Boy Meets Boy is a tender debut film following Harry and Johannes as they spend a day together in Berlin. It is akin to Weekend set in Berlin, or a gay Before Sunset, and that is no criticism, seeing as those are two of my favourite films.
Brit medic Harry is on a weekend break in Berlin and meets local dancer Johannes in a nightclub where they share a kiss – and then decide to spend the day together before Harry’s evening flight. The film rolls with them through their day where they talk about sex and relationships, go out for brunch, meet some Mormons, report a theft at the police station and discuss what happiness is. The actors’ chemistry is palpable and their dialogue funny, interesting and naturalistic – it sounds truthful, whether it was improvised or scripted.
We root for the pair, we care about them, and I wanted to spend more time with them. But I had to accept, as they do, that our time together was short but special, and that something fleeting can be powerful, wonderful and important in shaping our lives.
Boy Meets Boy is playing at BFI Flare until 28 March and will be getting a cinema release via Peccadillo.
