God's Own Country

 

Fans of British actor Josh O'Connor who were beguiled by his roguish character Patrick in Luca Guadagnino's lusty 40-Love tennis world drama Challengers might fancy O'Connor's performance in Francis Lee's Love in the Highlands picture from 2017, God's Own Country.

In it, O'Connor plays opposite the smoldering Romanian actor Alec Secăreanu. O'Connor is the son of a disabled livestock farmer in England who hires Secăreanu's Gheorghe, a Romanian immigrant hand, to help O'Connor's Johnny during lambing season. Yes, there are some Brokeback Mountain reverberations here but there are no double-life / closet dramas.

Frustrated, lonely and feeling stunted by his lot, Johnny spends his evenings drowning his miseries in pints of ale and quickies with various local boys. His sexual identity doesn't appear to be an issue in the village; he's defined more by his unrelenting sadness -- revealed by interactions with his family and a former school mate who we

nt off to the university while Johnny is left to tend to cattle and sheep.

Once isolated in the fields with Gherorghe, who is also gay, Johnny discovers their mutual attraction. They share intimate evenings in the paddock and Johnny begins to grow up, seeing the world through another person's eyes for once. This is most tellingly revealed in a scene where the two stand at the peak of a rising and look out on the magnificent view -- something Johnny has never seen or seen in that way. It's a lovely moment.

Johnny's transformation from a wastrel to a responsible young man is elegantly handled and makes this achingly romantic story much more than just an affirming LGBTQ+ cinema experience. I think it more broadly speaks to the empowering effects of loving connections and says we become more fully ourselves -- we realize more fully our capabilities -- when our important relationships are energizing.

When we feel seen and cared for, we become truly ourselves.

Highly recommended.