Truly Dreadful Film

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

...but useful for understand the perception about reality of a young man who use his sexual orientation, the nihilism and the friends as instruments to explore it. a film about frustration. and about freedom. and one of the most impressive roles of Alex Dimitriadis who mix the bitter humor, fury and fear to create a character who gives new perspectives about every day challenges. one of films who use a sensitive subject as way to wake up. and the gray tone becomes a tool for describe long slices of disillusion, fights and need of sense of life. maybe not great. but sensitive trip in heart of forbidden subjects. more actual today than in 1998.

Here's just another product of great Australian filmmaking. Of course, due to the subject, this film's not gonna be everybody's taste. Certainly something different, a movie about a Greek gay boy, does make this film refreshingly original, some scenes hard to stomach for us homo sapiens. What makes Head On so good, is Ari's character, free as the wind, probably creating a lot of envy towards closeted homosexuals. You can't help Ari, because he says what he wants to say and does what he wants to do. A leopard can't change it's spots. You were born gay, you stay gay, that's it. One of his close family is a drag queen, who he's there for, the family disgraced by him. The scene in the taxi near the end of the movie when they get pulled over by the police is hysterically funny, an antidote of amusement amongst the heavy and depressing scenes of Ari's non acceptance, because of his sexuality. What follows when they're arrested is not so funny, objects of humiliation by a bigoted cop and a younger disgraced Greek cop, who's forced to do what is asked oh him by his peer, making him look the fool, it's easy to see this young girl, goes off at the drag queen character. Some lines stay with me in this 7 day shot film, and we see the other struggles in Greek families, and behind the back ridicule they take, that are so stereotypical, if seeing many other films around this race. The movie really creates a warm feel around Ari's families, where we share the ups and downs. One reason I loved the film, was because of Alex Papps as Ari's brother, one actor who should of gone further, where he finally ended up, where no actor would wanna end up on: Play School. The full sex scene, near the end, with his new love, Sean, which I admit goes a little too far, beware out there to the easily offended. Fine Australian film making, steered by an uninhibited and brave performer who delivers a thunderous and real performance.

The film pretends to portray the the homophobia, hypocrisy and oppression of immigrant communities (represented here by the Greek community in Australia). But the oppression is gratuitous and unwarranted. I am not doubting the realities depicted in the movie, but I am questioning the attitudes of the main characters. Even if people are faced by such circumstances, there is absolutely no reason why their reactions be so passive and submissive other than the inherent homophobia of the film and its makers. There is nothing redeeming about this awful self-hating movie, not even the good looks of its pathetic unlikable lead. I actually felt gratified when he was being beaten and humiliated (so much for a protagonist!)--and it's not only for the nudity (trust me, I like my porn more honest!). This film, and "Oxygen", are making me lose my faith in gay Greek cinema: self-indulgent, gratuitously melodramatic, AND unapologetically self-loathing. Next!

When the booked "Loaded" was released the author explained that the reason he wrote the book was that there were already enough gay friendly movies and books out there to allow him to write an honest portrayal of gay life. It is not negative, it is simply honest.Ari (played by the Hunk of Australian TV and movies Alex Dimitriades) is a young Greek man who is gay but is definitely not going to come out of the closet.He desires nothing more than to have a girlfriend, a family and be normal. But he knows he can not.So we follow on day in his life. It starts with him masturbating in the house he slept the night. He then faces a day of numerous challenges.Losing his money during a gay encounter (of the wink wink, nod nod, go into the back alley for a head-job type encounter). Getting the money so he can buy drugs, more sex, more drugs, more sex, drugs (surely it would fall off with that much use), police harassment.But there are ways out. He can be a gay guy and have a loving open gay relationship, he can marry a lesbian and pretend to be straight, he can even go to the extreme and be a drag queen or he can stay the way he is.This movie is packed with messages. Every scene has a meaning and as a result it is often considered pretentious.It is a movie about being gay and the issues with it. What makes it different is it doesn't spend the whole movie agonizing over the issues and boring the audience stupid, instead it bombards you with them leaving your head spinning by the time you leave the cinema.Oh...and if you love big dark skinned, dark haired Greek guys you will love this movie.