Romeos
Romeos
| 08 December 2011 (USA)
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Lukas, 20, is a prisoner in his own body. As a pre-op transgendered person, he is constantly finding himself trapped in uncomfortable, compromising positions. His best friend, Ine introduces him to the gay scene in Cologne where he meets the confident and gorgeous, Fabio. The two develop a romantic relationship that tests the boundaries of love. ROMEOS forgoes stereotypes and conventions to offer an honest and humorous examination of the most basic of human conditions: friendship, sex, and love.

Reviews
Maidgethma Wonderfully offbeat film!
ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.
Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.
Scotty Burke It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review
omgsarahv I've officially balled my eyes out while watching a sex scene.
Aaron I'm going to be honest, I put of watching this movie for several months for multiple reasons, the most important one being the fact that I was unsure if I would even enjoy "Romeos". I'm a gay transman myself and let's be honest, there aren't a lot of movies who even deal with transgender issues, yet alone the issues gay transmen face. (At this point I'd like to point out that the right word to use in this context is either "trans" or "transgender", most of the reviews on here use the word "trangendered", which is incorrect, in the same way a blind person is not "blinded". Anyway, moving on...) I won't summarize the plot, considering it is probably the weakest aspect of the movie. To put it simple: It's a love story with lots of teenage drama. Instead I would like to emphasize that I was honestly impressed by Rick Okon's work as an actor. Sure, I would have preferred an actor who's actually trans, but I still thought Okon's performance was great. It was obvious that this was a role he really prepared for, the awkward posture is something I always catch myself doing, it was almost a perfect reenactment. Most other issues for transmen were also portrayed accurately, constant fear of being found out, people accusing you of being egoistic, stupid questions, having to fight for your rights etc. Yes, some of it was different from my own experience, but that's the thing, there is not one universal experience. (However, two things were simply wrong/outdated. First, transmen usually don't do their own shots in Germany but have it mostly done by a nurse, but I suppose doing your own shots seems "cooler". Second, you can now change your gender marker without any surgeries, but this might have not been the case when the movie was released.) The only thing I truly disliked was the constant focus on sex. Yes, the gay scene can be quite sexual, but there are obviously lots of gay men who think differently. Oh, and another things: There are definitely better ways to flatten your chest. I was constantly frustrated because the binder Lukas used was just horrible. I suppose it would have erased some of the plot points but it was just frustrating to watch, knowing that there are way better and more functioning alternatives. Overall, I would definitely recommend this movie, especially to someone who has little knowledge of transgender issues.
Cyma_Rizwaan_Khan It is becoming really scarce that an indie film has this kind of execution. Good actors, good dialogue, a plot that is like nothing else you've seen. The movie focuses on the identity crisis of a trans person, but then it shows you that the identity crisis, often isn't coming from the person themselves (they're actually pretty sure of what gender they belong to) but its the world who has the real crisis, the people around you, friends, family who are supposed to support you. The way the main character keeps fighting to find his place, it was heartbreaking and just really touching. We see the transformation too, and its just brilliant. I was completely amazed.
arizona-philm-phan "Romeos"....is a Carefree title....a Fun title. BUT, buckle up your seatbelts and hold on tight....for the ride you're about to be taken on is, often, neither carefree nor fun. And why is that? Because, over and over, you'll be asking yourself: HOW is this young guy...this Rick Okon, from a little town in the Northeast fringes of Germany, able to drag us inch by inch by inch into all his emotional turmoil: Into his shyness...his physical discomfort...his fear of discovery...his beginnings of love? ....And while doing so with little more than his frequent arms-hugging-himself poses...his facial expressions...and those dark EYES. Well, the answer is just something you'll have to figure out after the trip. For each of us, it will have been different.But...forget the "HOW" we've just discussed. More important is the "WHAT"....for what we are being given here is a Near-Equal to the Oscar winning Best Actor performance in 1999's "Boys Don't Cry". That time, Hilary Swank......this time, a rising young German star. As the transgendering Lukas, Okon takes us along on an important part of his journey through the swirling emotions of Hormone Replacement Therapy. And on to complete physical transformation from female-to-male. BUT....in this film, unlike in others, the end goal is to find a same-sex (Male / Male) relationship. About which, please note the following:(( I can talk about this movie's particular sex-change circumstances in no better way than to paraphrase a quote by Reviewer, "nnenok from Slovenia" (here at IMDb.com): The MOST IMPORTANT lesson this film gives to us and to any already Transgendered-to-Male person (who is attracted to another Male) IS: ...Being attracted to a woman doesn't make you a man---but FEELING like a man does. )) So...maybe "Boys Don't Cry". Yet, perhaps at times, this film will bring you to the verge of doing so. For what we are seeing is a near breath-taking and heart wrenching performance (I often recall James Dean), about a young, transgendering German who has fallen for a macho Lover-Boy type. Yes, yes, Maximilian Befort, as Fabio, has a face and body which will keep your dreams HOT for days. A Lover-Boy?...sure. A Sex Bomb?...you bet. In fact, he's Sex on a Stick! YET, despite acting self-centered and forever off to the next conquest, his scenes with Lukas are always exciting ones...giving us a gut feel for the Fever which is building up between these 2, a Fever always tempered by fear of Fabio discovering the hidden transgendered condition.As to Fabio's side of this relationship, he is kept almost always off-balance, and in a perplexed state: Lukas being turned-on by Fabio...quickly followed by instances of Lukas shutting Fabio down. But, still, hard as it is to live with the emotional changes being thrown at him...Fabio does keep trying; he keeps coming back for more. (Leading to this Reviewer's opinion that Lukas has him hooked....letting the line out, then pulling it back--even if not always aware he's doing so).And so, I TRULY BELIEVE the ending lovemaking scene is giving us The Key to this relationship; oh, yes indeed, it is. BUT, that is not half as much as we are being told by the last few seconds shot, wherein we are watching through the lens of a digital camera...and seeing: A deliriously happy, and completely transgendered Lukas, taking off running into seaside sand dunes toward water's edge. Come on, now....STOP AND THINK about it! That CAN'T be all we're seeing. Because you know what? SOMEONE is holding that camera....You wanna take any bets as to WHO?Enjoy this Special Movie....And, thank you, Sabine.PS--And amidst all the turmoil...Thank Heavens for the occasional fun, lightness, and warm support given by terrific young actress, Liv Lisa Fries, as "Ine"...the B(Girl)FF of our Lukas during their growing-up years.****