Bert Krus I wasn't searching for a movie about aids. The subject usually gives me a very uneasy feeling. I don't want to remember those days when some very good friends of mine died in agony in front of my eyes. I was quite young back then, and did I really understand what happened? No, when you're young life looks endless. So when this movie, unexpectedly for me, because I had not read anything about it, brought up the aids subject, I had to take a deep breath. But the movie is so well executed that it is much more than an aids drama. This movie is a piece of human history and every high school student should see it. I am in my 50s and now aids is something of the past, thanks to great medicine. It cuts through my heart that young men like ones in this film had no chance at all. Especially in the 80s gay liberation wasn't that far, and so much human needs have been denied to these men. Thank god society has improved on these levels, and it only could by telling these important stories.

firehorsefilms When you rate a film a 10, the review is harder because it usually means you are gushing with so much good news about the film, that you don't know where to begin.I'll just hit three points, and to be safe, I'M REPEATING MY SPOILER ALERT HERE. THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS. 1. The casting is fantastic. The chemistry between Ryan and Craig is unlike anything I've ever seen in film, and I'm an oldie with an almost catalog knowledge of classic films. So, going back to the 1930s, I can't remember when I've seen two on-screen lovers who were more engaging and compelling. By the time the story ends, you feel like you gained and lost two great friends, so REAL is their relationship with each other. It translates over to a wonderful invitation to US, and we end up feeling lost when we lose them. (Yes, because this movie sticks with one well after one has seen it, I may be clouded by that glow, but, for now, that is my assessment of their chemistry.) 2. If you lived through the '80s and early '90s, as an adult, this film will resonate well and actually dredge up some horrifying memories of the time. If you have children in their 20s, it's even more oddly devastating to see (double spoiler alert here) two men being given a death sentence in their mid-twenties. (Triple spoiler alert here.) Although it takes years for the executioner to arrive, they are handed that death sentence at a very young age (25 - John; and 26 - Tim). To watch them have to cope with that as a couple, to see them thrown into such a nightmare at such a young age is tragic on an epic level. The day they get the bad news, they should be thinking about first jobs and maybe buying a car. It's astounding what they are instead handed. The grace with which they approach it is heartbreaking to watch.3. (Quadruple spoiler alert here.) Hearing Tim's voice at the end SLAYS. The constant stiff upper lip of both of their journeys is the thing that makes this film stick with you for hours or days after you see it. It's the dictionary definition of impressive. It impresses itself on you with its hard truths and horrid reality: Two people you grow to love leave you at the end of the film, and they do it bravely. It breaks your heart and leaves you with a strange longing.

amicusets I am a bit of a hard ash when it comes to rating and reviewing movies, and this movie hit all of the marks for me. It was sublime, and had me literally sobbing toward the end.Being from America, I was not familiar with the book or the story, and in fact, only got the movie because of the cover art. I wasn't really looking for a movie that dealt with the early days of HIV/AIDS, and in fact, tend to steer clear of them because they are usually done so poorly, but HTM deals with it not only realistically, but with great humanity. In the end, the movie isn't about the disease, but the love these two men shared.And what a love it must have been. Most of us could only ever hope for a love like that, and never actually find it. In that regard, it reminds me of Bridegroom. Both of those films leave you with the hope that fairy tale love really can exist in the real world.

Acny Acnyc Strong Powerful and Poignant. Full of authenticity and honesty. Finally a gay movie without the white wash or straight-wash narrative. Thank You... Based on a memoir by activist Timothy Conigrave, it's the tale of a 70s schoolboy romance that blossoms into a relationship and is torn apart by the advent of HIV in the 80s. There's genuine chemistry between the two leads – as well as sharp turns from a wonderful cast including Guy Pearce, Antony LaPaglia and Kerry Fox – and an unabashedly mainstream sensibility, transforming an intimate story into a grand romance. The director Neil Armfield created a perfectly played gay romance. I hope to see this nominated at next years Oscars