Most of the story is set in the Sultan's multi-ethnic harem in the last days of the Ottoman Empire. It is fascinating, "lush" historical drama and story-telling, beautifully acted. The film also raises interesting questions about memory and the telling of stories. Because of the way the story is told, with flashbacks within flashbacks, I had to watch it more than once to figure out what was going on, but I enjoyed each viewing immensely. Also, if you watch Ozpetek's "Steam Bath" ("Hamam"), which is set in modern-day Istanbul, you will see an understated link to this story. (...)
Storyteller's Delight!
I own the VHS of this movie, and can tell you it is based on fact. What a tragic tale told so wonderfully. It has been said there is a lot of nudity, but truly not as much as one could expect. This film really does give the viewer a trip into the royal Turkish harem at the end of the Empire! You won't be disappointed.
"HIS SECRET LIFE" is a well directed, good story. You already know what it's about, so I will tell you that I liked the way the characters are portrayed. The people seem real and the theme isn't heavy-handed at all.
An all-around enjoyable movie, I wanted to call "His Secret Life" the best gay movie ever, but I already said that about "Come Undone". Also, this is broader than a gay movie by any comparison. (If you have any doubt, watch this and then see the sex scenes in "Come Undone" and you'll agree that "His Secret Life" is far more appealing to people who are not gay. Tell ya what, if you wanna lock yourself up with a couple great movies then that is the pair.
This very good film, "His Secret Life", is everything that another one I saw is not: "Steam:... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Ferzan Ozpetek DVD Release Date: Released the 25 March 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $29.99 Your Price: $26.99YOU SAVE $3!
Buy it
This is a story about an Italian man who goes to Istanbul to settle the estate of his deceased aunt. Though eager to sell off the property she has left him, when he discovers that the property is a hamam (Turkish bath), he becomes ambivalent about selling. His own perspectives on his life, Istanbul, the hamam, and the family with whom he is staying are highlighted by his aunt's words which we hear throughout the movie as he reads her returned letters.
Istanbul is somewhat romanticized, with old and new customs side by side, sometimes competing and other times in harmony. All in all, it's a lovely film in Italian with English subtitles. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Ferzan Ozpetek DVD Release Date: Released the 19 June 2003 Usually ships within 24 hours
List Price: $29.99 Your Price: $26.99YOU SAVE $3!
Buy it
If you crave a gay-themed film full of brooding obsession, gloomy (and very well done) night photography, the occasional graphic sex scene, and METAPHORS so obvious even a high school film class could catch them, then this just might be your cup of tea. Howewver, if you are looking for a film that sustains its running time and subject, then you are out of luck.
To be fair, Portugese director João Pedro Rodrigues has made some daring choices here. Dialogue is minimal--this might as well be a silent film with sound effects. He's working one of the great themes--the boundary between dream and reality and the dangers of ignoring that boundary. There is the further theme of sexual oppression triggering further oppressions. And yes, there is more than a little boundage mixed in.... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Ricardo Meneses - Beatriz Torcato Director(s): João Pedro Rodrigues DVD Release Date: Released the 04 November 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $29.95 Your Price: $26.96YOU SAVE $2.99!
Buy it
In terms of alluring female nudity, Swimming Pool shows a lot, but it's what remains concealed that gives this erotic thriller a potent, voyeuristic charge. With his Hitchcockian handling of secrets and lies, prolific French director François Ozon reunites with his Under the Sand star, Charlotte Rampling, to tell a seductive tale of murder and complicity, beginning when British mystery novelist Sarah Morton (Rampling) seeks peace and relaxation at her publisher's French villa, only to find his brash, sexually liberated daughter Julie (Ludivine Sagnier) arriving shortly thereafter to disrupt her solitary reverie. What begins as mutual annoyance turns into something more sinister and duplicitous, alternating between Julie's predatory sex with men and Sarah's observant,... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Charlotte Rampling - Ludivine Sagnier - Charles Dance Director(s): François Ozon DVD Release Date: Released the 23 August 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $9.99 Your Price: $9.99YOU SAVE $0!
Buy it
Based on Susanna Moore's popular novel, In the Cut centers on Frannie (Meg Ryan), an emotionally stifled English teacher who gets steamy with sultry Malloy (Mark Ruffalo, You Can Count On Me), a cop who's investigating a series of brutal murders--but Frannie soon suspects that Malloy may be the killer. As a psychological thriller, In the Cut is heavier on psychology than thrills; the story is a skeleton that director Jane Campion (The Piano, An Angel at My Table) cloaks in one of the most nightmarish visions of urban life since Taxi Driver or Seven, accompanied by lots of explicit sex. The movie's dark tone will put some viewers off, but Ruffalo's effortless magnetism serves him well; no woman in the audience will question how quickly Ryan... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Jennifer Jason Leigh - Meg Ryan - Mark Ruffalo Director(s): Jane Campion DVD Release Date: Released the 10 February 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $14.94 Your Price: $11.95YOU SAVE $2.99!
Buy it
