You I Love (2004) (AKA Ya Lyublu tebya)
Consider this Russian import a sort
of "The Wild Child" meets "Being There" meets "In
and Out."
When a sweet, innocent country bumpkin
boy in nothing but a pair of overhauls falls into
your lap, kisses you gently and makes goo-goo eyes
at you with his big ol' baby browns, what are you
supposed to do? Even if you are a straight man, it's
hard to resist such a nice, unpretentious, honest
expression of love.
Ulumji (I think that's how it's
spelled, it's hard to find the spelling that the subtitles
used on-line) is the sweet natured Mongolian innocent
boy who invades the world of trendy Timofei, a hip
ad exec and marketing man. Timofei is almost immediately
enchanted and who can blame him. His little Mongol
boy is adorable with puppy dog eyes and the body of
a young man raised on the farm.
Trouble is, Timofei is engaged to
Vera, Moscow's ultra-modern TV news anchor woman and
she might get in the way of love. It's an age-old
boy meets boy problem - the other woman, but "You
I Love" managers to make it fresh, funny and utterly
engrossing.
The film itself is hip, trendy and
modern. Using flashy modern cinema techniques, quick-cut
montages, flashy graphics and hip and cool music (the
crisp techno score here is phenomenal), "You I Love"
is one of the hottest gay movies you will see this
year. It's amazing enough that an accepting gay movie
has come out of Moscow. Even more amazing, it's as
good as any that America (or any other Western nation
for that matter) has to offer.
There's a lot to like here. The
love affair is invigorating. The look at Vera's questioning
of her physical self is relevant and accentuated not
only by her newfound male rival for Timofei's affection
but also by her job as a female TV personality. And
we get a unique insights into the modern Russian attitude
towards gays (and life) in the post- Westernization
era. Not only do we see this in the love affair here
but in the things that are in the peripheral. There's
plenty of scenes set in the urban outdoors of Moscow
and an interesting look at the new culture via television.
And there's minor looks at the military, politicians,
and the gay subculture.
Yes, "You I Love" is a fascinating
look at modern Moscow, its culture and its lifestyles.
But that's all secondary here. The true heart of the
story is the purity of love that can be found when
we are allowed to express ourselves openly and honestly,
without culture, politics, the media or anything other
than our own hearts to drive us. And that, my friends,
is an idea universal.
Note:
In Russian with subtitles.
Released in Russia in April, 2004,
the film has played in a few film festivals in America
and has been picked up by Picture This! for an American
release. Viewed
at Agliff in August 2004.
