Gay Cinema: My favorite gay chick flicks....

Today, I would again like to share some of my favorite gay-themed movies. As I've mentioned before, I consider myself a bit of a connoisseur of this genre, possessing a collection of several hundred movies dating back to the 1970's. While most of the movies are low budget films with acting and production values that accurately reflect the idea that you get what you pay for, some of these movies are actually quite good. In my previous post, I recommended the following five films:

• Brokeback Mountain
• Maurice
• Latter-days
• Get Real
• Bent

Today, I would like to add five more films to the list of movies every gay man should see. This list is comprised of what I term "gay chick flicks"--those romantic movies that will make you want to grab the closest man you can find and engage in a little bi-labial interdigitation (if you know what I mean). Some have happy endings; some not so happy. They all send a clear message that life with love has meaning that life without love can never have.




Yossi and Jagger. This Israeli film with subtitles focuses on the relationship of two soldiers, the senior officer and his second in command, serving together in an outpost on the Lebanese border. Based on a true story, it tells of their effort to keep their relationship a secret while engaged in war. The chemistry between the actors playing Yossi and Jagger is real and the movie's climax will touch the most stoic gay man.

Shelter. This SoCal surfing flick is a perfect date movie. Not only are there plenty of guys wearing wetsuits or board shorts or less, the two love interests are attractive, believable, and real. Zach, a 20-something painter struggling to manage a difficult life with a difficult family is drawn into a relationship with his best friend's older brother. In the end, he is forced to reconcile his own desires with those of his family and discovers that the only way to find happiness is to be true to yourself.

East Side Story. Another SoCal film, this picture is about Pablo Morales, a young classically trained chef who manages his family's neighborhood Mexican restaurant. While Pablo wants more than anything to move from his barrio and open a restaurant of his own, his family obligations prevent him. To make matters more difficult, his closeted boyfriend begins dating Pablo's aunt and a pair of very hot (and always shirtless) gay Anglos move in across the street. As Pablo comes out about his sexuality and his desire to open his own restaurant, his world begins to change.

A Single Man. Guaranteed to leave you with your heart in your throat and your eyes more than a little misty, this movie is about an aging college professor attempting to find value in life after the unexpected death of his longtime and much loved companion. The film tracks the professor through a single day in which he learns that despite the death of his partner, life still has meaning,

My Beautiful Laundrette. This London-based love story between two 20-somethings, one an upper-middle class Asian and the other a white bully-boy, is an interesting commentary about how two entirely different people find themselves together and in love when they are not entirely accepted by their own communities. Daniel Day-Lewis is particularly engaging as a rough London East-Ender.