F.L.Y.

This film was my big surprise at the Puerto Rico Queer Filmfest, directed and co-starring by Rafael Albarrán, at first and to be honest with so many international films at the festival I hesitated to see it. I had a movie marathon, one after the other, and I thought I would take a break to eat something and watch the next one. But at the end I rethink and decided to watch it. And damn good I did!

F. L. Y. It is one of those few queer comedies that you really enjoy from beginning to end, whose plot flows from a fearless comedy to some tender drama. It's goofy but brave goofy. Its plot focuses on the lives of Max and Rafael, Max has always felt a little contained in the queer world, while Rafaelis more relaxed. After a breakup, they meet 5 years later, Max has another partner, Rafael arrives completely different and to make matters worse, they are both trapped by the Covid pandemic in a house.

This is a genuine comedy, with very good performances from its two protagonists played by Trent Kendrick and Rafael Albarran, very well supported by a super effective supporting cast, highlighting Shea Diamond, a transsexual best friend of Max who has among the most funniets and tender moments of the film. Ursula Christian also stands out as Max's endearing grandmother and the Puerto Rican actresses Carola García and Irma Mendez, Rafael's mother and grandmother.

The production values are impeccable, the editing, the music. A comedy that manages the times very well. It knows when to make you laugh, cry, but above all F. L. Y. Dares to move like Rafael's character, without fear, without complexes; honest with themselves.

Highly recommended.

Such a fun film! A beautifully fun camp experience revisiting lockdown, while also making room to draw a few tears. This film has a great representation of today's dating culture too. The film highlights so many realms of love, and the different relationships throughout giving this unconventional and divergent love story an adorable perspective to unconventional relationship dynamics not seen represented in mainstream film. I fell in love with the characters. The chemistry between them was amazing <3 Definitely a great movie to revisit and rewatch. Hopefully will be available to stream soon!!!

Who would have thought that a truly queer film by queer filmmakers would actually have something relevant to say and say it in a genuinely heartfelt and humorous manner. This film does just that without being cloying or pretentious or stereotypical. I was actually interested in the characters. Kudos to the directors for making a film that looked much more expensively made than it actually was. The actors all showed great range and comfort with their characters making the viewing even more enjoyable. The final shot of the movie is rather spectacular and could easily have been in a great Spielberg movie. I hope to see more work from the two directors/actors.

I had the benefit of seeing this film at Outfest '23 with a theater full of people who were super responsive both to the film and to the personal stories of the people who made it--so I'm a bit biased in my review--but there's no question that this film has undeniable heart and speaks for audiences everywhere who are underrepresented by mainstream Hollywood.

This film dares to tackle the topic of love during Covid lockdown in a fresh and non-cringe way, with characters who might be reduced to stereotypes in a big studio production rendered here with obvious love and truth. For a story about people confined to their homes it goes places you wouldn't expect. It's also kind of meta. The filmmakers called this film a romantic comedy and while it's quite funny I think it's deeper emotionally than that. This is more a slice of life from people who have really lived that life, and you can feel it hasn't been easy for them. The acting is surprisingly strong for a film with a tiny budget, especially the actor who plays Rafael, and it's even more impressive when you consider the two lead actors also wrote and directed it. That is really hard to do on your first feature.

That said, as a first outing it does have a couple rough edges: the cinematography isn't flashy and the story might try to wrap up a few too many loose ends, but the performances are so charming that I didn't really mind. Everything is elevated by a musical score which hits just the right notes tonally, and sure-handed editing which helps the film transcend its low budget limitations.

This is a film which brings people together and bonds them over a shared experience, so I would recommend seeing it with friends if you get a chance. As I said, I'm a bit biased because I learned the story of the filmmakers while I watched it--but after you watch it you might be biased too.

I was able to catch this film at the Miami Outshine Film Festival and I'm so glad I did. In the first couple of minutes I found myself uncertain of its direction. The initial setup seemed scattered, leaving me wondering where the story was headed. However, once the exposition was out of the way, the film found its stride and never looked back. From that point on, it held my attention until the credits rolled.

I was really impressed with the acting of Rafael he seemed so natural in every scene. My favorite scenes where the ones with his mom and abuela. They felt so palpable and real. I'm Cuban and they remind me so much of mine. All the small characters where incredible adds to the comedy of the film. Every time the actress playing Denae was on screen I laugh. But what struck me most was the seamless blend of comedy with poignant, slice-of-life moments and how in moments I wasnt expecting my eyes will get teary.

What made it also special was how self aware the filmmakers where like the film wasn't afraid to poke fun at itself, for me this was brilliant and had me laughing hard. I couldn't believe at the end in the Q&A that the lead actors were also the directors and writers of the film and that this was their first movie. Really hope Netflix or a good streamer finds it. I hope these duo keeps making films together. Definitely a new refreshing voice in queer cinema.