The Way He Looks (2014)

Leonardo is a blind teenager searching for independence. His everyday life, the relationship with his best friend, Giovana, and the way he sees the world change completely with the arrival of Gabriel.

Director:

Daniel Ribeiro

Writer:

Daniel Ribeiro (script)

Stars:

Ghilherme Lobo, Fabio Audi, Tess Amorim

27 wins & 22 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ghilherme Lobo	...	Leonardo
Fabio Audi	...	Gabriel
Tess Amorim	...	Giovana
Lúcia Romano	...	Laura
Eucir de Souza	...	Carlos
Selma Egrei	...	Maria
Isabela Guasco	...	Karina
Victor Filgueiras	...	Guilherme
Pedro Carvalho	...	Fabio
Guga Auricchio	...	Carlinhos
Bárbara Pereira	...	Marta
Matheus Abreu	...	William
Naruna Costa	...	Professora Ana
Julio Machado	...	Professor Rubens (as Júlio Machado)
Renata Novaes	...	Sandra

Storyline

Leonardo is a blind teenager dealing with an overprotective mother while trying to live a more independent life. To the disappointment of his best friend, Giovana, he plans to go on an exchange program abroad. When Gabriel, a new student in town, arrives at their classroom, new feelings blossom in Leonardo making him question his plans.

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Plot Keywords:

gay love | gay teenager | coming out | first gay sexual experience | coming of age | 

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Taglines:

Not every love happens at first sight.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

On February 2021, actor Fábio Audi shared on his Instagram stories a gorgeous panting made by Brazilian fan Laura Gonçalves.

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Goofs

During the camping trip pool scene, the pool side chairs which Gabriel and Leo go to sit down on are a noticeable distance apart in the long shot. When the shot changes to a close up, they are right beside each other.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
Leonardo: What's your level of laziness right now?

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Connections

Featured in MsMojo: Top 10 Most Underrated Teen Movies of the 2010s (2019)

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Soundtracks

Trio for Piano and Strings No.2 in Eb Major (D.929 / Op. 100)
Written by Franz Schubert
Performed by The Gryphon Trio
Record label: Analekta

User Reviews

Like the Short Film, This Movie Is Beyond Stunning

First off, let me just say this: if you haven't watched the movie yet, I strongly recommend you not to watch the short film first. I found that watching the short film first ruined my watching experience of this movie.

I actually forgot how I stumbled upon this movie; I think the movie trailer was auto-played by the Youtube player. Anyway, it is indeed a great film, and I was so happy to have come across this movie by accident.

To be frank, one of the reasons I was keen on watching this film is because of its high rating. It's just a few marks below one of my absolute favorites, Weekend (2011), which stimulated me to watch this film.

Basically, this movie is an elaborated version of the short film. The two films more or less have the same plot. I always think it's hard to turn an outstanding short film into an outstanding 90-minute movie. This one definitely did not disappoint me. When I was watching the movie, I was thinking why it could get such a high rating. Well, the reason is really simple: it is genuine. None of the dialogues is misplaced; the emotions are heartfelt; and the cinematography is indeed splendid. The actors made the plot believable too: Gabriel (Audi) and Leo (Lobo) were great actors; they conveyed the emotions smoothly. I was surprised to know Audi's real age and Lobo's normal eyesight. I guess that is evidence that they really carried the story well.

There are one or two scenes which can be considered slightly explicit, but they don't exist just for the visual stimulation. They carry weight, reveal characters' inner-feelings, and move the plot forward. You know, some films include explicit sex scenes which indeed provide pleasure for the viewers, but this movie is not one of them.

I also loved how the plot is so simple yet heartwarming. Like some reviewers have pointed out, this movie does remind you of what first love feels like, especially for gay teenagers. The confusing emotions and the hesitation of whether to trust your feelings are revealed splendidly in this movie. Also, the fact that the film involves a blind character adds a twist to the movie. The plot is indeed a wonderful one, but after watching the movie, I can only wonder whether a blind, gay teenager falling in love with a new student who also happens to be gay is plausible. I'm not saying that the fairytale ending is implausible, but the way that the movie is packaged as "a beautiful youth story" took away a tiny bit of my love for this movie. Hence why it's a 8/10, not 9. Nonetheless, in this world where gay stories almost never have happy endings, I will gratefully take this movie.

One more point to add: I don't know if critics have noticed, but clothing have become a recurrent theme in gay film and literature. Like Jack's bloodstained shirt in Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Oliver's "Billowy" shirt in André Aciman's novel "Call Me By Your Name" (2007), Gabriel's jacket has become one more item to be included in the recurrent theme of "clothing" in gay film and literature. The meaning of clothes is not just on physical but also metaphorical level, and in this film, Leo's yearning for Gabriel is best revealed by how he treated Gabriel's jacket.

Let's just put it this way: if you haven't seen the movie, you need to watch it as soon as possible.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

Brazil

Language:

Portuguese

Release Date:

7 November 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Way He Looks

Filming Locations:

Rua Dr. Carlos Norberto de Souza Aranha, São Paulo, Brazil

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$26,334, 9 November 2014

Gross USA:

$101,451

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,207,841

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lacuna Filmes, Polana Filmes

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Color:

Color (35 mm version)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1