Young Hearts

I found it very interesting how Alexander understands the type of homosexual relationship he wants, as he was raised in an environment where the community was very present and normalized: he doesn't fully understand what Elias's "closet" means because he hasn't lived it, and he demands a boyfriend who isn't ashamed of him, as it's something normal for him.

I like the approach they take to love as a timeless unit, without gender or any artifice, but something you feel with intensity, regardless of the era or the individual.

The part where Elias comes out to his mother with the phrase: "I've tried to change it but I couldn't" broke my heart, if you belong to the community you've gone through this at some point.

I particularly liked that it's not the typical LGBT story where everything revolves around the protagonist's rejection by their environment, but rather it shows a Western story set in 2024 where queer realities are normalized both at school and family levels.

An emotional movie about love in general, and first love in particular, and internalized homophobia, told in a very intimate and sensitive way.

An emotional movie about love in general, and first love in particular, and internalized homophobia, told in a very intimate and sensitive way.

I particularly liked that it's not the typical LGBTQ+ story where everything revolves around the protagonist's rejection by their social circles, but rather it shows a occidental story set in 2024 where queer realities are pretty normalized, both at school and family levels.

[Berlinale '24] There is a connection between this film and the director's short film, "Kiss me softly" (2012), which addresses the relationship between a teenager and his father. The director wanted to make the kind of romantic story that he would have liked to watch when he was young, including all the clichés. Which is a very honest explanation of why the film doesn't make much effort to avoid the topics. And it must be recognized that it addresses the this young love story without falling into the drama or heteronormative representation of the discovery of sexual identity.

When I watch LGBTQIAP+ themed foreign films such as Young Hearts I question in frustration why terrible works such as Emília Perez that are nothing but clumps of stereotypes and bad acting are nominated for so many awards.

Lou Goossens as Elias was outstanding. This boy has a bright future ahead of him as an actor. The scene where he came out to his mother seemed realer than I would expect from an actor this age. The agitated breath, the trembling hands, the pause and silence before saying what he wanted to say hit close to home. The understanding, welcoming and embracing also reminded me of my own experience that I know unfortunately isn't the standard.

I loved everything about it, with the exception of the self-centered, narcissistic father up until the end. The grandfather-grandson relationship on the other hand was lovely to watch.

This is a coming of age movie for every family to see. Filmed beautifully, it developed a love story between two teenage boys in the most appropriate, genuine tone possible. What a delightful experience!

An absolutely beautiful film about first love. The grandfather was right when he said that that special love only comes around once in a lifetime.
Everything about this film is gorgeous. The locations, the music, and certainly the two boys who pulled of a nuanced portrayal of young gay coming-of-age love.