There are films that don't make it easy, are unwieldy, create little sympathy for their characters. Label Me has two main characters, a German, Lars, and a refugee from Syria, Waseem, both living in Cologne. Waseem offers sex for money, Lars pays. Lars is curious, asks many questions, Waseem, on the other hand, has rules for everything, even for answering questions he demands money. We don't know if Waseem is gay. Label Me is a typical German film in that it torpedoes the viewer with several questions: What does a refugee feel in another country, how does one deal with him, how can he live out his sexuality, find himself? Waseem is rather introverted, carries heaps of aggression, some against himself. But he gradually dares to allow closeness. Unfortunately, that's where this film ends, which is very short at 1 hour. As a German, the intellectual level of the film is very familiar to me. I therefore don't need answers to all the questions the film raises. It has a lasting effect, which is a good sign.
Plot summary
Sex is power, and Waseem, a Syrian gay-for-pay hustler seeking asylum in Cologne, wields it like a shield. Keeping his johns at an emotional arm’s length while satisfying their most carnal desires in order to eke out a living, he meets his match in Lars: a kind, affluent professional with a growing personal interest in Waseem. This gripping tale of transactional identity explores the tactical exchange of trust and intimacy in a partnership, and the divisions between immigrants and their host countries in contemporary Europe.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
March 25, 2021 at 10:45 PM
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A bitter pill to swallow
Didn't expect
1 hour movie way better than many movies. For gay theme, it's really exceptional. It's very natural for all the acting. The Syria man and Germany man meet for paid serve relationship and what happens between them is love, sympathy or hatefulness ? All just a thin line to define.
Great chemistry
I wish this was longer than an hour. The main couple has fantastic chemistry and I really wanted a happy ending for them... but I knew there wouldn't be, so I was prepared. I will probably watch this again, some great messages in this. Glad I watched it.