The Way He Looks (2014)

First off, let me just say this: if you haven't watched the movie yet, I strongly recommend you not to watch the short film first. I found that watching the short film first ruined my watching experience of this movie.

I actually forgot how I stumbled upon this movie; I think the movie trailer was auto-played by the Youtube player. Anyway, it is indeed a great film, and I was so happy to have come across this movie by accident.

To be frank, one of the reasons I was keen on watching this film is because of its high rating. It's just a few marks below one of my absolute favorites, Weekend (2011), which stimulated me to watch this film.

Basically, this movie is an elaborated version of the short film. The two films more or less have the same plot. I always think it's hard to turn an outstanding short film into an outstanding 90-minute movie. This one definitely did not disappoint me. When I was watching the movie, I was thinking why it could get such a high rating. Well, the reason is really simple: it is genuine. None of the dialogues is misplaced; the emotions are heartfelt; and the cinematography is indeed splendid. The actors made the plot believable too: Gabriel (Audi) and Leo (Lobo) were great actors; they conveyed the emotions smoothly. I was surprised to know Audi's real age and Lobo's normal eyesight. I guess that is evidence that they really carried the story well.

There are one or two scenes which can be considered slightly explicit, but they don't exist just for the visual stimulation. They carry weight, reveal characters' inner-feelings, and move the plot forward. You know, some films include explicit sex scenes which indeed provide pleasure for the viewers, but this movie is not one of them.

I also loved how the plot is so simple yet heartwarming. Like some reviewers have pointed out, this movie does remind you of what first love feels like, especially for gay teenagers. The confusing emotions and the hesitation of whether to trust your feelings are revealed splendidly in this movie. Also, the fact that the film involves a blind character adds a twist to the movie. The plot is indeed a wonderful one, but after watching the movie, I can only wonder whether a blind, gay teenager falling in love with a new student who also happens to be gay is plausible. I'm not saying that the fairytale ending is implausible, but the way that the movie is packaged as "a beautiful youth story" took away a tiny bit of my love for this movie. Hence why it's a 8/10, not 9. Nonetheless, in this world where gay stories almost never have happy endings, I will gratefully take this movie.

One more point to add: I don't know if critics have noticed, but clothing have become a recurrent theme in gay film and literature. Like Jack's bloodstained shirt in Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Oliver's "Billowy" shirt in André Aciman's novel "Call Me By Your Name" (2007), Gabriel's jacket has become one more item to be included in the recurrent theme of "clothing" in gay film and literature. The meaning of clothes is not just on physical but also metaphorical level, and in this film, Leo's yearning for Gabriel is best revealed by how he treated Gabriel's jacket.

Let's just put it this way: if you haven't seen the movie, you need to watch it as soon as possible.

Fmovies: I confess, I've seen this movie at the local movie theater 3 times. As other reviewers have said, it's a subtle, charming, warm movie that gets into you heart and your head. For a small budget production it does a great job of feeling very complete with good cinematography, music and generally high production values. Our protagonists take you on a journey through the trials and tribulations of first and unrequited love, fighting for more independence from your parents, dealing with the school bullies, loneliness and jealousy. Whilst some (even big budget) movies tackle these topics and subtle emotions in a clunky, heavy handed, formulaic fashion but with The Way He Looks we find ourselves rooting for everyone, appreciating the fluster of teenage emotions and (as the core theme) remembering how breathless we felt when the first intoxicating buds of love sprung forth. If you liked the premise of Beautiful Thing, you'll love The Way He Looks. I think I'm going to see if for the 4th time tomorrow....

I remember watching the short film this was based on, and loved it. Upon finding out that a feature film was made, I was dying to see it. As it is, this is pretty similar, although the arc development occurs more gradually and slower of course. The two leads' chemistry is as palpable as it was in the short film, and they make their scenes together work. Their performances, taken on their own, are particularly effective, Lobo in particular. The story as it is isn't anything wholly original, but it doesn't need to be. All it needs to do is make us believe in it and we do. I strongly recommend this gem of a film and I really hope it's seen by more people.

The Way He Looks fmovies. I don't full on love a lot of movies, but oh boy, this movie is perfect. It was hilarious, light-hearted, fun, and romantic all in one! I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who wants their heart warmed a little bit. You'll fall in love with the characters, and basically everything about this movie. It hasn't been done before, which is great! An absolute 10! If you haven't already seen the short film that this movie is based off of, you might want to. It's very good, but the movie is a bit better. It basically takes the short film, ages it a bit, and stretches it out. It adds more characters, more elements to the plot, and basically just shapes it. The short film had a few gaps and holes that the movie fixed perfectly. This is literally my favorite movie, it's so good. The actors are also very talented, it was a very good casting choice. I never guessed I'd fall so deeply in love with a foreign movie, but I'm so glad I did! <33

When Daniel Ribeiro's sweet and charming short film 'I Don't Want to Go Back Alone' released in 2010, I was completely in love with it. I was eagerly looking forward to watching this movie since its announcement. Though I still consider the short to be simple, nuanced and better, I liked how Ribeiro beautifully adapted the short into a feature film. Of course, he kept the same talented young actors; they've grown, and have done a commendable and mature job. I liked how Ribeiro changed a few parts from the short film, but kept the essence and feel of the story intact; he incorporates the memorable dialogues and moments from the short into the feature film appropriately.

It's the story of a blind guy named Leo, his best friend Giovana, and how their lives change after the arrival of new student, Gabriel. The movie is basically about equality and sexuality. Blind, not blind, or whatever... ultimately, all we seek is love, and independence. We never choose whom we fall in love with.

Though the movie explores themes of friendship, independence, bullying, etc., overall, the movie essentially remains the same as the short; I feel, the characters and situations could have been explored further. But overall, I still like the film; it's heartwarming and delightful.

The title song used in the movie, 'There's Too Much Love' by Belle and Sebastian, is quite mesmerizing. Every time it played during the film, at appropriate moments, my heart was filled with joy. And the main kiss between Leo and Gabriel towards the end is really passionate and moving.

I was extremely excited with this movie, in the launch of the movie i was there, when the movie finished I was extremely happy and stayed on the theater to watch again and now I can say that this movie is exceptional! The story isn't just about a gay romance, it's about adolescence and the discover and experiment. Guilherme Lobo it's incredible in this role, Fabio Audi do a Gabriel that oscillates in the innocence and in the desire of finding himself, Tess Amorim is wonderful she isn't in the couple, but she's important and big part of her role is passed trough her faces. The direction and photography are flawless, the soundtrack is phenomenal. The movie is very "go with the flow", the both times that I watched passed very fast, because the movie unfolds in such a great way that you can't notice how fast the movie ends. The Way He Looks is a great movie! If you like gay themed movies or adolescent movies, this is a must-see and if you watch you will see how beautiful this movie is and will fall in love by this movie like I did.