LesGaiCineMad, la otra gran fiesta del cine

Publicado originalmente en Infoactualidad el domingo 2 de noviembre | La decimonovena edición de `LesGaiCineMad´ arrancó el pasado 30 de octubre, y se prolongará hasta el próximo 13 de noviembre. África, el VIH y las diversas orientaciones sexuales en una edad avanzada parecen ser las temáticas predominantes de esta edición del Festival Internacional de cine lésbico, gay y transexual de Madrid.

‘Venirse arriba’, o cómo acabar con los tópicos europeos

Publicado originalmente en 'Infoactualidad' el jueves 30 de octubre de 2014 | Diego San José y Borja Cobeaga, los guionistas del exitoso film 'Ocho apellidos vascos', arriesgan y presentan su primera novela. 'Venirse arriba', la historia que gira en torno a Jesús, un padre que se ha quedado sin paro, su hijo que está de Erasmus en Ámsterdam y la ridícula beca con la que sobrevive el veinteañero. Un choque de tópicos y una burla canalla y desenfadada al concepto “europeo”.

How to get away with Shonda (read it as Viola Davis' voice)

That's merely impossible: I'm obligated to say. First of all, I would like to clarify that previous shows which involved her as a writer or an executive producer such as 'Grey's Anatomy', 'Private Practice', 'Off the map' or even 'Scandal' (*) were not my cup of tea. Well, I actually liked 'Scandal' during its first year but I convince myself that I did it due to its only seven episodes format. I watched it as a mini-series, ok? No mea culpa better.... It was a rough personal moment of my life so I needed light tv-shows to avoid overthinking. That's what Shonda means to me: basic amusement. If I want to think, I watch the esteemed too highly 'The Good Wife'. I like it too but if I compare my current exciment for legal fiction, the new Shonda's 'How to get away with murder' wins to the marriage King's creation. And why is that? Very simple: more than eighty binge-watched episodes versus only four aired ones. When audience reachs such long run in a tv series, they usually get bored as happens in life. Well, 'Mad Men' is the suitable exception. But 'Mad Men' has been always on over the top. Yes, that's my fandom speaking up. Let's go back to horny lawyers: what's exactly 'HTGAWM' about? I already said it: horny people who fuck get laid a lot between trials. Mostly to win them. Wow, that's so Kalinda from 'The Good Wife'. The difference is that I do buy the fact that pansexual Kalinda flirts with everone but... not professor Annalise Keating or her good-looking pupils. But, ey kiddos, it's network fiction so I don't ask for factual basis. But don't get me wrong, trials are the less important factor because if there is something gripping and shocking about it are flashforwards. Yes, very 'Damages', another legal tv show which run and survived during five seasons. From now to the end, spoilers | The tricky thing is that we are told how (and why) professor's pupils murder her husband. Another point is how well or bad, in this case, these flashforwads are used in narrative. But it's fun to see the same scenes of murder expanding like a puzzle. Obviously they can err into redundancy but I'm so invested in the easy trashy mistery than I surprise myself confessing it. Life is too difficult to take it serious and Shonda flawlessly knows that. I don't give a crap if she is an angry black woman. She knows the market and what people ask for: fast food and twitter. Obama were the one who took advantage of social media and microblogging in politics in 2008; Shonda understands she has to live on twitter to feed the fandom. And the trolls.

Why 'Please Like Me' is more complex than we thought

Spoilers ahead | Two links of US webs about the second season of the Australian tv-series 'Please Like Me' (ABC2, 2012-) from Hollywood Reporter and The A.V.Club. 'The Slap' (ABC1, 2011), another Australian tv-show (in this case, mini-series) spread around the US blogosphere few years ago expanding the called Golden Age of Television to another Anglophone country aside from the UK. But, what does it make 'Please Like Me' so special and likeable? It's not actually a drama with superb performances and a gripping plot; it's just a rara avis sitcom whose strong point lies on its pure honesty. One year and a half ago when only six episodes were aired, we could have compared this one to 'Girls', another rara avis comedy of HBO and stared/written/produced by Lena Dunham. We could have even said that 'Please Like Me' were the gay Australian version of 'Girls'. But It's definitely not. While Lena Dunham ant its alter-ego Hannah Horvath twist the reality to talk about real issues of twenties, Josh Thomas just show the facts with no make up. During its rookie year, we needed to be told how his main character turned to be gay and his mother turned into bipolar because let's be honest: Rose is the co-star of the show. The sudden appearance of Geoffrey shook Josh's life and the aunty Peg's death shook mother and son's life. In its sophomore year, both secondary characters are gone (*) so they both have to deal with the consequences: Rose's suicide attempt. Homosexuality and mental health are narrative's epicenter but above all friendship conquers the show's heart. And audience's heart. Speaking about it... love is constantly in the air. Geoffrey was the adonis-love-interest of our protagonist during the first season but after the second season's time warp, we discover that Josh is in love with Patrick, his new flat mate. Another asshole adonis. But here comes the surprise to a new unexpected love triangle: Arnold, another guest of the mental institution when Rose now lives. And don't forget the burned black humour. During these 16 episodes the tv show has mutated from a self-centred story of a twentysomething boy who does not work either study to the parallel stories of a gang of friends and relatives. Last Sunday night the season finale of 'Please Like Me' was released in Australia but, don't worry gays guys, there will be hopefully a third season thanks to the "marriage" between Australian ABC and US PivotTV.

(*) Well, Geoffrey returns as fast as he goes away again. The reason? His father's death. This may prove that death is one of the tv show's main themes too.