God's Own Country
- Director: Francis Lee
- Writer: Francis Lee
- Producer: Manon Ardisson; Cavan Ash
CGiii Comment
Yes, yes, yes...we've heard all about this being the British 'Brokeback' - sheep farmers in the wilderness! But, this is so much more!
It's raw and relatable. It's rural and real. It screams...love can be found in the remotest of places!
Bleak...most definitely. Heart-warming...the cockles of your heart will be on fire! Wanna see chemistry on-screen? This is a reaction like no other!
Mr Lee uses words more sparingly than most [first-feature] directors...the film will leave you speechless...and, if you are a certain age with a surfeit of experience, nostalgia and warmth will spread through your body...as if you are thawing from a winter's chill. Yes, this film resonates. Mr Lee's experience resonates...and, communicates!
Unfortunately, the power of the film will be lost on those it would affect most...racists and homophobes should be forced to sit, watch and learn...about hard work, harsh environments and the great big thumping heart of humanity that prevails.
A deft, detailed, delicious [under-stated] triumph!
Thank you Mr Lee, for communicating.
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
Young Johnny is running his ailing father’s farm in Yorkshire, England. The communication between father and son reflects their adverse living and working conditions, the father’s utterances mostly being restricted to terse criticism of his son. Johnny’s grandmother plays her part stoically. A frustrated Johnny endures his strenuous daily routine. In a bid to escape the harsh daily grind, he has nostrings sex with men, or gets drunk at the local pub. In the spring, a farm hand is taken on for the season. Romanian Gheorghe is the same age as Johnny, who at first eyes him with suspicion. The initial tension between the two men soon gives way to an intense relationship. This opens up completely new prospects but also presents new challenges for Johnny. In his feature-length debut, Francis Lee finds authentic images to depict farm life as one of privation. His film concentrates on the looks and gestures of his characters and their physical proximity. The archaic landscape of ‘God’s own country’ as the locals call their county, perfectly reflects the turmoil going on inside the protagonists.
Cast & Characters
Josh O'Connor as Johnny Saxby;
Alec Secareanu as Gheorghe Ionescu;
Gemma Jones as Deidre Saxby;
Ian Hart as Martin Saxby