The story of "Sublime" is quite simple and one-sided, yet well told. Eventhough the theme of exploring one's sexuality in their teenage years has already been filmed many times in recent years, "Sublime" offers a very unfussy and intimate insight into the life and mind of Manuel without much drama or a big unexpected twist - which I would say is a good quality in this case. Because it concentrates around the character of Manuel, a 16 year old boy who started having feelings for his male best friend, this film could be attractive for younger generation of viewers, who could easily see themselves being the main character in this film.
12 Reviews
Unrequited again
gmoney-6059215 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Another boy falls in love with his best friend who also happens to be a boy movie. As in too many other movies of this type the love ends up being one way. His friend loves him but not in that way. I gave it a higher rating as they at least used age appropriate actors for the film instead of 30 something's trying to play teenagers. The storyline was ok as it was on par with the kind of things boys and girls actually do at that age. Would have liked to see the love returned with a "Im in love with you too and they lived happily every after" type ending instead of heartache on the part of the boy who happens to be gay. Seems that most gay themed movies end up with heartbreak on the part of the gay character or the gay character ends up dying by suicide, accident or murder but usually not a happy ending. All in all an ok movie but would recommend the movie "Seashore" as a better alternative.
friendship, love...
Kirpianuscus15 December 2022
It seems a sum of virtues. From the admirable young actors to the beautiful music, plot and gentle - precise exploration of youth , in its basic traits ,its feelings, reactions, love and revenge, try to be like others and torture of unspoken truths with simplicity and rare science to explore details.
A film about friendship, love and ( self ) discover.
Seductive at whole, powerful, delicate and wise crafted scene by scene.
In short, for reasons to discover step by step, a pure delight because its realism is far to be essence of manifesto or demonstration of forms of correctness.
A beautiful film , impressive for authentic freshness, for dialogues and for cinematography.
Easy to love it.
A film about friendship, love and ( self ) discover.
Seductive at whole, powerful, delicate and wise crafted scene by scene.
In short, for reasons to discover step by step, a pure delight because its realism is far to be essence of manifesto or demonstration of forms of correctness.
A beautiful film , impressive for authentic freshness, for dialogues and for cinematography.
Easy to love it.
Disappointing
victormmoura26 January 2023
It's not that bothered me somehow, it was just so empty and wordless that gets tired. This movie doesn't communicate nothing interesting during its entire history.
I have to admit that it does have sensibility scenes and a little bit of reflection, but it's still not enough to cover a repetitive and slow emotional pallets.
Instead of dreams demonstrating how Manu felt about Felipe, why not develop their relationship during the years and then how they should deal with challenges? It's just how I see a handful of ideas thrown into a melancholic and spiritless disappointing teenage drama.
However, it does have a right direction carried in long plans, with insufficient emotional charge.
I have to admit that it does have sensibility scenes and a little bit of reflection, but it's still not enough to cover a repetitive and slow emotional pallets.
Instead of dreams demonstrating how Manu felt about Felipe, why not develop their relationship during the years and then how they should deal with challenges? It's just how I see a handful of ideas thrown into a melancholic and spiritless disappointing teenage drama.
However, it does have a right direction carried in long plans, with insufficient emotional charge.
Beautiful Coming of Age Film with Great Music!
Dr_Zen24 November 2022
Sublime is one of my favourite independent films of 2022. All the elements of great movie making, magically come together in this very realistic coming of age film from Argentina.
The first thing I appreciated about this film (compared to similar North American films), is that the actors look like the age they are playing. All the young actors that make up the majority of the cast, were extremely believable and relatable. The lead actor Martin Miller who plays "Manu", was completely in the moment from beginning to end. He is a likeable character, that held the story together.
The script was perfect and the use of dreams to communicate the subconscious, was very well down.
I liked everything about this movie, but my absolute favourite part was the music. Most of the main characters were playing live music throughout the entire film. Whoever did the Audio for this film, did a masterful job.
The final thing I will say, is that this is a movie that anyone can watch. The lead character maybe gay, but it is not what I would call a typical "Gay" movie. I would say it is actually a film about discovering real love for another person, who you have been close to for a long time.
