User Reviews

I love how this movie pulled off something that other gay films have difficulty with. Like the movie "Weekend". It is when a movie tries to make sense of two stranger meeting each other for the first time, and for some reason they found a spark and voila~ love begins. This movie was casual in painting that narrative that it just flows and you just left drifted with it, no qualm, no questions because the way their lives collide, the small talks, the stolen glances are real. And the three recurring actors appearing the screen makes more sense, comes to life from how well they act. Even the old lady neighbor is a treat.

There's so many things to appreciate from this film, other than the fact that it makes you feel present there, in that same moment, same energy, same world, even you're worlds apart watching it.

A Moment in the Reeds was honest in portraying conflicted characters of father and son relationship, being an immigrant, being a university student, being a son, being away, hating the world, hating life, and the endless tug of war of those emotions versus other people's realities that ripples to you, changing your state of mind and dissuading those emotions. For example, Leevi doesn't know that his own home could feel different again because a sudden person changed that.

I feel like each person in the world has their own "A Moment in the Reeds" kind of experience, when an unexpected life event or a person, just makes you feel something special in some way, even it's in the cabin, old house, a bar, or whatever. Those moment can come to you in a lightning, popping to your head in loop, rewinding without missing a bit of detail from that feeling, a moment. In fact, I believe the setting itself: a worn-out house, an almost remote countryside village, and a time-stopping lakeview and autumn reeds, sums up something that will make a moment...moment.

The message weaved in the film are so subtle and deep not rubbing in your face that it's about homophobia or racism, or any kindred of hatred that's present in some LGBTQ films, but its more than that. Its' about denial, acceptance, the ugly truth of reality, the consequences of our decisions, and the ache of not having a view of our future.

The way it ends is a cesspool for negative interpretations, but the future already leads you from their previous dialogues. When Leevi said after he finishes his study, there's nothing holding him in Paris but also crushed from the fact that, there is nothing left for him in the countryside. And Tareq said "I will not view this place the way you view it, this is my home now". Those exchange of ideals shows two extremes of opposing conundrums that shoves anything in its way.

It means that, the answer to the question 'what happens after the ending' is simple. That's it. There's nothing for them to be. Leevi will for sure venture his life and Tareq will continue building his rough life but new home, Finland. The movie belongs to that moment, their moment. Nothing else. And that's what make it so poignant and gripping, how people don't hold the choice that the world can throw to them, that we are driven by forces we cannot control.

Tareq and Leevi's lives intertwined at the right place at the wrong time, but at least it left them both with one special, timeless, forever living moment.

This film has some good actors, location is gorgeous and (briefly) touches on some important issues and viewpoints...

However, it is let down by a several issues.

The pacing is really slow and the run time is far longer than it needed to be, it could easily be twenty minutes shorter and still tell the same story (perhaps better).

The story is very generic and you can see pretty much everything coming. I liked the inclusion of the refugee storyline but it could have been used better.

They become friends very quickly and then lovers - they somehow just know that each other is gay which is a little unrealistic. The romantic scenes were a little stretched out too which, whilst helping to develop the lust and emotional development, felt tidious and there to pad the runtime.

There is also issues with the editing and quality - one shot of the lake is the same shot mashed together with the water suddenely flowing backwards!! Another scene clearly shows the boom mic and another early on shows the mic taped to the actors chest below his shirt. These could easily have been spotted and rectified and therefore were an unwelcome distraction pulling me out of the story.

Overall, it's a nice film and worth a watch but it isn't anything new or groundbreaking. Try Gods Own Country if you want something top drawer.

I had high hopes of this film: A Finnish take on the excellent God's Own Country. However we get treated by yet another open-ended unsatisfyingly negative ending. Why is it that so many modern film makers think it is 'artistic' to end movies with so many questions unresolved? Do they run out of money halfway through the project or do they expect viewers to draw their own conclusions? Sod the praise and awards - to me this is a 'watch once only' film.

First of all I will say the movie is alright, but has plenty of flaws. If you're after a generic story which doesnt really get the chance to develop with the same unhappy endings most lgbt movies throw out then this is for you. The sheer fact they go from having a friendly drink, to staring at each other, straight to the bedroom after one day is baffling, but then to carry this tryst forward to an abrupt halt is bizarre. The ending ruins the experience and to me. The stereotypical bigotry from the dad was expected from the start. The fact tareq just leaves and that's that felt like i'd wasted 110 minutes for nothing. Overall, movie was alright but don't have high expectations and you'll most likely enjoy it.

