By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Oliver Hermanus
Starring: Albert Maritz | Charlie Keegan | Deon Lotz | Michelle Scott | Roeline Daneel | Sue Diepeveen
Original language title: Skoonheid
Country: france, germany, south_africa
Year: 2012
Running time: 105
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1922721/
Thom says: “This is a very disturbing entry to be included and I think it was rather brave of them to embrace it because the story is so ugly. A 40-something man lives with his Afrikaans-speaking family in Bloemfontein (yes, that city) but he is deeply-closeted, and thus feeds into the central theme of hypocrisy towards gays in South Africa. He meets occasionally with other closeted gay men in an underground venue where they eventually participate in a grungy orgy. When a member brings in a black boy he ends up being blackballed. The man is desperately cold and withdrawn from life but when He meets up with a nephew he hasn’t seen in years he begins stalking him. The film doesn’t have an ounce of warmth and rambles off in unexplained directions. There is one especially violent encounter that audiences need to be warned of. Understated but memorable acting. 3 cats”