The Pass (2016)

The Pass does in deed look at the taboo subject of being an openly gay man in top flight British football, and indeed sport generally. It's a cooking pot we all know will explode one day when shock horror a top flight player will come out. The film relies on the acting talents of two principles, Russell Tovey and Arinzé Kene, the acting is fabulous, Tovey in particular such a talented actor. I truly bought into the way in which the film spanned the three ages, makeup etc was excellent. Unfortunately It's not a film that would appeal to the mainstream, a pity because it's a great film with a powerful message.

It's long, claustrophobic and boring. Ben A Young forgot what is cinema while adapting a play, cinema isn't theatre, it's also images just not lazily filming people talking. The photography is just okay, the mise en scène mediocre. The performances ain't bad, Russel Tovey and Nico Mirallegro are excellent, Arinzé Kene does his best with what he's been given, Lisa McGrillis is at best forgettable. The problem is that the characters are not very well developed. It feels like watching a never-ending short movie, 20 minutes that would feel like 2 hours. There's just not enough material to make a long feature really. The script is not that bad but the dialogues are not terrible, but pretty mediocre, It's meant to be deep, but it's all forgettable, cliché and trying hard to shock but it's just manage to be tiring. That film felt like watching paint drying then peeling.

Am a big fan of Looking and was hoping The Pass would be paar to the best the series had to offer, alas. I'm not even sure there is anything to save in this awful Z series movie, the writing, the acting and the story are pitiful, it looks like a prank movie but it isn't one. I have no idea how this was funded but one thing is for sure, the director should find another way to use his days because directing a film is definitely not an option.

I almost skipped this film due to some bad reviews I read about it, and therefore was surprised to find that it is quite enjoyable and interesting. Acting is great, especially Tovey Russel's performance which I found excellent in spite of a somewhat exaggerated character script. I admit the subject treatment is a bit outdated, and the script is more suitable for chamber theater than for a film. But still, this is a very good gay flick.