A fight. Testimony and form of self definition.Its crumbs - searches, illusions and refuges.A man and levels of his life. The truth as insignificant detail and desire to be yourself.The beauty of movie do not consists in images, music or acting. It is more. The courage to tell a story about a form of normality. Not sexual orientation but only tolerance for different way to be happy.In Peru or anyway. Seed of a small deep revolution, the film is not only adaptation of a autobiographic novel but a manifesto. A form of define not existence of a guy but values of a society. It is a good film. Why ? For the gentle mode to show a painful drama. For pictures of limits broke. For end. And for the unspoken things. It is enough ? Maybe, not.

The film has been shown in some festivals, but we don't think it had a commercial run in this country. We caught with it recently on DVD format. The movie, directed by Francisco Lombardi, is based on the novel by television personality and writer, Jaime Bayly, with an adaptation by Giovanna Pollarolo. The film is a frank account on the Peruvian society.It's clear from the start that Joaquin is gay. He has been sheltered by his mother, against his father's wishes. As a way to initiate the young boy in a the typical Peruvian man's world, Luis Felipe, the father, decides to take him hunting, with no good results. Then, the father takes the young man to one of Lima's best house of ill repute, an experience that ends badly.Joaquin likes Alejandra, the young college student. She feels the attraction as well, but Joaquin has an eye for attractive guys. When Gonzalo and Rocio appear at a disco, Joaquin feels attracted to the hunky young man. It's clear Gonzalo is also interested in Joaquin and thus begins their sexual involvement that will not produce the results either one expected. Gonzalo wants to keep seeing Joaquin, but wants to marry Rocio, but Joaquin, in a fit of anger confesses to the young woman her fiancé is having an affair with him and they Gonzalo leaves him.The movie is a complex character study about the duality most of these rich young men of the upper crust of the Peruvian society and how they feel about casual gay sex. In a society dominated by the machismo, they must hide away in a married life that is a cover up for the way homosexuality is concealed.The film is honest in the way it deals with this subject. Santiago Magill makes Joaquin credible in his appealing performance. Lucia Jimenez is also good as Alejandra, the girl that loved him. Christian Meier plays the closeted Gonzalo. Giovanni Ciccia's take on the troubled rich boy Alfonso is right. The rest of the cast does an excellent job in portraying all the upper class people in the movie.Francisco Lombardi directed with panache this story about a taboo in that type of society.

If you are inclined to indulge yourself in a fresh, candid, and rather engaging cinematic view of modern sexual mores involving a certain upper-class segment of society in Peru's capital city, this is the place to find it. Admittedly that description limits the size of its intended audience somewhat. Nevertheless, this film will appeal to anyone who likes a combination of good production values and autobiographical breastbaring -- so to speak.The writer is in fact extending his reputedly autobiographical novel into new literary territory. The result is a good if not great movie. It preaches a bit without being preachy as regards racism, class prejudice, homophobia, drugs, and personal loyalties. The central character is by turns likable and unlikeable as he tries to find his true character during puberty and into young adulthood. I give high marks not only to the principal actors but also to the director.There are no false steps and few unexplored viewpoints in this story, which starts at the beginning and ends at the end (a rarity in these days of overwrought angularity in the movie business). Unlike some comments already given, I would call the ending appropriately incomplete rather than "sad" or "happy." Which is as it should be. Ten of ten.

I really enjoyed this film --- a great and emotionally complex movie that, like life, is full of ambiguity and difficult questioning. I really felt for the main character as he struggled to be both happy and honorable in a world that will not accept him as he is. I also found myself wavering over just what the right answer for Joaquin was. Not a conventional story, but a very rewarding two hours; highly recommended!