Dyna and Kit are married and have been together since grad school, they are also both selfmotivated therapists. Together, they have written a book entitled ‘How to succeed in marriage without even trying’.

Unbeknownst to their readers and contrary to their book Dyna and Kit are trying very hard to make their own marriage work. When their relationship starts to slowly unravel, their book unexpectedly hits the bestseller list. To avoid bad publicity the dynamic duo decide to spring clean their relationship with the help of their own therapist, played by the very funny Suzanne Westenhoefer.

Their mid-marriage crisis spirals into an amusing comedy of errors. A film crew moves into their home to document their relationship which is now very much in the public eye.

To add insult to injury Kit’s sister, Cindy arrives at their door to crash on the couch indefinitely. To amuse herself Cindy plays an array of pranks on the unsuspecting couple.

A quirky and fun film about life, love and therapy, with some lovely surprises thrown in along the way.

The Americans may not be the default noir specialists but every now and then they get it right–as here in Graham’s moody, rich début about a hustler who gets trapped in a labyrinthine apartment building that is part purgatory, part dark room and all kinds of interesting.

Fassbinder and Genet is the feel, Shakespeare and Foucault provide the impetus for the dialogue and if that all sounds too highbrow, it isn’t. Thank the entirely gorgeous Ben Bonenfant for that; his depiction of the deeper-than-thou rent boy drips with easy sensuality as he tricks his way through various apartments – and revelations – in the building, learning about life, love, and the best way to give a blowjob. The characters he encounters are vintage Genet too, a soufflé of battle worn activists, heady queens and lush Euro muscle.

Highly recommended.

Eighteen minutes of Gallic silliness done with incredible style. The girls want a baby, their doctor friend helps with the artificial uterus, but Mama steps in with disturbing genetic information.

Thelma and Louise is how many will greet this edgy thriller-cum-psycho-bloodfest. Actually Natural Born Killers meets Babette’s Feast might be closer to the mark.

It’s a dark and unwittingly funny tale of lost teen Aline who, dropped by her older (seriously freaky) lover, takes up a job as the cook at a small vineyard run and owned by the entirely revolting Gerard.

The appalling man is food mad and he’d kill, literally, for a good céleri remoulade so Aline has her work cut out for her staying one step ahead of the ogre. But this is one streetwise dyke, and all is not what it at first seems.

What makes Recipe for a Killing so watchable is the Altmanesque retelling of the same story from two different angles. Hugely entertaining and yet more evidence, if any were needed, that the French, though mad as balloons, make delightfully unpredictable cinema.

This unsettling film, which caused a stir in Brazil upon it release, explores rather complicated subject matter, and while it does not resolve the ‘issue’ it raises, rather it delivers an unusual love story.

Francesco and his younger half brother, Thomas, are not rivals, but the best of friends, protective and loving of each other.

Although their mother (superbly portrayed by Júlia Lemmertz) and father show some concerns about the brothers’ familiarity, nothing is really spoken about in this tranquil household.

Fifteen years later, after the death of their mother, their sudden loss sparks something between the brothers, now played by the beautiful Joao Gabriel Vasconcello, a Brazilian model, and actor Rafael Cardoso, both of whom rocketed to stardom because of their roles in this film.

A dèbut feature extension of a short, Dare is an unusually provocative, not-so-innocent coming-of-age story.

It involves a straight-laced over achiever, wannabe actress, Alexa, her shy and unassuming sidekick, Ben, and the school’s charismatic, yet troubled ‘hottie’, Johnny. It has all of the angst and issues that you would expect—identity, social anxiety, surprising friendships, unsettling sexual encounters—but with a look and depth that is unexpected.

This year’s school play is A Street car Named Desire, with Alexa and Johnny cast as Blanche and Stanley. Alexa lacks the oomph to convincingly portray Blanche, and is advised by the school’s only successful acting alumnus to ‘shake things up’.

This advice propels her into the calculated seduction of Johnny. Ben follows Alexa’s lead and a lopsided bisexual love triangle develops. But beneath Johnny’s cool, calm exterior is a boy far more vulnerable than either of them are expecting.

Meet Dale, a male prostitute on the verge of turning 30. Dale loves sex. He loves strange sex. He loves strangers. He loves strange sex with strangers.

In this unsentimental Brit production, we follow Dale and his sexploits from Sunday to Someday.

His clients’ requests range from his dressing up as a schoolboy, cuddling old men in nappies, to supervising them as they clean the house. Although his antics aren’t glamorised and are, at times, very amusing, his is a dangerous lifestyle and his reckless nature is affecting those closest to him. Along our antihero’s path we meet some colourful characters.

A highlight is drag queen Shaun, and his relationship with his mother, Christine. There are some heart warming scenes throughout the film but ultimately it’s an honest and daring look at a very harsh reality as director Medland courageously tackles what it means to be queer and the violent homophobia that is still very much alive in ‘civilised’ Britain. And we finally realise the true cost of love.

We live in hope of a lesbian feature that will be more than tribades circling each other, aye there the rub! A lezpic that is minus the obligatory close up shot of clutching, orgasmic hands on the edge of a bed – that’s lesbian sex?!

Well, Bloomington goes someway to address that. A college freshperson, a petite Sarah Stouffer plays an ex-TV child star. She’s attracted to her Psychology professor, played by the statuesque, older Alison McAtee, deliciously stylish in pencil skirts and a bun, and it’s a relief when she takes it off and shakes it out.

Thankfully there’s no angst about being queer, but the edginess of the film lies in the transgressive—the obvious age / power difference between the two, which is highlighted when the Prof takes charge. But hey, when you’re horizontal no one’s taller, and surprisingly (for a dyke fliek) that’s their position 15 minutes into the movie. There’s some development in plot and characters, and the ending too offers a welcome, unexpected change.

He’s a sweet, responsible gay boy, but one moment of recklessness and he’s fucked, both ways.

A sexy, cautionary tale by the Jack O’ Dowd and Christian Martin.

If 2009′s Brit gang fliek Shank left you impressed but in need of a stiff triple, then here’s more, only with ice and some mix; writers Flaxstone & Martin’s appealing street edginess without the traumatising klap. This time the duo takes on yet another yoof topic de jour—online sex—but typically make it trendy, sexy and not a little bit naughty. Seb and Aaron, though happily in love, are feeling the recession bite and to make ends meet, the ever-inventive Aaron decides to install a hidden camera in the bedroom and charge for watching their love-making. Things go well and the bucks start rolling in. Only thing is, Seb isn’t in on the plan.

It’s by turns camp, funny, pithy and intriguing, offering up typical Flaxstone & Martin questions about commitment, boundaries, fashion and peer pressure. Light but engaging cinema perfect for the buff boys and their entourages.