In the Grayscale

Hateful and offensive when it decides to punish the protagonist for his behavior.

Uses tropes familiar from queer and hetero films alike: an uninhibited, unconventional, pot smoking wild child slowly liberates the uptight, straight-laced, teetotaling object of affection.

"Bruno" (Francisco Celhay) would appear to have all he needs in life. He's an architect with a wife and a son - but his glass isn't half full. He moves out of his family home to get himself together and simultaneously gets himself a commission to design something of a landmark for his home city of Santiago in Chile. It's this process that introduces him to the enthusiastic history teacher "Fer" (Emilio Edwards) who combines his job with being quite an entertaining tourist guide. This latter lad is gay and is a little perplexed when he bumps into "Bruno" in a gay bar. "Bruno" rather lamely explains that away, but "Fer" isn't convinced - and, actually, neither are we - and so what now ensues sees these two men get to know each other better and allows for "Bruno" to do some internal fact-finding. It is a little on the slow side this, and the plot leaves very little room for any jeopardy - but there is something to be said for the emerging chemistry between Celhay and the engaging Edwards, and combined with some photography of their city leaves us with an amiable enough germ of a story about choices and decisions. I could probably have done without the soul-searching elements of life with wife "Soledad" (Daniela Ramírez) as that melodramatises things a little, but this is yet another example of South American gay cinema where being homo/bisexual isn't really an issue for anyone apa…

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