Beauty (Skoonheid)
TLA Releasing (2011)
Drama, Foreign, Queer Themes/Interest
In Collection
#384
8*
Seen ItYes
(12/8/2017 Dekkoo)
5060018652573
IMDB   6.2
98 mins South Africa / African
DVD  Region 1
Deon Lotz François
Charlie Keegan Christian
Roeline Daneel Anika
Albert Maritz Willem
Director
Oliver Hermanus
Writer/Composer Oliver Hermanus


A man leading a double life finds his obsessions leading him in a dark, troubling direction in this drama from South African filmmaker Oliver Hermanus. Francois (Deon Lotz) is a South African businessman in his mid-forties who on the surface seems to be an ordinary, happily married, and respectable citizen. But beneath the surface Francois seethes with resentment; as an Afrikaner, he distrusts and dislikes the blacks who have risen to political power since the end of apartheid, and while he's openly homophobic, he's sexually attracted to men and takes part in periodic group sex sessions with other white, married men. While attending his daughter's wedding, Francois sees Christian (Charlie Keegan), the handsome twenty-something son of a longtime family friend, and he quickly becomes obsessed. Francois pays a visit to Christian's parents to find out more about him, and begins following the younger man as he struggles with his desires. Francois is attracted to Christian, but he also sees in him a man who is comfortable with himself and the world around him, and his lust eventually gives way to a hatred that seems poised to explode into violence. Deon Lotz's performance in Skoonheid (aka Beauty) earned him the Golden Eye Award as Best Actor at the 2011 Zurich Film Festival.
Edition Details
Original Title Skoonheid
No. of Discs/Tapes 1
Personal Details
Purchase Date 12/8/2017
Location Personal Library
Owner Deitz
Store Amazon.com
Condition New
Tags intergenerational
Links +8 Review: QueerGuru (Roger Walter-Dack)
+9 Review: Big Gay Picture Show (Tim Isaac)
+ Review: Gay Essential
± Review: Gay Celluloid (David Hall)
Skoonheid at Core for Movies
IMDB
TheMovieDb.org
References
Streaming, VoD Dekkoo
Lists ‡ IMDb Best Gay Themed by Metonymy
IMDb Voters <500
QueerGuru Rating 8

Notes
Beauty is both a thought-provoking and full of tension· It is likely to stay in your head for a long while· It's theme is rarely the subject of film - a very closeted middle aged man, François van Heerden, who is very, very homophobic and racist, but whose sexual preference is other "straight" men· Oliver Hermanus' skillful writing and directing may enable us to find empathy· But not sympathy· François is despicable, criminal.