I hope this film gets released on Blu-ray disc and not only DVD. Such a high quality film deserves to get a Blu-ray disc release!!!
The first thing I appreciated about this film (compared to similar North American films), is that the actors look like the age they are playing. All the young actors that make up the majority of the cast, were extremely believable and relatable. The lead actor Martin Miller who plays "Manu", was completely in the moment from beginning to end. He is a likeable character, that held the story together.
The script was perfect and the use of dreams to communicate the subconscious, was very well down.
I liked everything about this movie, but my absolute favourite part was the music. Most of the main characters were playing live music throughout the entire film. Whoever did the Audio for this film, did a masterful job.
The final thing I will say, is that this is a movie that anyone can watch. The lead character maybe gay, but it is not what I would call a typical "Gay" movie. I would say it is actually a film about discovering real love for another person, who you have been close to for a long time.
I hope this film gets released on Blu-ray disc and not only DVD. Such a high quality film deserves to get a Blu-ray disc release!!!
Hanging out with teenagers
Quinoa_Chris_Kirk18 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
A teenage boy in Argentina practices with his rock band and falls in love with his best friend, struggling to tell him how he feels.
A film that has been described as "underplayed" but I would describe as undeveloped. Many scenes play out with no clear purpose, nothing is revealed of the characters and nothing is developed in the plot, which becomes quite frustrating. The aspect ratio is wide, though the camera holds claustrophobically close on the actors' faces or the backs of their heads, and the focus is shallow, suggesting an intimacy and interiority. However, even the protagonist, who takes up most of the screentime, we learn nothing about, what he is thinking or feeling, witnessing only his moody eyes and messy, black, curly fringe.
This is a film that wouldn't exist without the undiscriminating market of the international queer film festival. There is an endless array of films about cute teenage boys struggling with their sexuality. However the actors are usually older than the characters and we are privileged with a depth of insight into their external and internal worlds. Here the actors look like they're actually teenagers, they burp in each other's faces for laughs, cannot communicate their feelings and spend lots of time staring moodily at their phones. Rather than witnessing a penetrating artistic portrait, I felt like I was just hanging out with immature and inexpressive teenagers, which was not fun.
There is a genuine feeling to the milieu, but no depth to the characterisations. The authenticity is most evident in the band performances. The characters are clearly writing and rehearsing their own four-piece rock band, genuinely working hard and improving. There is no post-dubbing or conspicuously well-rehearsed performances. But like most newly-formed teen rock bands, they're not very good.
(Spoiler alert.) The film does not justifies the title, awkward being a more appropriate adjective. A more appropriate title would be Nothing Will Change, a phrase that is whispered in one of the only sublime moments, when the protagonist is dreaming of intimacy with his best friend and bandmate. It is indicative of his friend accepting him after the revelation of his attraction, but also an unfortunate admission that there is almost no development in the entire running time of the film. The only point of tension is whether or not he will admit his love, and there are many frustrating scenes in which he does not. When he finally does it is very underwhelming, though there is a certain poignancy to it not being a big deal.
A film that has been described as "underplayed" but I would describe as undeveloped. Many scenes play out with no clear purpose, nothing is revealed of the characters and nothing is developed in the plot, which becomes quite frustrating. The aspect ratio is wide, though the camera holds claustrophobically close on the actors' faces or the backs of their heads, and the focus is shallow, suggesting an intimacy and interiority. However, even the protagonist, who takes up most of the screentime, we learn nothing about, what he is thinking or feeling, witnessing only his moody eyes and messy, black, curly fringe.
This is a film that wouldn't exist without the undiscriminating market of the international queer film festival. There is an endless array of films about cute teenage boys struggling with their sexuality. However the actors are usually older than the characters and we are privileged with a depth of insight into their external and internal worlds. Here the actors look like they're actually teenagers, they burp in each other's faces for laughs, cannot communicate their feelings and spend lots of time staring moodily at their phones. Rather than witnessing a penetrating artistic portrait, I felt like I was just hanging out with immature and inexpressive teenagers, which was not fun.
