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Just a note

This blog has been marked explicit by Tumblr and I’ve not been able to get it lifted as much as I try. While that’s ongoing, I am going to be moving Josh O’Connor related posts to a dedicated blog. (Probably should have done that a while ago tbh. 😂)

Josh O’Connor Updates

This blog will resume when it’s properly visible to all visitors again. But Josh updates will be available there as and when.

Here’s a pic for your time. ❤️

#josh o'connor #admin

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Happy 2018 Stage Crush followers!! What a way to start the year, our fave Josh has been nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award. I was 100% fingers crossed for this, I am so thrilled for him.

It’s a competitive year - all the actors nominated have done some very special work this year. However, you must all vote for Josh. Please go go go.

Vote for Josh O’Connor here.

In the meantime, look at this adorable dork at BAFTA this morning. I love him.

Edited to add another video! Dorks!!

A post shared by Claire Sky Showbiz (@claireskyshowbiz) on Jan 4, 2018 at 4:41am PST

#josh o'connor #God's Own Country #bafta #bafta rising star awards #Francis Lee #alec secareanu

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Congrats to Stage Crush favourite Josh O’Connor for his Best Actor win at the British Independent Film Awards tonight. He’s been our Best Actor for several years, but we’re immensely satisfied everyone is catching up!!

Here’s his lovely acceptance speech.

Read my original post about Josh here or try to follow his very busy tag here. (Lots about God’s Own Country in there, plus if you scroll back a flurry of activity about him before GOC too.)

Up next: BAFTA? 🤞

#josh o'connor #God's Own Country

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I think this is kind of a surprising interpretation of CMBYN (I also read your previous reply). I absolutely 100% adore both CMBYN and GOC, just to be clear, so I don’t see this is a criticism. However, the ending of CMBYN results is a break-up and one of the characters marrying a woman. How you can interpret that as a story about male love without any forces that are against their relationship I am not sure. Setting the book apart from the movie for the moment (as arguably there’s more insight to be gained from the book), the fact that Oliver marries a woman in the end is relevant to the fact that he has recently been in a relationship with Elio. If there was no homophobia dwell on in the world of CMBYN, that hetero element would not be necessary. They could have just parted ways on the basis of their age gap and separate lives and it could have been a summer fling. That choice was deliberate. Of course Oliver could be bisexual, they both could be in fact, however throughout CMBYN Elio and Oliver both have relationships with women while wanting each other instead, which underpins this ending of marriage and integrating into a heteronormative world. Making external homophobia, if not internal homophobia, seep into the consciousness of the film.

None of this stops them from falling in love or being intimate, but it is destructive to women around them, a classic trope of movies about gay men. 

No, CMBYN doesn’t suffer from toxic masculinity and is portrayed utterly beautifully. It’s everything you said about sensuality and it’s incredibly touching. But, while in GOC Johnny’s lifestyle and frustration and sadness bring out a violence that’s pent up inside him, he is able to address that and overcome it to give him and Gheorghe a hopeful and positive ending. Their queerness is not stopping them from being happy, Johnny’s personal issues are. (I agree with the ask about marginalised people reclaiming words - also it’s worth noting that the cast/director said that the “freak, fag” exchange is their way of saying ‘I love you’ as they weren’t able to articulate it.)

CMBYN in contrast has a bright young boy at the prime of his maturing sexuality fall in love with a man, whilst hiding his newfound love with the cover of dating a woman, having his heart broken in the end by the man he loves marrying a woman. That’s not a story devoid of homophobia.

Btw, it’s worth reading the book because it adds depth to Elio’s feelings about his sexual relationship with Oliver. There’s shame there and I’m glad I read it after seeing the movie as I agree that one of the best things about the film is the fact that they don’t dwell on it.

^^ I have to just reiterate that I don’t think this makes CMBYN a bad film or better/worse than GOC. I loved them both for different reasons and they are both outstanding pieces of cinema. I’ve been writing a compare and contrast for a while, but haven’t had time to finish it. This is a nice way to articulate some thoughts.

