No Caminho das Dunas

The 'coming-of-age' genre is really too broad to describe North Sea Texas, the first feature film from Belgian Director Bavo Defurne. There have been many films which portray the highs and lows of adolescent gay love, but few which do so in a way which draws you into their world in such an imaginative and creative way. The awkward silences, deserted roads and the long empty beach are symbolic of the emotional isolation of "dreamer" Pim. His only refuge being the place where he feels acceptance and understanding is with his 'surrogate' family - single mother Marcella, her daughter Sabrina, and son Gino - the subject of his love.

Jelle Floorizoone, (Pim) carries the film with incredible maturity and professionalism, helped by an excellent cast of characters who add to the film's charm and depth. Empathy with Pim comes naturally, and many will have been down a similar road - though clever twists keep you guessing and, just when you think you know what's coming around the corner, it takes an unexpected turn. As the boys grow older Gino drifts away from Pim, into the arms of a French girl, culminating in a confrontation of rage on an empty wind-swept beach. "Sometimes people have to make choices" is Gino's excuse, but when his mother is taken seriously ill, he returns to find Pim at her side. Sometimes it takes the love of an understanding mother, through a simple gesture, to show that her son's choice may not be the right one.

Having first seen North Sea Texas in the cinema earlier this year, and now again on DVD, it's a film that warrants repeated viewings. Like a painting, North Sea Texas has many layers: the more you look the more you see, understand & appreciate. Emotional and uplifting, North Sea Texas is one of the most engaging & original films about adolescent gay love since Danish Director Lasse Nielsen's ground-breaking "You Are Not Alone".

Included on the DVD is a short but excellent Premiere Featurette and film trailer. Running time 01:34:19, format 2.35:1, audio Dolby Digital 5.1

For some people i can expect that this wouldn't be so perfect to them , but damn this is perfect to me. i can say that i've cried about 3 times while watching this specially at the end , which is satisfying compared with other German gay movies i have seen such as : summer storm , land of storms , free fall , sasha , beach rats .... as if Germans have this kind of love or relationship issues , but that one broke the rule . i loved how the story began with his childhood and then he met Gino and fell in love with him , oh poor pim . also want to add that i liked the song at the end very much . i really got attached to that movie .

You know you are in for a sensitive, perhaps even hyper-sensitive, treatment of homosexuality from the start. A young boy of maybe 10 or so, Pim, dresses up as a beauty queen, naked all but for a sash, his mother's jewelry and perfume. His single mother, who likes men, maybe a bit too much, and to hang out in the local bar, Texas, doesn't scold him nor do the friendly neighbours he spends so much time with. It is clear they, like us, can see the man the boy will become.

When we next see Pim he's just turned 15 and is infatuated with the neighbour's 18 year old son, Gino, and we know his future is already mapped out. The only thing is will director Bavo Defurne give us a picture of suicidal teenage angst or something more along the lines of "Beautiful Thing"? Well, let's just say there are plenty of bumps along the way in his film "North Sea, Texas".

In this country, of course, such stories of gay teenage sexuality would be virtually taboo where almost any depiction of sex in which either of the parties involved is under the age of consent is considered child abuse but those pesky foreigners have always lead the way in matters of the flesh, (remember Louis Malle's "Les Amants"?). Here, we might describe this film as brave, even daring, but it's probably quite commonplace in its native Belgium.

All the performances are good with Jelle Florizoone and Mathias Vergels as the teenage lovers, Pim and Gino respectively, slipping into their roles with remarkable ease while Nina Marie Kortekaas as Gino's younger sister, who has more than a crush on Pim, is also excellent. Only the most prurient of minds could take offence at this most bitter-sweet of teenage romances.

First things first, its photography is stunning and there are many memorable sequences for which I'm going to search lots of gifs. Apart from that it is obviously a film based on a book. And how can you tell? Because it is not your average gay movie packed with clichés and lame stories. It is a story about a gay boy (Pim) living with a negligent mother that is still trying to be young and free. The boy develops a crush on this neighbor (Gino) who looks a lot like Harold from "Harold and Maude". We witness how the relationship between Pim and Gino unfolds. But there is more to it, we can see the relationship between Pim and Gino's sister, who has a crush on him and with his mother, who is the mother figure he does not have at home. In a place where there are not a lot of opportunities Pim is trying to find his place and his silence fills a big void.

I'm so glad I took a chance and watched this movie. It was a very sweet gay coming of age film. I think just about every gay man can relate to this movie, and remembers what it was like to have that first crush on someone. I liked the fact that there was no violence in this movie. No one gets bashed or bullied. And it even had a nice ending! The lead character (Pim) was really quite excellent in the role. I really enjoyed the fact that, often, he didn't even have to say much and could convey everything he was thinking with a look. I wish there were more movies like this one. The kind that you watch, and want to see more after it's over. Check it out. You won't regret it.