August (2011)
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When Troy (Murray Bartlett) returns to Los Angeles after a multi-year foray in Barcelona, he contacts Jonathan (Daniel Dugan), the object of his desire during a short-lived, intense summer fling five years earlier. Their still-smoldering connection is obvious from the first, but Jonathan tries to fight his desires while his live-in boyfriend Raoul (Adrian Gonzalez) approaches the situation with a hands-off approach. Meanwhile, Troy’s inability to make a commitment one way or the other complicates matters. Lovingly shot and languidly told,
August uses the perspectives of all three men and a muddled timeline to tell their stories, successfully mixing Rashomon with a dash of Memento to give a unique twist to the romantic-triangle genre. Writer and director Eldar Rapaport has created rich, complex characters for each of the leads. Special notice should be given to the subtly beautiful soundtrack by Surque (with additional music by Harel Shachal), which weaves delicate Latin guitars over and through the story, adding another layer to this already intricate, emotionally full tale.