By Ed Koch
Volume 74, Number 29 | November 24 – 30, 2004
koch on film
“Bear Cub” (+)
This is a very unusual and poignant movie. The script describes the plight of Pedro (Jose Luis Garcia-Perez) a gay man living in Madrid who is saddled with taking care of his nine-year-old nephew, Bernardo, superbly played by David Castillo. Bernardo was raised by his mother, Violeta (Elvira Lindo), who is a junkie and HIV positive. She is also very self assured and able to handle the vicissitudes of life. Violeta is on her way to India with her much younger lover. We soon learn that the two are jailed for drug activities and the temporary stay of Bernardo with Pedro becomes extended.
Pedro continues to lead his homosexual life with different gay lovers. Episodes occur in nightclubs and Madrid steam rooms, similar to those that used to dominate the New York gay scene 20 years ago. During the weeks that Pedro is waiting for news from India, Bernardo grows to love his uncle and so does the movie audience. On to the scene comes Dona Teresa (Empar Ferrer) the paternal grandmother. Bernardo’s father died early in his life from drug use, and Grandma was estranged from her daughter-in-law and grandson. She now wants custody of the child. How she goes about it using a lawyer and blackmail and how Pedro resists her is very moving.
Every character in this movie is a well-defined and a many-faceted human being. It is not as well done as a Hollywood film would have been, with every “i” dotted and “t” crossed, but it is probably closer to the truth of life. It is well worth seeing.
“A Silent Love” (-)
As they used to say, paint dries faster than this movie moves. The New York Times’ reviewer, Stephen Holden, concentrated his review on the storyline without venturing an opinion on whether or not the film is good. His review created an aura for me about the movie that it is worth seeing. It is not.
The storyline is rife with possibilities. It involves a middle-aged Canadian, Norman (Noel Burton), searching for a wife through a dating service in Mexico. He corresponds with a woman, Gladys (Vanessa Bauche), and he travels to Mexico to meet her. They agree to marry with her accompanying him to Canada. She makes only one demand and that is that they take her widowed mother with them who, by agreement, will stay with them for a few months before returning to Mexico. Mother and daughter are very close.
It is soon clear that Norman, who likes his new wife, is becoming infatuated with his mother-in-law, Fernanda (Susana Salazar), who is a very decent woman. She resists her passion for Norman but ultimately succumbs — limited to a kiss or two — and then departs for Mexico. There is more, but I have to leave something for those foolish enough to see this movie.
My guests, PT and AT, voiced their distress at our waste of a Sunday afternoon.