I bought this DVD film few days ago as the cover photo caught my attention - rather similar to the Call Me By Your Name cover photo (you know, two guys standing back to back, looking to the sky). Even the font was similar to Call Me By Your Name's font (you know, like a child's handwriting in chalk). Hmm... Then I read the story line on the back cover - similar to that God's Own Country film! (you know, one refugee guy is hired to fix the decayed wooden cottage in the middle of nowhere and to mend fencing etc. and he got to work alongside the owner's only son, and... you know, one thing leads to another...)

Bloody hell, all this should have set my alarm off! But... oh yeah, always but... I still bought the DVD out of curiosity and wanted to support our films. And yes, I was right - the film story was a bad version of that God's Own Country film.

Modern time in Finland. The old father hires a Syrian refugee guy to fix this old wooden cattage in the middle of nowhere. The son comes home from studying in Paris for a summer holiday. Two boys meet. The father then leaves the house for some business in the far-away-town for many days. The two boys are left at home to fix the house together, drink beers and listen to 1940's music (!) after work. Suddenly, while drinking beers (not drunk yet) they want to have sex together (!) In between, they also go swimming naked toghether in the reeds covered river behind their cottage. Thick forests and shrubs all around. No neighbours around.

The ABBA-look-alike father then returns home, non the wiser. After a few days, he then leaves for the far-away-town for some business again (!) The two boys are free to mess around again (!)

The father then returns home. He doesn't see anything but somehow suspects foul play(?) and goes mad (!).

The cottage is in the middle of nowhere (maybe near the Finland-Russia border?!), only rivers, thick forests an thick undergrowth, we hardly see any neighbours around, yet the old father shouts at his son: How can I look at our neighbours again as you two have messed around like this? (?) He then fires the refugee guy on the spot who quickly gathers his clothes and leaves at once (!) The son is left behind staring at the reeds in the river. The end.

I hope this movie will deserve a sequel since at the end Tareq is left and no coming back I hope this will giving us a happy ending for the sequel. The story is really beautiful and so much in real life from what we are. Fighting for what we love and taking advantage from others. So much in our lives. I love the view and everything from the movie it show how beautiful Finland really is!!

Sequal... Leevi is moving on Paris and is been almost a year now since I don't heard back from Tareq but I never forgot the beautiful "moment" we had but I wish the director can find more inspiration for the next sequel ....

After having viewed the captivating and enticing trailer, I was tempted to watch this film with tremendously high expectations. However, the overall effect that it produced in me was so soporific that it almost bored me to tears. Truth be told I found it a huge disappointment and I wish I could recover the two and a half hours that I wasted waiting for a positive twist in the tale, which sadly never happened. The film is a slow-burner at first and then it gradually descends into an unexciting and unimaginative storyline, which is scattered with scenes of strikingly good photography.

For starters, the two main characters were hopelessly miscast for their roles, to say nothing of the father whose attitude really got on my nerves. Their overall acting is lifeless, insipid and the the two uncharismatic lovers in the reeds failed to strike a chord with me that at least could have granted me the opportunity to empathize with either of them.

Then the director seems to have glossed over that long-awaited crucial moment of truth which is characteristic of LGBT films when two individuals of the same sex eventually discover their mutual sexual attraction and suddenly leap on each other with pent-up passion. In this film this is practically nonexistent: there is no previous in crescendo effervescence nor build-up of irresistible momentum, nor there is magic, sparks of excitement, fireworks.

The ending of the storyline is abrupt and somewhat incongruent; it looks as though the script writer had run out of ideas and struggled to find some meaningful culmination to the film. All those apparent love feelings poured out in previous scenes suddenly evaporate into thin air, as if the two main characters had been laughing at us making us believe that their love was true.

This film had all the right ingredients to have been a really good one, seeing that it has striking similarities with the storyline of God's Own Country, but sadly it fails dismally to exude the same fiery passion, which is a shame. It comes as no surprise that it hasn't won any prizes or awards after having been nominated six times in various film festivals last year.

