Jongens (Dutch) [Boys]

Gosh! Its been a while since I saw a really well made good gay film that so well balances the core theme (in this case sports) and the emotional ones. I wasn't sure what to really expect but am I glad or what to have seen this beautiful film. Specially worth mentioning is the fact that the director of the film is a female and making a film on a Dutch teenager who is trudging with his sexuality while balancing his dreams as an athlete and be there for his family.

Teenage boy Sieger, a good athlete, is a caring boy who gets selected for a relay race. His brother Ed is a rebellious which is hard for their wider father who is trying to raise the boys as best as he can. Sieger seems to be compensating for his brother. Sieger and his best friend Stef get selected in the team with 2 other boys. One of them is Marc. The two boys keep stealing glances at one another and don't understand what is going on. His yearnings finally get into reality when the four boys go for swimming. When the other 2 boys leave for home, Sieger and Marc continue to swim which leads into the most beautiful kiss between the boys. Dealing with his father's emotions and Ed's rebellion, Seiger can't understand what's going on with him. His emotional immaturity to understand and accept that he doesn't like girls and may actually be gay, creates various ups and downs. WHen he is with Marc, he is happy but doesn't know whether it is right or wrong. In the process he ends up breaking Marc's heart on more than a couple of occasions. But there is only so much that can be controlled. The team finally wins the race even though Sieger had earlier snubbed Marc, he can't take it anymore. WHen he sees some support from his friend Stef, Seiger's finally accepts who is and decides to be happy with what he is.

There are so many good things and moments in this film. The film talk about family bonding, brotherly bond, importance of friendship, love, dreams, loyalty, happiness and letting everyone be what they want and deserve. The best thing about the film is that the decision that either character makes in the film is not because of just one desire or reason. instead it is the outcome of several connected events and possibilities. The scenes where Sieger is forcing himself to date a girl or the scene where he is tries to be supportive of Ed or be there for his father, are straight out of life. The friendship between him and Stef is our and even the way love blossoms between the Marc and Sieger is done with such emotional maturity but simplicity that you immediately connect with everything that's going on. Couple of kisses that the bus share are done so well and aesthetically, it melts your heart and you just want the 2 boys to be there for each other before the world corrupts their innocence. The director beautifully portrays the confusion of first love, specially because it is against the so called norms of the society. The guy who plays Seiger is unbelievably good. He plays the quiet and withdrawn character who only wants to do what’s right very convincingly. Marc's role may not have been detailed as that of Siege but the guy playing the role is radiant and easy to fall for. I liked the family dynamics of Marc. Also the one thing that I liked was that even though Ed and the father had their own differences, there was an inherent love and respect for each other which was within boundaries. You realize that the film maker knows exactly what she was making.

Ending the film with an excellent music , this drama about first love and conflating feelings is a must watch. Not many love stories touch you without being overly dramatic or melancholic. (8.5/10)