Hawaii

It feels just like when you were a kid and you felt attracted to that friend of yours:

The silent moments waiting for something to be said, the observing, thoughts running through your head, failed attempts to get attention in the right direction, the insistence, the uncertainty... The "I want you but I want you to be the one who makes the move."

With this movie I can remember the sensations I went through while discovering what true attraction feels like. They do a great job in beautiful silent scenes that comunicate way more than the spoken ones.

I was first introduced to Marco Berger with "Plan B", still one of my favorite films. In both that film and "Hawaii" Mr. Berger has done some of the finest modern story-telling I've had the pleasure to experience.

These are definitely NOT American films - they are slow to develop, sparse on dialogue and largely visual in nature. Those qualities by themselves make these films creative and interesting. But it is the development of both the story and the characters that really bring the films to life.

The single item that makes a film work (in my estimation) is whether or not an audience can feel that a character has come to life in the film - has come alive, feels real to us. "Hawaii" does that every bit as effectively as "Plan B." It is an additional measure of quality (and a great treat) that a film have more to say to an audience on a second, third or fourth viewing. Both of these films do that handily.

It is of particular note in this film to watch the slow building of a relationship between these two men. And, as in "Plan B", their sexuality in some respects is incidental to the connection the men in both films form. There is a breadth and depth to these relationships that seems rare these days in film.

Can't recommend both "Plan B" and "Hawaii" enough. Outstanding films.

Beautiful movie. Flawless. The direction is amazing. The music is just as fantastic as the photography, locations, story and editing. I really enjoyed every aspect of it. The work of the actors is a pleasure to the senses. They are completely natural and seem effortless in every scene, word and gesture. Manuel Vignau and Mateo Chiarino are really worth following. I'm sure that after "Hawaii", we will hear a lot more from them. I think it's a gift and a joy for the public and not as common as it should, seeing performances like the ones this two actors deliver in this film.This is the first Marco Berger movie (director) I have seen and I cannot wait to see more. He is honest, sensitive and clearly a perfectionist. It's a really poetic and subtle love story that moves you in a very special way. I really appreciate the fact that anybody can relate to this story and to their characters, their fears and their dreams, no matter what their sexual orientation might be. A very intimate and personal film.No gay clichés here. Non. "Hawaii" leaves you with a smile on your face and with very high spirits. If you can buy it, do, it's the kind of movie that you can see more than once.

I couldn't be happier! Marco Berger touched my heart again with this winning dramatic romance between two timid individuals, unsure of life and love. "Hawaii" makes the perfect addition to the collection of Marco Berger's offerings. Be sure to catch them all. They make a perfect film festival all by themselves.

"Hawaii" lays out the day to day interactions between Eugenio (played by the unconventionally handsome Manuel Vignau, "Bruno" from "Plan B") and Martín (played by Mateo Chiarino) that build a budding romance neither knows how to address. Tension builds until, finally, a fateful kiss that changes everything. I spent the rest of the movie repeating the mantra "please, please, please, please" for the perfect ending. See if I got my wish...

I watched this movie last night and really enjoyed it. The two leads are attractive and enjoyable to watch, and the acting was wonderful - the unspoken attraction was very evident on their faces - and the slow build up rather than just one pouncing on the other immediately was a refreshing change.

The film's quiet scenes to me were actually a great metaphor for the unspoken attraction....how often do we find ourselves attracted to someone and longing to tell them, but remaining silent and just 'observing' them from a distance? There was a subtle beauty in the non-dialogue filled moments that allowed the actors to convey what the characters were feeling through their eyes, their smiles, etc.

This being a foreign film was, to me, a lot better than it would have been as an American made offering. I have enjoyed many American made gay films, but I have to confess that the foreign ones are, to me, overall better in story and quality, plus the gorgeous scenery of the locations are a plus as well.

Gay-themed films, which I watch a lot of, have to go a long, long way to surpass what has become my favorite in years (Esteros) but this film definitely ranks up in the pack of ones I've really enjoyed over time.