STARRING Harry Melling, Alexander Skarsgård, Douglas Hodge, Lesley Sharp, Jake Shears and Anthony Welsh. Written and directed by Harry Lighton, based on the book Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones. Running time 107.
Harry Melling is Colin, a young, lonely, gay traffic warden still living at home with his terminally-ill mum, Peggy (Lesley Sharp) and his dad, Pete (Douglas Hodge). He spends his days being verbally abused by irate motorists and his evenings enduring cringe-worthy first-dates with any gay man, Colin's mum can find in her social group. That is when he's not singing, with his brother, in their father's barber's shop quartet. Then one night Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), dressed in skin-tight bike leathers, strides into his life and Colin's life is turned upside down. Before you can, 'Can I get you a drink?' Colin's on his knees in a grotty alleyway fellating Ray and licking his boots. The next day he's a fully signed up member of the BDSM community, living alongside Ray's dog, Rosie, in Ray's spartan home, cooking, cleaning, getting his head shaved, sleeping on the floor of Ray's bedroom and being Ray's sex toy, whenever the urge grips him, and Colin couldn't be happier in his submissive role. It's a role Colin seems to have been born to play, and he soon finds himself deeply immersed in a gay biker gang BDSM club that Ray rides with. As time passes, Colin begins to feel the need for something more emotional, a non-sexual connection, maybe the chance to sleep in Ray's bed at night, or just be hugged occasionally rather than flung around like a rag doll in a bout of BDSM wrestling.
Ray is stoic, silent and utterly mesmerising and beyond being fantastically sexual, we learn absolutely nothing about him, his past, his job, his aspirations, in fact he barely speaks. He spends his nights reading, and ordering Colin to perform anything he desires, all we learn of him is that tattooed in the middle of his chest are three names, all female and that the only living thing Ray seems to have any true affection for is his Rottweiler.
The wonderful thing about this film is that Colin's homosexuality is utterly accepted by everyone in his sphere, his co-workers, his brother and his parents, they don't care if their son is gay, it's never an issue and it's just accepted and it was quite refreshing. It's also incredibly rare to see gay sex in a mainstream movie, it's even rarer to watch two men dressed in skin-tight lycra, wrestling on a mat before engaging in full-on sex, which to the un-initiated would seem to more akin to rape that than consenting, so welcome to the world of BDSM.
This was a fascinating cinematic experience, at times this is incredibly uncomfortable to watch, the sex seems so aggressive, so outside anything I'm used to that it's awkward to watch, but yet Colin is such an eager and willing participant to the sex that you no option but accept it as the norm. Colin wants it and boy does he get it, but what he also wants is an emotional connection, especially once his mother dies, and that's when problems begin to rise in their relationship. He asks Ray for a day where they just do normal couple things, and to share his Ray's bed, and maybe cuddle or just kiss and it's the highlight of the film.
The performances from the two leads is mesmerising, although Harry Melling's face is a tough watch, Luckily Alexander Skarsgård isn't. Good performances, well shot and with a strong soundtrack. I might have had issues with this particular type of sex, but not with the film itself or the story at its core.
8/10
The wonderful thing about this film is that Colin's homosexuality is utterly accepted by everyone in his sphere, his co-workers, his brother and his parents, they don't care if their son is gay, it's never an issue and it's just accepted and it was quite refreshing. It's also incredibly rare to see gay sex in a mainstream movie, it's even rarer to watch two men dressed in skin-tight lycra, wrestling on a mat before engaging in full-on sex, which to the un-initiated would seem to more akin to rape that than consenting, so welcome to the world of BDSM.
This was a fascinating cinematic experience, at times this is incredibly uncomfortable to watch, the sex seems so aggressive, so outside anything I'm used to that it's awkward to watch, but yet Colin is such an eager and willing participant to the sex that you no option but accept it as the norm. Colin wants it and boy does he get it, but what he also wants is an emotional connection, especially once his mother dies, and that's when problems begin to rise in their relationship. He asks Ray for a day where they just do normal couple things, and to share his Ray's bed, and maybe cuddle or just kiss and it's the highlight of the film.
The performances from the two leads is mesmerising, although Harry Melling's face is a tough watch, Luckily Alexander Skarsgård isn't. Good performances, well shot and with a strong soundtrack. I might have had issues with this particular type of sex, but not with the film itself or the story at its core.
8/10
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