Days

Rating:
Summary: Manslaughter/Murder tries to be sexy
Review: Cute boy in need of love and guidance may not care if he has unsafe sex....but the HIV positive older man is only too willing to take advantage and spread disease- knowingly- instead of truly caring for the vulnerable young man.
Terrible dissapointment.

Rating:
Summary: A dangerous love story with passion
Review: DAYS ("GIORNI") is a well crafted Italian film by writer/director Laura Muscardin about present day relationships in a segment of our poplulation we infrequently view. Claudio is an AIDS patient of 10 years, living an apparently normal life as a working, commited executive, keeping his activities monitored by the small alarm on his medications case. Much of this film focuses on Caludio's compulsive medical visits and self care in a brave life maintained with the latest AIDS medications. He is in a longterm relationship that has grown as regimented and predictable as his medication timer...until his eyes engage a young waiter (Andrea) with whom he eventually, if carefully, enters into a passionate love affair. The new couple enjoy the highs of new love despite the warnings that Claudio is HIV+ and Andrea is HIV-. The disease is discussed but Andrea elects to ignore prophylaxis. This thrilling but perilous affair eventually ends when Claudio feels he can no longer accept the fact that he is a 'doomed man' and leaves all his past behind - home, new and old lovers, family, friends. The fallout from this decision brings the film to its close - reality steps into the forefront. Though the theme of this beautifully photographed and directed story is depressing, the actors create moments of some of the tenderest aspects of love. Thomas Trabacchi as the HIV+ Claudio and Ricardo Salerno as his beautifuly naive new lover Andrea give pitch perfect performances. The film deals with AIDS in a very sophisticated way, showing the interplay between doctor and patient as well as any film has done. Highly recommended - just don't be mislead by the cover of the DVD which leads you to think this is either a comedy or a light love story.

Rating:
Summary: Another valid view of relationships
Review: DAYS ("GIORNI") is a well crafted Italian film by writer/director Laura Muscardin about present day relationships in a segment of our poplulation we infrequently view. Claudio is an AIDS patient of 10 years, living an apparently normal life as a working, commited executive, keeping his activities monitored by the small alarm on his medications case. Much of this film focuses on Caludio's compulsive medical visits and self care in a brave life maintained with the latest AIDS medications. He is in a longterm relationship that has grown as regimented and predictable as his medication timer...until his eyes engage a young waiter (Andrea) with whom he eventually, if carefully, enters into a passionate love affair. The new couple enjoy the highs of new love despite the warnings that Claudio is HIV+ and Andrea is HIV-. The disease is discussed but Andrea elects to ignore prophylaxis. This thrilling but perilous affair eventually ends when Claudio feels he can no longer accept the fact that he is a 'doomed man' and leaves all his past behind - home, new and old lovers, family, friends. The fallout from this decision brings the film to its close - reality steps into the forefront. Though the theme of this beautifully photographed and directed story is depressing, the actors create moments of some of the tenderest aspects of love. Thomas Trabacchi as the HIV+ Claudio and Ricardo Salerno as his beautifuly naive new lover Andrea give pitch perfect performances. The film deals with AIDS in a very sophisticated way, showing the interplay between doctor and patient as well as any film has done. Highly recommended - just don't be mislead by the cover of the DVD which leads you to think this is either a comedy or a light love story.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing, but not without merit.
Review: Gay themed foreign films are usually my most sort after gay themed film - not only are the actors usually sexier, but they seem to have a more emotionally honest edge to them. So I had great expectations when I viewed Days.

I must say I was rather disappointed. The premise sounded good: HIV positive man and HIV negative man decide to partake in unsafe sex. It sounded as though there would be a wonderful exploration of the challenges of gay men in an era of sex where it appears that 'unsafe' is becoming more acceptable. But in Days we really do not get to see any of the reasoning behind such an act, or many of the emotions that come from becoming HIV positive. The characters are one dimensional and the truth is the audience doesn't really care who becomes infected or if they die.

Not that Days is a bad movie. There are some wonderful emotive moments between the HIV positive guy and his (ex)lover. The HIV positive man goes through alot of grief concerning his act of unsafe sex with a negative (and nieve) younger man. Though the trouble is we don't really get to explore why he chose that option.

This movie could have been alot more than it is. But as it stands, it is nothing more than a sign of the times where more and more gay men are choosing to completely ignore the warnings of unsafe sex and AIDS. Shame really, because this is one area of the gay lifestyle that needs to be explored in queer film.

Rating:
Summary: **Great romantic, erotic and sad movie
Review: Great movie ... This movie might represent very well what the gay community is going through. Some men couples (not all them) lives an open relationship ... within this movie it showed how a couple can break up quickly with the passion,love for an one night stand append ... The actors were great ...

Rating:
Summary: Acting good, story okay, but parts just don't make sense
Review: I feel compelled to review this movie. I bought it on the recommendations of earlier reviewers but my experience with this film was not as positive as theirs.

First of all, I simply did not like the main character. I think the movie was trying to convey some kind of idea that, because of his HIV status, he felt he was authorized to dump on his present partner and take up with Andrea. That's the first problem.

I also had a problem with the way that he treated Dario, his sister, his mother, and eventually Andrea. He was generally a dislikable fellow.

My bigger problem with this film is that parts of it just didn't make sense. For example, Claudio's conversation with Dario about his involvement with Andrea was either badly written or way too edited. It didn't flow, didn't make sense, and concluded in a way that the preceding events didn't suggest or support. There were several scenes that didn't flow right. They felt rushed.

