Buy First Love and Other Pains / One of Them on DVD

First Love and Other Pains / One of Them

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Synopsis

Wonderful pair of films dealing with gay youth coming to terms with their sexuality - one from Hong Kong, the other from New Zealand.

Review

First Love and Other Pains - In Hong Kong a nineteen year-old gay college student, Mark, is smitten with his English instructor, an older, frustrated British playwright, Hugh. Mark is a standout student in Hugh's class and trails him to a theater where they are producing Hugh's gay play. Mark strikes up a friendship with the depressed, alcoholic - but well-preserved middle-aged man and they fuck in the bathtub one drunken night. Hugh tries to push Mark away, but the youth is persistent in his successful quest. The issue of an inter-generational and cross-cultural romance is never even an issue, which certainly makes watching the film nice and easy! Although the film has a simple - and often told - story line, the film succeeds because of the excellent actors and strong character development. (Partly in Cantonese with English subtitles)

One of Them - From the co-directors of the camp hit Desperate Remedies comes One of Them. Set in Auckland, New Zealand 1964, two awkward and sissified teens strike up a friendship based on being misfits in this highly stylized and satisfying film. The boys go off on a hike filled with flashbacks to all of their experiences. They dye and spray their hair, giggle incessantly, and ogle over a male pop star, but God forbid if they are "one of them." One day these boys just can't stop staring at the school hunk as he gets out of the pool, the words come slowly - and it sounds like it might be "he's gorgeous", but instead its "he's repulsive." No fear, they deal with their sexuality by film's end in this excellent portrayal of gay youth establishing an identity for themselves.

Product Format Information

DVD : $13.49

Availability: In stock and ready to ship
Region Code: 1
UPC: 720229909815

Studio : First Run Features

Features:
Photo gallery, director bio, scene access, interactive menus

Customer Reviews

Two from First Run

Amos Lassen wrote on 02/14/2011:

“FIRST LOVE AND OTHER PAINS & ONE OF THEM”
Two from First Run
Amos Lassen
A two movie DVD arrived the other day from First Run Features. “First Love and Other Pains” is a sweet movie in which a Hong Kong college student is obsessed with his English professor who happens to be an older and frustrated playwright. It is an interesting story with fascinating man characters and all of us have, at least once in our lives, had a similar experience. The movie holds your interest until the end which is both unrealistic and somewhat disappointing but as an English professor the movie really spoke t me and I have , on occasion had the same experience just not to the extent that it was in the film. The love of literature is what drew the two men together but it is common sense that drives them apart. Or is it?
Lacking flashy direction and a big budget, this film was not hurt and I think that what makes it so interesting is its simplicity. The two men are from different worlds. Hugh, the professor, senses that his life is slipping away from him and he is writing a play about the end of a love affair he was once involved in. The fact that he cannot find a publisher seems to be the main concern of his life. Into his life comes Mark, a polite and intelligent Chinese student who badly wants Hugh and because of that has trouble concentrating on his university studies. As the characters grow on you, what at first appears to be stiff acting becomes restraint and modesty and a reluctance of the actors to just let themselves go. This in no way detracts from the movie. It caused me to project my own emotions into the characters and after a while I felt like I was involved in a play by Chekhov. Sexually, there was nothing very explicit; instead the raw emotions of the characters supplied the sexiness that was present.
“One of Them” is a short Australian film. Set in the 1960s, it deals with two teens coming to terms with their feelings and emerging sexuality. The bond of friendship they forge is peppered with frank talk about boys and fashion. The conversations they share are their escape from the taunts of the villagers and small town where they live. There are lots of flashbacks as they face their fears about being gay and different and they eventually come to terms with their sexuality. It is an honest look at gay coming of age and the problems that kids once faced when realizing they were not like everyone else. Both films are well done and certainly worth a look-see.