Silent Youth

I found this movie to be hypnotic and strangely poetic. It's billed as a "coming out" story, or a gay "teen love" story, and it's definitely each of those things, in its own way, but as some descriptions have put it, the movie is actually about awkwardness, alienation, yearning, and ultimately, connection. There is very little action in this film, and even less dialogue. Most of the story is told by implication and through long periods of silence. Many may find this to be frustrating, and I can understand why. This isn't a movie that sets up a premise and then goes through the standard motions of reaching it's conclusion. Like a poem, everything is compressed into a kind of minimalist quality. If you go into this without any expectations, I suspect you'll be pleasantly surprised by the actual underlying story this movie tells. This isn't a standard presentation of a standard story, and I found myself amazed at the tenderness and vulnerability expressed by the two characters in the most unexpected, off-kilter ways. I give this 8 out of 10 stars, as the movie achieves what it sets out to do with a kind of austere, almost detached grace that won't work for every member of the audience.