There is a genuine feeling to the milieu, but no depth to the characterisations. The authenticity is most evident in the band performances. The characters are clearly writing and rehearsing their own four-piece rock band, genuinely working hard and improving. There is no post-dubbing or conspicuously well-rehearsed performances. But like most newly-formed teen rock bands, they're not very good.
(Spoiler alert.) The film does not justifies the title, awkward being a more appropriate adjective. A more appropriate title would be Nothing Will Change, a phrase that is whispered in one of the only sublime moments, when the protagonist is dreaming of intimacy with his best friend and bandmate. It is indicative of his friend accepting him after the revelation of his attraction, but also an unfortunate admission that there is almost no development in the entire running time of the film. The only point of tension is whether or not he will admit his love, and there are many frustrating scenes in which he does not. When he finally does it is very underwhelming, though there is a certain poignancy to it not being a big deal.
Not a teen-cream movie
RickManhattan11 December 2022
This is a fairly subtle gay coming-of-age tale that should more accurately have been titled "Sublimated." It skillfully integrates Manu and Felipe's progress in developing a rock band with the warming of their personal relationship.
Periodic vignettes of Manu and Felipe remind of what is operating behind the straight façade, but there is no outright sexual activity. The furnished van in the woods that is set up for illicit encounters could have served that purpose. It is actually a vehicle to give the plot a secondary line.
Child actors seldom move on to adult success because their charm at 16 does not carry over to a serious acting career. They are not professionally trained although these youngsters deserve the benefit of the doubt.
Periodic vignettes of Manu and Felipe remind of what is operating behind the straight façade, but there is no outright sexual activity. The furnished van in the woods that is set up for illicit encounters could have served that purpose. It is actually a vehicle to give the plot a secondary line.
Child actors seldom move on to adult success because their charm at 16 does not carry over to a serious acting career. They are not professionally trained although these youngsters deserve the benefit of the doubt.
Tedious film
jromanbaker26 February 2023
Despite some glowing reviews here, I simply cannot agree that this is a good film. A lot of screen time is spent on showing a band that has hopes for success. Perhaps they will, perhaps they won't. This sums up too the off and on platonic closeness between two teenage youths and despite yearning gay glances they pay rather lack lustre ' love ' attention to teenage girls. Like the music it is annoyingly repetitive and must have been annoying for at least one of the girls (if this was real life, as this film seems to aspire to that debatable state of reality.) I know that teenagers go through questioning agonies over their sexual orientation, but then a lot of so-called adults have the same problem. It comes with a lot of gay film territory, and as long as homophobia within and without continues it will continue to do so. There is one kiss (gay or perhaps platonic love ? Hard to tell as it had absolutely no give away signs as to feelings.) Not much more to say than this is an Argentinian film and the acting was adequate.
Another Coming of Age/Coming Out Retread
brentsbulletinboard28 June 2023
There certainly has been no shortage of coming of age films in recent years, and many of those have had LGBTQ+ elements as part of their storylines. And now writer-director Mariano Biasin has added to that list with his third feature offering about a teenage boy who's become infatuated with one of his longtime pals from childhood. To complicate matters, as members of an aspiring rock band, they spend much of their time together, which leads to an ever-growing fixation for the curious young man the more he's in his friend's company. His feelings become further strained when his sidekick starts bragging about his growing list of female conquests, prompting quiet but powerful fits of jealously from his secret admirer and increasing tension in their long-tenured relationship. Unfortunately, other than the rock band story thread, this is far from an original narrative in the history of LGBTQ+ cinema. What's more, the opening act is more of a jumble of rambling, seemingly unrelated images than the makings of a coherent story, almost to the point where this film would have been better titled "Cryptic" or "Vague." Moreover, the picture places a strong emphasis on its musical numbers, most of which are admittedly decent enough, though there are quite a few of them, a fact probably attributable to the filmmaker's experience as a director of music videos. But, when you add that to the fact that the screenplay tends to get somewhat repetitive as the story plays out, you've got an increasingly tedious film that leaves viewers wondering when all of this is finally going to get wrapped up. In short, "Sublime" is a work that could definitely use some retooling (and a little more imagination) to make it a more worthwhile viewing choice, especially in light of the many other better options available in both gay cinema and music videos. Choose them instead.
