BFI Flare: Difficult Age

If the last post looked at films exploring the golden years, this one looks at films covering the teen years, that oh so difficult time of confusion, soaring hormones and parental disapproval. 

Big Boys

The US indie comedy Big Boys takes us on a camping trip with 14-year-old Jamie, his older brother, their older cousin and her hunky boyfriend Dan. Dan will prove pivotal in this, just saying. Jamie is a big lad with a high pitched voice and a very horny older brother who goads him into unfortunate escapades like stealing liquor and chatting up girls he is not really interested in. There is a lot of cringe in this film, as we watch Jamie try to be what everyone else wants him to be while secretly nurturing a crush on Dan. The film takes its time and I found myself losing patience with it several times, but the last 20 minutes are quite good and the film lingers in the mind. 

The South Korean drama XX + XY is a curiosity, a BL-inspired series that has been compressed into a film, with iffy results. The lead character, Jay, is intersex and just starting at a new school, accompanied by best friend Sera. Jay attracts the attentions of Wooram who does not know Jay's gender status and is confused when he finds himself falling for someone he thinks is a boy. In better hands this could be a whimsical comedy or serious drama, but in fact it's a bit of a mess. The lead has no chemistry with any of the possible romantic partners and a sub plot involving blackmail and humiliation is quite creepy. The ending suggests a sequel, which possibly means a season two in Korea. Maybe it works better on the small screen.