(P.S. Totally agree Armie Hammer was miscast, but Timothee Chalamet is a revelation.)

Idk I’m a gay man and have used/reclaimed gay slurs for as long as I can remember, and I’ve never had issues with my sexuality on an internal level or hated myself for it. And yes the movie deals with masculinity more than it deals with a homosexual identity - I’m positive that it could never have been about a man and a woman or two women and had the same impact. The way these two gay men are and how they deal with themselves and falling in love and having sex was so real and relatable to me.-

(cont’d) -CMBYN didn’t resonate with me at all sadly, it made me uncomfortable since it /is/ about a seventeen year old boy and a man seven years his senior and the age gap looks a lot bigger on screen than reading the book (I read it many years ago and loved it). The only actual sex scenes in CMBYN were the straight ones which I found depressing and regressive, especially since the book is so explicit.

That’s fair! Full disclosure, I am a queer woman, so I can’t speak personally on how it feels to be a man or to have to navigate masculinity and queerness in that context. I did appreciate that the sex scenes and nudity felt real and raw in GOC, and I would agree that given how sexual the book was, it is puzzling that they decided to cut away from the actual act itself in CMBYN. Although I loved CMBYN, I also agree that the age difference looks extreme and it’s one of the reasons I was originally hesitant towards the film and didn’t think I was going to enjoy it as much as I did. I still think Armie was miscast, even if I do applaud his performance.

But I think CMBYN resonated with me so much because like I said, there’s absolutely no forces at play that are against their relationship, whether it be internal or external. There’s no real machismo or toxic masculine that exerts itself as violence or an inability to feel or accept love. It’s a light summer romance that’s usually only reserved for carefree straight characters, that I’ve been dying to see play out between queer characters for some time. The characters are just so wonderfully open and vulnerable, almost to the complete contrast of Johnny Saxby. So while GOC was perhaps more explicit and raw, I found myself more touched emotionally by CMBYN. To me, It had a sensuality that unapologetically seeps into your bones, while GOC more felt like an overlying chill that slowly thawed.  

I will say I don’t think either are really ABOUT being gay. Though I do feel GOC is perhaps more specific to the gay male experience, based on what you’re saying, while CMBYN could be about a man and a women, two women or two men. 

#call me by your name #cmbyn #cmbyn spoilers #god's own country #goc

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Just letting you know that Bridgend is available on now tv (sky) in the UK in case anyone wanted to watch it but didn't know!

Hey guys, check out Sky to watch Bridgend! 

Thank you, anon.

#bridgend #josh o'connor #Anonymous

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gah you're so lovely, thank you for all your posts about the film ☺️☺️

Thank you! 🤗

#god's own country #Anonymous

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God's Own Country sounds/looks beautiful! Were there any more scenes that stood out for you? Was it a different experience seeing it the second time? I don't mind reading spoilers so don't worry about that

Hey all,  Thank you everyone for engaging with me these last few weeks on God’s Own Country. It has been an immense pleasure to keep reliving it through your questions. The film has seeped into my bones in a way it probably wouldn’t have otherwise. It still hasn’t really left my thoughts….

However, this is my last God’s Own Country post. Boooo. Don’t worry, it’s a good one. After this, I’m afraid I have to hang up my hat. Too many things to love, too little time. Also spare a thought for those following this blog who want to hear about a range of up and coming actors, but have heard nothing but this film for weeks. (I will still post questions about Josh…)

This is intended as a companion piece to my first post about God’s Own Country. Where the previous one is much more emotionally written, this one is a little more analytical. You can read all the previous posts about the film through the tag (there’s loads!) and I really encourage you to read the Gheorghe tag too as some great stuff has come up about him. 

Onto more thoughts. This is for the anons who have asked to talk more on my impressions, including the one that sent in this ask.

I started my first post with Josh and that’s how I’ll conclude. I’m a performance oriented person you see. While I like storytelling and quality writing a great deal, the reason I’ve always loved theatre so much is that intimate relationship between me and the actor who is embodying the character. I can get extremely carried away by it; I spend a lot of time in small theatres! 

