Bear Cub (2004) (AKA Cachorro)
Don't let the anglicized title of
this film fool you. This isn't a about a gay intergenerational
relationship with one of the partners being a chubby,
hairy homo. Of course, you would have to be fairly
familiar with gay culture to know that a "bear" is
a chubby, hairy guy and a "cub" is a young bear. It's
all part of gay subculture terminology and, for the
most part. it is unimportant to this film.
What is important is that this is
an awesome film. This is a film that will fill your
heart. This is a film that you will fall in love with,
Set in Madrid, "Bear Cub" concerns
a cosmopolitan 30-something gay "bear" and a dentist
and what happens when his nine-year-old nephew comes
to visit him while his mother, the bear's sister,
goes on vacation. To tell you more about the story
would spoil all it's wonderful surprises. This is
a film that takes a few twists and turns but manages
to make each of them, even when based on an obvious
contrivance, work wonderfully. Even when the film
falls into familiar territory, it lifts itself above
the more tepid productions of the genres it evokes
and becomes something much more deep and wondrous.
Perhaps you will think that I find
the film easier to forgive because it is a Spanish
production and some of its obvious contrivances are
helped by the freshness of the setting and the country
of origin. But, honestly, this would only allow it
to have some minor forgiveness. No, what truly makes
the film work is its two male leads. Of particular
note is David Castillo as the young Bernardo. This
young man is so mature and so talented that we easily
fall under his spell. His acting is so good that we
never once think of him as a child actor in a movie.
We simply continually believe him to be Bernardo.
Bernardo is also a well-written
character, so it is amazing that such a talented young
actor was found to bring him to life. We fall in love
with the boy, as does the protagonist, and we are
deeply affected by what happens to the two as the
story progresses.
"Bear Cub" is one of those exceptional
films that seems based on a gimmick, in this case
a gay subculture, yet somehow manages to rise above
all that and become an engrossing and emotional piece.
Yes, you have to sit through a couple of scenes of
fat, hairy guys making out but the film is well worth
this disquieting intrusion. The emotional resonance
and wonderful charm of the film will stay with you
much longer than these unsightly images. In this way,
for me, the film was somewhat like what it must be
like for straight people to watch a good gay film.
The sex scenes were a bit much to witness but the
story was so good and the characters were so wonderful
and the acting so perfect that the fact that it didn't
arouse me in the least simply didn't matter.
Notes:
Some of the sex scenes may have
been edited for the U.S, release.
The film debuted in Spain in February
2004. It has played at several festivals in the U.S.
and had a slow, gradual release (called a "plateau
release" by distributors) in various U.S. cities.
It came to Austin in the gay and lesbian film festival
in October of 2004 and then began a run at the Dobie
in March of 2005.
Viewed on a DVD provided by the
distributor and the Dobie in March of 2005.
