God's Own Country
2017
**½
Director: Francis Lee
Cast: Josh O'Connor, Alec Secăreanu, Gemma Jones, Ian Hart, Harry Lister Smith, Melanie Kilburn, Liam Thomas, Patsy Ferran
Johnny is a young sheep farmer who struggles to find happiness amidst the harsh Yorkshire landscape and his family's high expectations. His life takes a turn when he meets Gheorghe, a Romanian migrant worker. Francis Lee's gritty drama is well-acted, but I wasn't exactly swept away by its central romance. This is no Brokeback Mountain, that's for sure. My main issue is with Johnny, a duplicitous and unpleasant boor, who deserves neither Gheorghe nor a happy ending.
