Beijando o Sol

There are several reasons to consider 'Sun Kissed' an exceptional movie. What most impressed me is the light it throws on the male world that hates discovering itself as gay, even though this impulse is a reality of its own soul depths. Contemplating the evolution of Leo, we witness his slow sexual awakening, in painful conflict with the prejudices of the character, obsessed with the idea "I am not homosexual." So it is he, the supposed heterosexual, who appears inwardly divided to the point of schizophrenia, in contrast to Teddy, who knows very well that he is "completely" gay and draws a remarkable inner balance from this consciousness, in spite of his moments of despair. As such he shows himself to be healthier and more mature than Leo, even taking a certain protecting and enlightening role toward him.

It is also possible to take into consideration the philosophical aspect of this love story, urging us to reflect about fate, death and the meaning of life, and the sense of love in its relation to solitude. Do we love only because, otherwise, this solitude would be unbearable? And over these issues hangs a meditative and poetic spirit that ennobles the sexual side, naturally predominant. The loneliness of these two souls in the middle of the loneliness of Nature creates a nearly magical atmosphere. I felt incited to view this captivating movie again, as one might listen again to the music of a great master. Professor George Balan, Germany

This movie knocks on the door of being a great romance with some hot man to man sex scenes, ut it never opens the door, just leaves the viewer and the two lead characters unfulfilled. Why is it that writers/directors shy away from taking story from average to tasteful art? This is just another average gay movie....nothing new to see here!

Gripping and grabbing from the start, this movie is (simplistically) about two young men, strangers who meet by a curious design. They then become your favorite fairy tale, and perhaps will carve a hunk of sex/love out of you, and hang it overhead and inside at the same time.

I'd give you a linear description of "Sun Kissed," but that's not possible; it exists rather in a spiral time/space frame--no need worrying WHERE and WHEN you are, but just give thanks that you're in a good and beautiful (and fine-smelling place, a aspect of attraction curiously neglected heretofore).It may be occasionally agonizing--but it's always very sexy. Written, directed and produced by Patrick McGuinn, the film puts the breathtaking Gregory Marcel (whose character defines this movie as James Dean defined "Rebel.." for example). Marcel is handsomely complemented by John Ort's needful-though-brilliant and erotically super-charged narrator. Gorgeous cinematography (without which there is never a real movie), in case you think I only care about how they look and smell. For those few of you who worry about love, and/or want to see lots of it, this is your late-summer early-autumn movie. It works really well when it's very cold, by the way. Think of Proust comtemplating a marble statue of St. Sebastian, if that might help.

Not for Lesbians, nor wannabe's thereof.

I'm greatly (and, it seems, unusually) blessed in being able to enjoy things without understanding them. I have no idea what Sun Kissed is "about": whether Leo and Teddy are one person, or two, or none; whether this is a coming out story or a psychological allegory or a murder mystery, or all three, or something else; whether anybody was murdered or when; whether anything in this movie actually happened or not. I don't know, and I don't care. I was very gratified to learn from previous reviewers that Patrick McGuinn refused to provide any explanations when interviewed. Good for him!

I happen to love movies like this, that defy understanding, that force me either to accept them on their own terms and see if I can enjoy them, or reject them. I gave Sun Kissed a chance, and I'm very glad I did.

I understood nothing, and I enjoyed every second, from the first frame to the last note in the dark. I don't know what it was, and I don't know why, but I sure did like it. It was a rich, lush, sensual, engrossing experience that I'd welcome again any time, anywhere.

"Sun Stroke" would be a better title - if not to describe the disorienting feeling of viewing it, then to describe the leading men - who can't seem to stop doing it to each other. The first 30 minutes are plausible, if slow and poorly written, but then the story becomes a muddle of flashbacks, flash forwards and God knows what else. The director admittedly wanted to 'disorient' the viewer (inspired by Bunuel, he claims) and, well, he succeeded! Sadly, the photography is as poor as some of the dialogue. The film looks to be shot on end stock, which is distracting enough. The dialogue is similarly clunky. "You ask a lot of questions," one hunk says three times to a writer whose shacked up in a desert to finish his novel. But not once does the guy have the wit to follow up with "What are you writing, a book?" Although the leads are fairly credible, the few others are not so good, including the actor playing Crispin, the mysterious owner of said shack. By the end of this extremely languid 90 minutes, I had no idea what was what nor did I care. I suggest a sequel set at the McDowell Colony in January. Call it "Frost Bite".