It Is in Us All

The description of the film was strange and puzzling to me: "a sexually charged boy". Was the film pornographic in nature featuring an underaged male participant? I wasn't intrigued by that but decided to watch in order to disprove or better understand why it was phrased in such a way, especially when it is described as including LGBT representation, when being LGBT is again increasing in demonization and oversexualization by some. I am so glad I watched this film in any case.

The film is set in Ireland, mostly in the countryside, so naturally the cinematography included sweeping shots reflecting the mood of bemusement and extended grief both the main characters and others were experiencing, from past and current tragedies. It's nothing new in direction to use landscape as representative of emotion or even as a protagonist itself. Hamish Considine, the lead character, is visiting to settle the home and visit the graveside of an aunt when he's involved in a car accident. His connection to his mother and family has been troubled for several reasons, and this is his first impression of a place he is "from" but never lived.

Others have asked how is this LGBT representative when they felt there was no overt discussions or references to sexuality, yet that shows are over reliance on stereotypes, often used by CIS heterosexual directors as interpretations of LGBT people. They may be dependent on overt sexual behaviors to "safely" decide, "Oh yeah, he or she is gay, trans" or anything else so they can stay in their "comfort zone", as it were, of labeling and compartmentalizing others so they can define (or hide) their own identities, attractions or prejudices. Yet like intelligence, sexuality is on a spectrum.

From the first scene, Hamish, played by Cosmo Jarvis with great skill and in all his mumbling glory (subtitles highly suggested especially if you're not familiar with Irish accents in general), I immediately sensed someone of probable non-heteronormative reality even if he had not made it carefully but respectfully clear to a female secretary or receptionist at the start of the film that he was not interested in her flirtations in the slightest.

The "sexually charged boy" is seventeen year old "Evan", the lone survivor of the other vehicle involved in the crash, well-played by Rhys Mannion in representing the simmering desires, frustrations, attractions and love/hate quality for his life, location, and loves as any teenager might have, whether gay, straight, transgender or anything else. But which more often results in abuse, misunderstanding and ostracization, whether community or self-imposed for LGBT youth. In turn, some develop fixations, such as with death and dying, or in manipulations to establish control over others when feeling one has little control over one's own life.

Young Evan soon attaches himself to Hamish who perhaps represents freedom, success and the "outside" world, of another possible life, but also as an accessory in covering up a critical detail of the crash. Was it an accident or a decision Hamish accidentally interrupted? Hamish in return, shows a desire for connection, of protection, of helping a young man in whom he saw himself when younger, as he might have been had he grown up in Ireland instead of England, where his mother took him.

In Hamish's interactions with others, and then later with Evan and Hamish together talking to the same people, you can see the pointedly ignored or casually observed acknowledgement of the attraction betwen the two whether Hamish admits it or not. And the townspeople, of course, know more about Evan than the newly met Hamish. Particularly, with men, the priest, the shopkeeper, the barman, there's always a careful gauging of Hamish's reactions to revealed information, secrets, both past and present. About Hamish's own family and Evan and the group of boys he is introduced to, and which Evan is the leader of. There is symbolism, and several scenes and dialogues obviously suggesting diversity of attraction and past behavior.

In the end, I think the "sexually charged" description was heavy-handed and unnecessary, causing misunderstanding of what would be shown, when I found this to be a beautifully shot film with nothing subtle in the suggested explorations, the budding desires and dreams of young men who want to be and do more than what is "acceptable", but who still have love of the land and history of where they are from. That could be Ireland or anywhere. So absolutely, the title is apt, "It is in Us All".

Sexuality was only one facet in the relationship of Evan and others, between Hamish and Evan, and why Hamish allowed himself to continue with Evan while he dealt with his own grief and history. I found it to be an excellent representation and example of how an older and younger man may have an attraction to each other, for various reasons, but wisely, carefully, the more mature man takes that age difference seriously, and respects the need for the underage person to experience and explore appropriately in their own way, in their own time.

I found the film gorgeous, and the story heartbreaking and courageous at the same time. An excellent directorial debut with an ending you won't see coming. Highly recommended.

I've seen this film twice, once at the cinema and once on television. They were different experiences. At the cinema you are submerged in the landscape, but the television experience is no less engrossing.

This is a great film by a debut director. It's intelligent and intense and the cinematography brings much of the drama. The performances and the landscape draw you in to this thought provoking film set in Donegal. It's brooding, at times menacing and always wildly beautiful. A story of place, being and nihilism. If you like your stories, beautifully told and well acted, you will be mesmerised.

Reading through some of the suspiciously high ratings here does reveal a theme of trying to paint this film as arthouse surrealism with nuanced and hidden messaging but it seems to be rather insulting to intelligent audiences and it may work with some but the majority will see it for what it is, a badly written and badly directed project which is redeemed in part by a good lead actor and beautiful location. All of which cannot however, redeem the attempts to pitch this as a gay movie, which seems an afterthought that should have been left at just a thought. Why, because anyone setting out to make a gay film could do better, way bettter and likely would do better. The director/writer also appears in this as an actor and doesn't lift the film in any way and should have probably stopped short of a complete vanity project. I would have rated this slightly higher were it not for the blatant pumped up reviews spouting rubbish analogies.

The blurb suggests a daliance between the main protagonist and a lad who is highly sexed apparently. Nothing happens, nothing but shared grief and realisation of loss. I heard it was shown at LGBTQ film festivals and to be frank, it's impossible to see why.

There is more physical contact between the main character and a cow than anyone else and that was a light petting in a shed. There is a hint at some attraction but it does smack of baiting an audience who might find Cosmo, who was great in Calm with Horses as a good choice to play a gay man, but he doesn't seem to think he is in this film and its probably best given the immaturity and bizarre writing attached to the other character: Certain written behaviors that don't make sense and wouldn't happen in real life, so they just come across as made up for effect rather than substance.

The lead actor, Cosmo is good, supporting cast is ok with moments, particularly efforts at crying which were bad, cringe. It would have been better to cut them out.

Overall, it's essentially about nothing much, even the beautiful scenery is not the best of what Donegal has to offer and they could have shown more. There are stunning vistas everywhere you turn in Donegal and the production wasted that in my view, settling instead for repetitive shots along roadways.

There is something unique about this movie. A story which begins with an act of violence and ends with an act of violence, with so much aching tenderness, and barely contained emotion between. There was enough feeling in this to fill 5 films. Sit back into the rain soaked landscapes of Donegal and the atmospheric soundscapes. The sets are equally atmospheric and spartan. The costumes were sensual and deepened your intimacy with the characters. Cosmo Jarvis is a joy to watch. His ability to coax you deep into his storytelling is irresistible. And I will be seeking out and watching anything by the writer and director Antonia Campbell-Hughes. Masterful film making.

Cosmo Jarvis personally a big fan of him.

Loved him in Calm with horses and his character in this had some great potential to push his acting chops to another level but sadly this was abit of a let down.

I am seriously still scratching my head as to what I have just watched...??????😒🤔

The film's plot was convoluted and nothing really happens to help the flow of the film its just abit strange. The relationships in the film are just odd and tedious.

Although thought provoking, dark, tense which are all good points sadly the plot made very little sense even right until the conclusion and the story throughout was just ambiguous and very confusing.

I really wanted to like this but was sadly left with a feeling of delirium to be honest.