“OUT OF HAND”–coming of age brutally

“Out of Hand”

Coming of Age Brutally

Amos Lassen

“Out of hand” is not your usual gay-themed movie. It is a homoerotic thriller about two boys coming of age and has been racking up awards at various film festivals. Stranger than all else is the fact that the movie is directed by a female, Eva Urhthaler and she has the homo erotic elements down pat.

Paul and Sebastian, two teenagers with a knack for getting into all sorts of trouble use their time stealing, drinking and beating people. They want to see how far they can go and each depends on the other for validation. In this symbiotic relationship, there is some kid of deep nature that attracts the boys to each other. Sebastien is the dominant one of the two—he is always willing to go one step farther and he is the one that calls the shots. They hang out in an abandoned factory and one day they abduct Sonja, a thirty-year old convenience store clerk. They bring her to their hideout but then cannot decide what to do with her. Paul seems to be attracted to Sonja and moves a bit away from his friend, Sebastien and he tries to help her. Sebastien does not realize that he has fallen in love with Paul at first but as the movie progresses, he acknowledges to himself that their s feeling there. Because he is hurt by Paul, he also becomes capable of things he had never done before. In the two boys we see the very thin line between being adult and adolescent. The desire for power on Sebastien’s side manifests itself in sexuality and things take a turn.

The three leads give haunting performances—Elisabetta Rocchetti asSonja, Ludwig Trepte as Paul and Sergej as Sebastien and all three have won awards for their acting.

“Out of Hand” is a powerful film and is haunting in theme. It is sure to be one of the hits of the summer and it is a valuable look at the early signs of a Sadomasochistic relationship and unrequited love.