probably have taken more logical action, but it isn't impossible that people might fail to do so. One must also accept that the lead character speaks with eloquence that would have been extremely unlikely given his circumstance. Nevertheless, I was knocked out. "Doors Cut Down" was funny and sensual and had a solid O'Henry-like ending where the title becomes clear. I also liked "Back Room" because I felt I was being let in on the intimate details of an unfamiliar world. I was also surprised by the high quality of the performances from so many unknowns.

Not all of the films on this disc may be for everyone but each has something to say and says it well. The most disturbing and difficult film is Touch, which is about a boy, abducted and abused for eight years who returns home to find that the experience remains an indelible part of him. The brilliant Jeremy Podeswa, making no compromises, puts you into the situation and Brendan Fletcher gives 100% to the role. It's a gruesome but unforgettable experience. By comparison, Take-Out is a light and more conventional tale about two people in transition in their lives. The acting is just right in catching two people in different places in their lives tentatively crossing paths leaving important things unspoken. Chicken, though very short, is another exercise in the unsaid, although too, we know the script. Doors cut down is a short and humorous tribute to the indomitable spirit of adolescent sexual adventure.