Don't Tell Anyone (1998)

A fight. Testimony and form of self definition.Its crumbs - searches, illusions and refuges.A man and levels of his life. The truth as insignificant detail and desire to be yourself.The beauty of movie do not consists in images, music or acting. It is more. The courage to tell a story about a form of normality. Not sexual orientation but only tolerance for different way to be happy.In Peru or anyway. Seed of a small deep revolution, the film is not only adaptation of a autobiographic novel but a manifesto. A form of define not existence of a guy but values of a society. It is a good film. Why ? For the gentle mode to show a painful drama. For pictures of limits broke. For end. And for the unspoken things. It is enough ? Maybe, not.

This movie was nice to watch and follow along. The story was decently done though at times far-fetched. The ending was a bit off, but if you like "happy" endings, then go for it. The disappointment comes from the fact that it barely follows Bayly's original novel. The original is much more realistic, easy-flowing, and well rounded. The sex scenes, I don't believe, were too much. They were similar or more graphic in the novel. But, like I said, the novel is more believable and much more enjoyable for its artistic merits of story telling and "truth telling". I suggest that all who can read Spanish get the book and read it if you haven't already. I don't know if it is in English or not. It is definitely worth the few dollars.

I rented this DVD based on the strength of Santiago Magill's performance in the film: "I love you, Baby", (not to mention he's a total cutie). I was impressed with the naturalness and vitality of his acting, even though I was not too thrilled with the movie (I love you, Baby) itself. "Don't tell Anyone" is basically a coming out story that unfolds in present day Lima, Peru. Joaquin (the protagonist) is a young gay man of Spanish, not Indian, descent who is struggling to come to terms with his sexuality in the face of the overbearingly machismo culture of his native land, and also the barely concealed racism of those of Spanish descent against the native Indian populace, which racism Joaquin does not share. While the ending is somewhat ambiguous, it seemed to me, even though there weren't any seashells and balloons, that Joaquin had come to some acceptance of himself and his sexuality. Also, there is one scene early on with Joaquin and a young Indian man that shows Joaquin's indifference to matters of race and caste. This is significant in that a gay man is demonstrating far more humanity and decency than any of his so-called Christian family and friends, particularly his father. But all such issues aside, if you have an interest in well-acted and written gay-themed movies, then by all means watch this one. 8\10 stars.

"No se lo digas a nadie" is a film that is showing in several theaters in Mexico City, following a trend of showing gay themed movies outside art clubs. I think it is a good reflection of what coming out is in Latin America for upper class youth, it shows the alienation that can lead to drug abuse, something that is not particular to this part of the world, as Australian movie "Head on" shows; but more tellingly, it shows the absence of a gay subculture, or at least, in such deeply class divided cultures as Peru and Mexico, the preeminence of class identity over sexual identity. It is thus not only possible but even mandatory for people with a homosexual orientation to marry within the appropriate social circle, while at the same time having homosexual encounters. I think this movie is at times excessively caricaturesque in its portrayal of machismo and its counterpart, submissiveness and religiousness in Latin American women, I felt like I was watching one of the soap operas the region is famous the world over, but on the whole I think the movie is on target in its honest portrayal of the subject.