Perfectto
yusufpiskin18 March 2023
Apart from the Hollywood world, which warms and warms up stereotype LGBTQ characters like Call Me By Your Name and brings them before us, more grounded scenarios from non-English speaking countries (especially Spanish speaking) are not at the box office, but are met by the audience at festivals and in the subsequent sales process.
A escondidas, Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho, Ete 85 and Close and Berdreymi, which are currently shown in cinemas and fertile, are some good examples of this.
Born in 1980, director Mariano Biasin (except for his previous short films and assistant directorships) is his directorial debut, Sublime, and is a very good Coming-Of-Age story.
Still circulating at festivals, Sublime is one of the productions you should add to your Watchlist this year.
A escondidas, Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho, Ete 85 and Close and Berdreymi, which are currently shown in cinemas and fertile, are some good examples of this.
Born in 1980, director Mariano Biasin (except for his previous short films and assistant directorships) is his directorial debut, Sublime, and is a very good Coming-Of-Age story.
Still circulating at festivals, Sublime is one of the productions you should add to your Watchlist this year.
Could have been better
dariopunto1 August 2023
I would say that this film didn't meet the expectations i had after reading all the positive reviews and recommendations.
The story is indeed interesting and original. What didn't really amaze me is the way the story develops, since I found the characters' interaction with each other particularly static and with no actual profound moment.
The storytelling is very slow and monotonous, without a single hint of enhancement throughout the whole movie.
What I did appreciate about this film is the way the main character is portrayed, a depiction of LGBT people that stays true to the reality of the majority of queer people in Argentina and in many other parts of the world.
The story is indeed interesting and original. What didn't really amaze me is the way the story develops, since I found the characters' interaction with each other particularly static and with no actual profound moment.
The storytelling is very slow and monotonous, without a single hint of enhancement throughout the whole movie.
What I did appreciate about this film is the way the main character is portrayed, a depiction of LGBT people that stays true to the reality of the majority of queer people in Argentina and in many other parts of the world.
A good movie
bfihub29 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Manuel and Felipe are best friends and they are in a band together. A good portion of the movie shows the band rehearsing. While Felipe is straight, Manuel is gay and in love with Felipe but he hasn't come out of the closet and he doesn't dare to tell Felipe how he really feels. Manuel does dream of sleeping with Felipe, which is shown in clips. The two friends do have an old Volkswagen van in the woods where they take their girlfriends to sleep with them.
One day, Felipe tells Manuel that he is going to take his girlfriend to the van. Manuel is jealous and he goes to the van and wrecks it by taking the seats and bed out. When Felipe sees this, he thinks that some vandals did it, but Manuel comes clean and tells Felipe. When Felipe gets angry and asks him why he did it, Manuel confesses that he's in love with him. Manuel walks away and Felipe sits to ponder the situation.
There are two scenes that I thought were sweet. The first is when Felipe, who is no longer angry with Manuel, tells Manuel that he's sorry that he never realized how much Manuel loves him and that it's been hurting him to keep it inside. He then gives Manuel a hug.
The second is in the end, when the two go to the beach and they play soccer with their friends. Felipe gives Manuel a kiss on the lips and smiles at him, telling him, non-verbally that everything is fine between them.
I really enjoyed this film and I will definitely watch it a few times.
One day, Felipe tells Manuel that he is going to take his girlfriend to the van. Manuel is jealous and he goes to the van and wrecks it by taking the seats and bed out. When Felipe sees this, he thinks that some vandals did it, but Manuel comes clean and tells Felipe. When Felipe gets angry and asks him why he did it, Manuel confesses that he's in love with him. Manuel walks away and Felipe sits to ponder the situation.
There are two scenes that I thought were sweet. The first is when Felipe, who is no longer angry with Manuel, tells Manuel that he's sorry that he never realized how much Manuel loves him and that it's been hurting him to keep it inside. He then gives Manuel a hug.
The second is in the end, when the two go to the beach and they play soccer with their friends. Felipe gives Manuel a kiss on the lips and smiles at him, telling him, non-verbally that everything is fine between them.
I really enjoyed this film and I will definitely watch it a few times.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
