CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Megamind To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

dcannon I have a high tolerance for "serious" gay films, but this one is unforgivable. The story is preposterous; are we really expected to believe that a bishop could be held captive in a prison confessional and forced to watch a play that re-enacts a crucial event in his boyhood? The decision to have the women's roles played by men is just plain ridiculous. And the way it milks the cliché that love between men must always end in death and betrayal does nothing to advance gay cinema. The two boys, however, are quite pretty. But the actor playing the adult Simon bears no resemblance to the young Simon. As a boy, Simon has a peachy, creamy complexion; as an adult, he bears the obvious signs of severe acne. This is just one of many implausibilities in this deeply silly film.

B24 ....but will it play in the Vatican? I don't think so. Many of the priests I know personally have similar stories to tell in private, but public disclosure remains a faint hope. I suspect this movie based on a play based on either a rich imagination or some plausible set of facts raises eyebrows as well as ire in certain quarters. At any rate, it is patently theatrical and therefore inaccessible to those who are immune to art.As others have commented freely, the play within a play concept is an old warhorse, subject to staginess and other sundry klinkers. For my part, I was reminded not only of Shakespeare but also (purely coincidental) a movie I remember well from 1971 called Fortune and Men's Eyes. I believe it was also filmed in a prison in Quebec. Funny how details such as that network through one's brain.I liked some but not all of the acting in this one. Its chief attributes are the camera, the sets, and the music. Like many art films, it probably requires a second viewing to reveal all the nuances. I score it high for concept.Mainly, though, I believe the viewer needs to bring a little background in social and intellectual history to this one. An overview of the St. Sebastian story together with various interpretations of it through the ages is necessary. I would as well recommend links to classic plays generally either in content or form as an aid to interpretation.

ani_saguine When I first heard my friend tell me that the fourth play my seminar class had been made into a movie, a good movie and a Canadian one at that, I decided that this would be a must-see. After much effort I was able to borrow the movie from the Library, and was ready to throw a fit if it wasn't as good as the play script. It was.Granted, there are some deviations, but on the whole, this is a beautifully made movie with wonderful scenery and effects. I especially liked the additions made to the stage play. It made the whole story that much more understandable, although the prisoners' reactions were a bit odd. The scene changes were smoothly done and had meaning in and of themselves. It also explained some of the things in the play that I had to wonder about, such as, just how does Simon get Bishop Bilodeau captured anyways? I did NOT like Matthew Ferguson as Bilodeau. He was a little too weird here for my taste, but I suppose his effect in the role has been ruined by his turn as Birkoff in La Femme Nikita. There are also awkward moments when the acting is as bad as Lord of the Rings, but some of them are forgivable. Jason Cadieux is amazingly good as the very beautiful Simon, he's even good at acting badly, and Danny Gilmore is great as the delicate Vallier. Neither of these actors flinch at their roles. Lilies has definitely made me a fan of these two.All in all, Lilies is exceptionally good for a Canadian film made with young actors in leading roles, especially since all of those actors are relatively unknown and new to movies. I would have preferred the movie to have been done in French, the original language for the play, and use subs, but nothing is perfect. I would see this movie anytime.

Bruce This is a film of rare and astonishing brilliance, and unlike anything I personally have ever encountered before. It is exquisitely photographed and edited, and the acting is first rate all round. The all-male cast portraying both men and women might be off-putting for some, but it is performed so expertly that one forgets this detail - it is a film that magnificently transcends gender. In particular is Brent Carver's resplendent turn as the `mad countess,' the gentle, guileless mother of one of the young heroes. The story is a heartbreaking tale of love, jealousy, and ultimately, of Judgement Day, of the Day of Reckoning. That its storyline is about gay love should not put off heterosexual film goers, because the theme is timeless and universal. A bold and brilliant ‘must see.'