EASTERN BOYS

Several of the scenes were far too long, dragging on without furthering the story. The music was European electronic, which gave the film a jarring quality in places. It was, however, particularly effective when emphasising the strangeness of Daniel’s situation. Some of Daniel's behaviour seems hard to believe: he does nothing when these boys take over his home, not even trying to stop them stealing his things; he takes Marek into his bed, his home, his life, after Marek set him up at the station. The motivations of both main characters seem impossible to fathom. The most straightforward character seems to be Marek's insane boss, who simply wants power, and control over his "boys".

Most of the characters are at least bilingual, which is true to reality in Europe but for Australian audiences, and the lack of subtitles in some moments is frustrating as you feel as though you are missing important nuances of the story. The sex scenes were confronting - but not due to any explicit activity (because they were reasonably tasteful), but because of Marek's complete lack of response to Daniel's affections. Even when he comes back for more, even when it stops being a financial transaction, Marek seems to be completely detached.

Both main actors swing wildly from wooden indifference in their performance to extreme overacting. The supporting cast get little screen time, with the vast majority of the film devoted to the developing changes in the primary relationship. We do get an insight into the control, and psychological and physical abuse rife in gang culture - though again, this important aspect takes second place to this strange not-quite-a-love story.

‘Eastern Boys’ questions the nature of relationships, and the things we are willing to do for the people we care about. It’s a worthwhile film for those who would like a glimpse into an underground subset of European culture, and those students of psychology. Otherwise, it's not an film designed to entertain.