This utterly predictable, unoriginal flick gets a whopping two stars from me solely because I liked looking at the Syrian character.

If you are reading this, most likely you have read the other reviews which give details of what passes as a plot. (Yawn.)

Several reviews also compare it to and label it - unfavorably - as a rip-off of "Call Me by Your Name" and "God's Own Country," and they are totally accurate.

In particular, "God's Own Country" has set a new bar for gay films in every aspect. It is stunningly brilliant in so many ways and totally original. Strictly as a piece of good filmmaking, I have been suggesting it to even my straight friends who are OK with watching some rather graphic man-to-man sex (which is actually boring in this flop from Finland).

I think it is time to move on from the ancient formula of two guys from different backgrounds or cultures fiddling with each other and having a roll in the sheets before the inevitable unhappy ending. There is much new ground to be broken, and "God's Own Country" has made an unforgettable first blow.

Just my Personal opinion but I'd side with other reviewers here giving low rating about this film which I say it's rightfully just.

Leevi went back home to Finland to help his father fix their cottage later to be sold. But obviously he has more reason than just helping his father. The movie depicted he some unresolved tension/conflict with his father about his deceased mother and another obvious is his hidden sexual orientation. His father used to hire a carpentry assistant which is a Syrian architect Tareq. When Leevi's father gone out of sight for some business matter the two men (Tareq and Leevi) found themselves indulged in sexual romance and personal recollection.

The film reach its climax, it showed its beauty about the differences of culture, the personal stories of Tareq and Leevi. But as the two build a relationship they neglect their duties on fixing the cottage and when Leevi's father found an unfinished job he rage to anger cursing words. Leevis father is an unreasonable person who after all knows that his son was gay and his been aware of Tareq and Leevi relationship and much worst is he's a type of person who are not open to acceptance to some guy like Tareq, a stranger trying to fit in a foreign land.

The filmmakers failed to elaborate and resolve every tension at finale of the movie. Tareq leaving Leevi and Leevi's supposedly leaving his father. Leevi's conflict with his father and sexual orientation are not portrayed to be resolve (they didn't talk about sorry and acceptance). Leevis romance with Tareq gone to thin air (its stay just like a moment and no more). Those beautiful scenes on the climax are worth nothing because of a crappy ending.

So my safe advised even this film won awards (I don't care), this is an unhealthy Gay Themed film and not worth to watch, just "A moment to waste"

I had hoped to see a romantic gay film which is quite rare in the cinema. Love between two men is usually pictured as pornographic, physical and rough just to shock the viewer. It was a real disappointment to see that gay men really do live in a hyper-sexualized world of fantasies and it makes its way into the real cinema as well. It just makes a hopeless romantic like me to want to put off watching any queer cinema for a long time.

When do we see love between two men not being a brief explosion of lust, leading into an ultimate disappointment? Also gay sex could have been explored in a more romantic and loving manner. Now playing macho and using camera angles of adult films doesn't do any favors for the film's message if there ever was any idea behind this film at all. In my view it casts a shadow upon the whole film which could have been so much more than it is. I'm calling out for the feminists, what would they have thought if the main character was a woman and not a man. Indeed.

Also doing the deeds in the dad's bed probably doesn't help to build bridges nor does it help the viewer to actually like the characters which is usually crucial for the film enjoyment. After all I sympathize with the dad. It's difficult to co-exist with an about 26 year old son who just happens to yell back at you and just keeps destroying the bed sheets. Maybe it could make great comedy too. Joking aside, there's nothing prohibited in two equal adult men having a fling in the wrong place. That's sort of the issue for me. I don't think it's a taboo. If there was a man and a woman, this film film would just be unnecessary. It just takes a few decades for the queer films to progress to that level. Hey wake up, it's acceptable.

There's not much of a plot, neither script, everything has been improvised. It's just a surprise that it even merely holds together. Small films of this kind benefit of making well crafted scenes and dialogues. Now about 40 minutes of its running time could have been cut out without any loss to the story.

This film's like a bad romance one probably has once had. It's also very strong on the sexual fantasy part, leaving all the other drama to the shadows. It's a marginal film, certainly not for everyone's taste, not even for the queer audience if one happens to be of a romantic type. I just didn't like it, but you just might.