Starring: Léo Carius, Thiago Cazado, William Ferreira, Maria Garcia
Director: Thiago Cazado
Country: Brazil
UK Distributor: TLA Releasing
While out cycling in the countryside, Paulo (Carius) stumbles across a cruising site in the woods. Unable to decide between his disgust and intrigue, he encounters several men there, including the sweet and flirtatious Luigi (Cazado). Stuck in a loveless marriage, he can’t help but return to the same spot again, hoping to see Luigi once more. And a romance ensues between them. But caught between his feelings of duty and masculinity, Paulo struggles to work out exactly what he wants and why he’s there.
Following hot on the heels of cruising-thriller Birder, there’s something that neither of these films could get right. Meanwhile, 2013’s Stranger By The Lake managed to perfectly capture the danger, risk and thrill of cruising without descending into campery, but Behind The Trees falls at the very first hurdle, wanting to underline its eroticism but unable to resist a comedic edge. And unfortunately, both undermine each other, leaving the film neither funny nor erotic at all. It’s been eleven years since the French masterpiece, but once again this is proof that these pale copies simply can’t come close to it.
What’s left is a light romantic drama that doesn’t really have any teeth. Paulo’s internal conflict feels somewhat arbitrary, while Luigi’s sole character trait seems to be his sex drive. There’s a lot of nudity, sure, but there’s precisely nothing about this film that’s sexy, funny or tense. It might pass a pleasant hour and half, but this is simply forgettable fluff.
UK Release: Out now to watch on VOD on Dekkoo, released by TLA Releasing
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