So one of the things that stood out for me more the third time I watched it was that change in Johnny as portrayed so beautifully and fully by Josh O’Connor. I think I forgot just how much pleasure Johnny gets from his fledgling relationship with Gheorghe. That’s as gorgeously portrayed as the anguish of the emotions Johnny is feeling in the final scene that I highlighted in my last post. A review I quoted recently sums this up really nicely:

[…] once the romance has begun, Johnny embraces it with almost naive enthusiasm […]

Johnny’s wide eyed excitement is really enjoyable to watch. He has gone through this immense change and we’re along for the ride with him. At various points after Johnny has accepted his relationship with Gheorghe we see someone that is almost another man, sneaking erotically charged glances across a room, laughing, teasing and respecting someone for the first time. It’s secret and private and even when Johnny tries to be the man we saw at the beginning - sullen and moody - he’s unconvincing, broken down by a couple of kisses and malleable to Gheorghe’s will.

It’s no surprise really that some of the most stand out scenes are the interactions between the two men. That charged chemistry between the actors is incredibly believable.

I’ve touched briefly on it before, but there’s a scene in the film that is post-coital and it’s really a turning point for Johnny. It’s before he really changes in this way, but it’s probably one of the most important scenes in the film. It’s the only scene in which both characters are completely open both physically and emotionally. As they sit together, semi-naked, but comfortable, Johnny reveals some things about himself personally that it’s quite obvious he hasn’t spoken about to anyone before. This raw nakedness is really touching. He finds it hard to look Gheorghe in the eye as he speaks, picking at a scab on his hand as a distraction, but he draws in the audience, doubling down on our understanding of him.

Gheorghe understands this is a difficult moment for Johnny because he’s just got that empathic personality. And just as Gheorghe understands what a new born lamb needs, so too he knows what a potentially skittish Johnny needs. He stops Johnny picking his scab and licks it, granting us maybe THE most sexy/erotically charged moment in the film. (Your mileage may vary…) Johnny’s face is just the perfect mix of shock and a bit of arousal and a bit of WOW.

Performance. 👍

The other thing I noticed on my third viewing was just how much Gheorghe watches Johnny. I’d been put in mind to look out for Gheorghe’s feelings a bit more by the questions I got on here and it was quite illuminating. Gheorghe is pretty obsessed with Johnny from the start! 😏  His eyes follow Johnny around and they don’t really stop. I was struck by the scene between Johnny and his father early on in the film, where they argue and Johnny gets a telling off. Gheorghe hears all of Johnny’s frustration and disappointments in that scene, following to watch through the window as they continue clashing outside. It seems to me that Gheorghe becomes pretty fascinated by Johnny early on, observing him and understanding some of what he’s going through. While he doesn’t directly address it, his comment about it being lonely there is a tentative attempt at understanding who Johnny is and his sad predicament. His rough insistence on checking Johnny’s hand when he injures it is his way of forcing Johnny to accept his intervention. Johnny’s acceptance shows his openness to being cared for that then gets taken many steps further later on. It’s a prelude to what happens between them later, but I think Gheorghe has probably thought about it before then even.

I’ve written extensively on God’s Own Country now, so I feel like talking about any other scenes is too exhaustive. I’ve mention them all at one point or another! Thanks Josh, Alec and Francis for your wonderful film. I’ll be back in the new year when the DVD is out and we can discuss the deleted scenes and extras that better be on it! 

To everyone that is still waiting for the film to come to your country - I am with you in spirit. Remember, I was waiting for this film from the day it was announced that Josh would be in it so I know how you feel! And then waiting as it screened around the world - I’ve been there. But I will tell you that it’s worth the wait 1000 times over. ❤️

#gods own country #god's own country #josh o'connor #alec secareanu #Anonymous

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OMG I can spend all days reading you're post... Thanks! Is very unlike that GOC came to Peru but I'm not lose hope... Sorry of my English is mess up I speak spanish but I like to know if there videos of the Q&A after the screenings. I love to see them interaction with the audience. Thanks 😊

Ahh no, I’m afraid I haven’t seen any videos of audience Q&As, sadly.

