Bad Boys USA

With a cast that looks like it stepped from the pages of an Out magazine fashion shoot, plenty of buff, taut male bodies and a gay love affair, there’s plenty to offer gay men in this virtually plotless but gorgeous film. First cast by gay director André Téchiné in Wild Reeds, Gaël Morel’s first film project as a director was the also stunning and plotless Full Speed. Here has has taken quite a leap forward technically. Three Dancing Slaves practically shimmers at times with homoerotic energy. Told in three chapters for the three brothers, the first story is that of Marc. With his shaved head and rock-hard abs, actor Nicholas Cazalé is perfection in male beauty. The film opens with Marc giving his friends haircuts. Certainly an unusual activity for this group of tough young men. As it’s summer, in this third of the film most of the guys wear no shirts. Like the most elegant softcore porn film made, there’s some hot stuff here. His sexuality is never really defined, one assumes he’s straight. The second third of the film is oriented around Christophe, played by Stéphane Rideau, who also appeared in Wild Reeds and Come Undone. Christophe, just got of prison, is trying to live life on the straight and narrow. He’s got a job at a ham factory and is keeping his nose clean. The third section of the film focuses on Olivier played by doe-eyed actor Thomas Dumerchez. This part of the film focuses on his relationship with his Arab buddy Hicham (Salim Kechiouche).

Is the film a glamorous gay photo shoot, or a serious film about male bonding? We don’t really know, all we know is that this is one of the most captivating 90 minutes we’ve spent with a film lately. (French with English subtitles)

Excerpt

SYNOPSIS

In this lush film, unhappily married Francesco inherits a dilapidated Turkish bath. While restoring the bath he discovers his attraction to the sensuously delicious Mehmet.

3 REASONS TO BUY THIS FILM

• Ferzan Ozpetek’s 4-star masterpiece, no collection is complete without Steam
• I wish Mehmet worked in our office.
• Sensuous, delicious — the height of gay cinema.

REVIEW

Francesco and his wife Marta run a successful interior design firm in Rome. But their marriage is on the rocks, with Marta, feeling neglected, secretly carrying on an affair with their mutual business partner, Paulo. With Francesco’s home life in a rut he receives notification that a forgotten aunt has died and left him some property in Istanbul. He decides to go to Turkey to sell the buildings. But upon his arrival in Turkey, Francesco discovers that what he has inherited is a dilapidated Hamam, a traditional Turkish bath, operated by Osman, his wife and their beautiful son Mehmet and daughter Fusun. He stumbled into a different Hamam the day before and was enchanted with the ancient sensuality of the place. Against his lawyer’s advice, he decides to remain and restore the ruined hamam to its original splendor. Francesco’s face seems to clear of anxiety and he becomes friendlier as he fits into the rhythm of the ancient city. He is also awakened to his homosexuality as he discovers his attraction and love in the person of Mehmet. When his wife arrives to admit her infidelity, she finds in Francesco a totally changed man. Lushly photographed, the film successfully creates an exotic atmosphere which nurtures freedom and release. A sensuously delicious film. (Turkish & Italian with Subtitles)