The Pass

THE ABSOLUTE BOMB.COM!!! Love this movie so so much!!!

Having come out at 15 in 1991 I have know my share of "closet cases" who because of any number of indefinable reasons and subconscious motivations are unable to accept themselves and in the process hurt other people. I have seen the emotional roller-coasters of self-loathing and self-medicating drug abuse. And as a football coach I know the level of sacrifices and extremes athletes will go to to "get to the next level". I was expecting this to be under-whelming mush. This film had an unexpected level of emotion and candor. This is an excellent tragic cautionary tale about learning to love yourself before you can ever love someone else.

The film is mainly about the choices we make and the consequences therein. Tovey's character wants more than anything to have fame and fortune. Does he get it and if he does, what price does he have to pay?. Tovey gives his best performance so far. The film plays more like a play than a film and in this case, it works. I took off one star because the harsh regional dialect takes a long time to get used to. Otherwise a really good film.

This is a wonderful British film done only the way the Brits can do it. No special effects, explosions etc. Just a top-knotch screenplay, excellent directing and acting. The film was totally captivating from the first to the last minute. The lead character was very complex and difficult to play. Although the film was not a happy one, it really made a statement. Don't miss it. This sort of quality is not often seen in gay themed films. It is right up there with "Call Me By Your Name". Make sure you see that film as well if you haven't already!

3.5 Stars. The performances are mostly strong. The characters themselves are a bit unbelievable, but the actors do a great job. The whole "straight boy" jock sequences at the beginning of the film are a bit over the top. But the moments of tenderness, despair, and rage are really well done. The film itself is not original. Is this a 3-act play, maybe?

It was recommended by a friend & I didn’t like. Very slow & boring before you understand what’s going on. Was waiting for the plot to reveal itself but it’s truly about two confused guys b

Sound product. Good plot and actors. Movie dragged on and on in some areas and as a result lost my interest. Didn't finish watching.

Russel Tovey is an exceptional actor and makes his character seem very real even if he is not likeable at all. I would recommend this film but the other reviews are right. Don't expect a love story. It is real, gritty, and compelling.

Il film l'ho ricevuto in buono stato di imballaggio ma mi ha deluso il contenuto pieno di violenza .Non rivedro' questo film .

bien reçu

I've enjoyed watching Russell Tovey expand and explore his art over the years. HIs ability to insight distain for his multi-layered gay footie player character is just another example of his talent. Although I can't say this is a favourite film, I still enjoyed it.

Si bien las interpretaciones son buenas, la película me pareció aburridísima. Y quizá no por el hecho de que no ahondara para nada en la homosexualidad de los protagonistas, sino porque su par de encuentros en diez años, intercalando una fallida aventura "hetero" de Russell Tovey, dejan al espectador preguntándose "¿y ya está?". La compré, pero sugeriría ahorrarse el dinero...

"The Pass" is based on a play by John Donnelly, was lately made into a movie by Ben A. Williams and deals with the subject of sports (in this case football) and homosexuality. One should know that before watching the movie. Those who expect explicit sex scenes between excited gay guys are totally wrong here. The film offers the finest of actors cinema, is more of a chamber-like psycho-study and can not muster with action scenes. But if you get involved with the psychology of the characters, the film becomes an experience. The story spans a period of ten years and begins in a hotel room in Romania. Two young footballers, Jason (Russell Tovey) and Ade (Arinze Kene),are really excited the night before their first big Champions League match, make a lot of nonsense and prepare for the match. And suddenly without any warning Jason kisses his mate Ade. This kiss will completely change and determine their relationship and their lives over the next decade. And as the story begins, so it ends, in a hotel room, where the two friends meet again. Director Williams filmed the entire story in just one or two rooms. This sometimes claustrophobic tightness is intended to illustrate how trapped Jason is in his life, from which he can not break out and free himself. Williams tells us with his story that the alleged winner is sometimes the bigger loser. And to the viewer (our society), the director wants to convey that if we were finally ready to accept people as they really are, tragedies like Jason's would be avoidable. The most tragic thing in the end is that Jason does not manage to change his life. Though completely devastated, he does not manage to jump over his shadow and remains lonely. He will live on as before, trapped in his own hell - to the bitter end. On the question of the friend which intent was hidden behind his behavior on the fateful night ten years ago, Jason can only answer incapable: “I don’t know”. But that is not the truth. We learn what the true intention was when we watch the last scenes of the movie, where is shown what happened after the kiss...(and only then we understand it correctly, because for a few seconds we discover the real Jason and that is deeply touching).Russell Tovey is undoubtedly the unlimited star of the movie, an outstanding actor, but unfortunately completely undervalued internationally.He lives openly gay and deals with this fact in his work for a couple of years. In the UK, he seems to have no major problems with this, but internationally (lets say Hollywood) it is still not trusted that gay men could play heterosexual love scenes. He has often proved how well he is capable of doing so. Unfortunately, big international roles, which would suit him, are not offered to Russell. What a waste of talent !Russell Tovey is completely absorbed in his role, you can say he lives it out. He has his best scenes towards the end of the film, as the facade of Jason begins to crumble, e.g. when Ade asks him, "Now that you need me, you want me to stay with you?" and Jason answers with a tearfully voice: "You’re the last thing I remember of any value", then one feels such a strong intensity and deep honesty that one asks oneself very moved, how one can play this so convincingly. If "The Pass" was not an independent movie and had been produced on a big budget and started in cinemas nationwide with 400 copies and then worldwide, Casey Affleck would probably have lost out at this year's Oscars. As in the film, here we have the proof that the best one is not always the winner and those who earn it are often left out. Encore Russell, encore...