I really hope the film comes to Peru!!

#vaquitsperu

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Is there a video of this Q&A??

I’m not sure which Q&A you mean, but if you mean the ones I’ve been to, then no unfortunately not.

#gods own country #god's own country #josh o'connor #alec secareanu #vaquitsperu

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What happens in the scene where Gheorghe and jonny have a bath together

Hi, info about that is here. 

(Sorry just edited this as I realised I’d omitted the link.)

#gods own country #god's own country #josh o'connor #alec secareanu #Anonymous

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Little thread on Twitter

Someone on Twitter posted what I would call a plot bunny ;) on what happens to Johnny and Gheorghe after the end of God’s Own Country. Someone’s writing the fanfic, right? RIGHT? 😂

Source

#god's own country #gods own country #josh o'connor #alec secareanu

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Yeah this is an excellent review. One of the best ones I’ve read.

Another eloquent stellar review. @stagecrush

#God's Own Country #gods own country #josh o'connor #alec secareanu

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Hehe. Hope you get to see it soon!! :)

One of the best reviews I have read and I have read many. A must read for anyone considering watching the movie but is still undecided.

@stagecrush @almostsublimeyouth since you are posting the most about this film. Some great language for the wiki page too.

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robron-are-game-on replied to your post “robron-are-game-on replied to your post “Lots of questions about the...”

More Gheorghe...

I may or may not have used Google translate to check �� I really liked the moment, the ferocity of his response showed that Gheorghe was also very invested, which contrasted well with him being level-headed in the pub earlier. I think that moment, when he gets in Johnny's face about the "gypsy" insults, the tussle before the first sex, and the reaction when the asshole in pub is flicking beer at him, all show a man who is tolerant, but has a clear limit of shit he will accept. Fantastic character.

Yeah, Gheorghe has a pretty bad temper for such a kind and nurturing man, but that’s ok, I like that he has this flaw! 

#robron-are-game-on #God's Own Country #gods own country #josh o'connor #alec secareanu #gheorghe

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This is indeed a great review. However I disagree wildly about the internalised homophobia. And to argue against that analysis without spoilers - I would say that I believe Johnny is suffering from self-loathing without doubt, but that it doesn’t stem from internalised homophobia. I believe it stems from his life, the situation he is in, the lack of support and affection from his family, abandonment issues re: his mother and/or friends, and a feeling of a life unfulfilled.

As the review states:

[...]we never see him show shame or regret for his gay experiences. In fact, once the romance has begun, Johnny embraces it with almost naive enthusiasm. It’s almost like his homosexuality is just put to one side [...]

Exactly! The reviewer themselves recognises that the movie shows little internalised homophobia and, when Johnny manages to make that human connection, he has no problems embracing it. All Johnny problems stem from the farm, the environment, the family. He’s more than clear about who he is himself sexually.

The rest is spot on though. ;)

One of the best reviews I have read and I have read many. A must read for anyone considering watching the movie but is still undecided.

@stagecrush @almostsublimeyouth since you are posting the most about this film. Some great language for the wiki page too.

#God's Own Country #gods own country #josh o'connor #alec secareanu

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robron-are-game-on replied to your post “Hi. There is a still of Johnny and Gheorghe in the bath. Does that...”

For those who might be keen on an update on this as I was wrong!

the dialogue is very brief, Gheorghe offers to stay longer to help out until Martin is better, Johnny agrees- they smile at each other... *and eye fuck *

Thank you!

#robron-are-game-on #God's Own Country #gods own country #josh o'connor #alec secareanu

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robron-are-game-on replied to your post “Lots of questions about the finale”

I’ve cut the reply for spoilers, but I wanted to share the comment.

I think Johnny has a bit of a clue, since I think Gheorghe, when he almost hits him, calls him a prostitute/whore (in Romanian, but it's pretty obvious).

Thank you for sharing that! I really didn’t know what he called him. I thought maybe asshole or bastard, but I suppose it’s obvious that it should have been whore.

#robron-are-game-on #God's Own Country #gods own country #josh o'connor #alec secareanu