Finally, the scene where Andrea is sick and the end of the movie felt manipulative and unrealistic.

There are good things about this movie (other than seeing Andrea's smile) which include the acting, the technical quality of the film, and the fact that it had that European flair. Get it on Netflix - can't recommend it as a purchase (even though I bought it).

Rating:
Summary: A Real World View
Review: I have to agree with Davey B's evaluation of this film in that the film *does* have merit and is definitely a sign of the times. And I, too, bought this film because the men in foreign films tend to have a more honest edge to them than their American counterparts which seem to have gone through that "after school special" car wash where sexuality and nudity are removed (ie TRICK and it's Canadian brother Defying Gravity).

In DAYS the sexuality is not flaunted but indeed part of the storyline and the viewer is treated to just enough nudity that a buttshot seems natural and not merely presented for eye candy. The emotional scenes are natural and provide a nice counter balance to the everyday life of managing tables and making visits to the hospital.

The scenery was above and beyond the norm for a smaller budgeted venture and sound and lightning on a professional level as well. Characterization was believeable and the film well cast, all in all.

The two things that keep this film from getting a higher recommendation are: I wish they had explored the relationship between Claudio and the woman at the hospital (a fellow HIV patient) more in depth so that the ending would have been a little more consistent AND I also wish that there was a little more justification for the two lead characters going "bareback"...there really did not seem to be enough 'history' for them to have loved each other that soon to be so carefree.

Unsafe sex, for whatever reason, is becoming more commonplace in the gay community and that is a topic that would have been keenly appreciated in the movie.

Still, the characters and situations will stick with the viewer long after the DVD has stopped spinning in it's tray. Romantic it is, comedy it is not. Don't be mislead by the cover.

Rating:
Summary: Sign of the Times
Review: I have to agree with Davey B's evaluation of this film in that the film *does* have merit and is definitely a sign of the times. And I, too, bought this film because the men in foreign films tend to have a more honest edge to them than their American counterparts which seem to have gone through that "after school special" car wash where sexuality and nudity are removed (ie TRICK and it's Canadian brother Defying Gravity).

In DAYS the sexuality is not flaunted but indeed part of the storyline and the viewer is treated to just enough nudity that a buttshot seems natural and not merely presented for eye candy. The emotional scenes are natural and provide a nice counter balance to the everyday life of managing tables and making visits to the hospital.

The scenery was above and beyond the norm for a smaller budgeted venture and sound and lightning on a professional level as well. Characterization was believeable and the film well cast, all in all.

The two things that keep this film from getting a higher recommendation are: I wish they had explored the relationship between Claudio and the woman at the hospital (a fellow HIV patient) more in depth so that the ending would have been a little more consistent AND I also wish that there was a little more justification for the two lead characters going "bareback"...there really did not seem to be enough 'history' for them to have loved each other that soon to be so carefree.

Unsafe sex, for whatever reason, is becoming more commonplace in the gay community and that is a topic that would have been keenly appreciated in the movie.

Still, the characters and situations will stick with the viewer long after the DVD has stopped spinning in it's tray. Romantic it is, comedy it is not. Don't be mislead by the cover.

Rating:
Summary: A Real World View
Review: I was a bit nervous about watching this film. I am one of those folks who is as anti-'barebacking' as you can get. Maybe I approached it with a more open mind because I recently experienced my first significant 'slip' in my own behavior.

Structurally, this is a very good movie. The acting is solid, the pace steady, the filming quite good. The story is solid and well told.

This film does not operate with an open agenda. We hear various characters voice a variety of opinions and judgements, yet we also get a clear view of the protagonist's confusion, desire for change, wish to escape. A variety of tools are used to show as how time can control us, define our expectations and behaviors, and, how we sometimes want to escape that. The consequences are clear.

With the recent publicity around 'bug chasers,' this film is as timely as can be. It limits the emotional perspective to the character who has long known and treated his HIV infection. The man whose status is assmumed to be negative states his motivations, but these are not explored in depth. This is not a weakness in the film, but a strength, as it keeps the focus on the main story.

The fact that the director accepts this limitation makes this film all the better, it makes it entertainment as opposed to sociology. I never felt lectured. Instead, I cared about the characters, all of them. Somehow, in the meantime, I came to understand myself a little better. And to be a little less harsh in my judgements. I still hate barebacking. But I better understand slipping, and also how I can recognize the triggers and avoid them for myself.

Rating:
Summary: Tragic
Review: The film starts out with Claudio and Andrea making out in the car. It is their first time together. Claudio has a lover he has been living with for some time. They mutually decide not to live together anymore. Claudio finds out he is HIV-Positive. Still he continues to make friends. While Andrea wants to be firends with him and see him again, he decides to tell Andrea he is going on a long trip. He tells others that too and people close to him. The one man he was with the night in the car, he really begins to like. One night, he goes back to see Andrea. A neighbor tells him he is not ta home, but this is where you can find him. He does, and they have a sudden urge of passion, kissing and undressing madly. In the bedroom, Claudio suddenly tells him "He can't'". Without a condom, Andrea decides "It doesn't matter". This is just the start of the film. Very well made Italian film. I have never seen an Italian film quite like this one before. Not as emotional as it could have been. Played pretty straight. But, man, can the Italians show passion between two men. This DVD includes English subtitles.