The greatest movie ever!

One of the worst movies I've ever seen

An absolute waste of money

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

I have recently seen the movie,Bear Cub, aka Cachorro. It's honest, it's true, and it's a refreshing look into the life of a gay bear, Pedro, who must take care of his Sister's son as she goes on vacation with her hippie boyfriend. I like that Cachorro represented gays as normal guys and not the stereotypic Will and Grace type of gay guy we see all the time in Hollywood. I got the unrated version which has some surprisingly explicit sex scenes for a mainstream movie. They were HOT. But the real cream of the crop is within the brilliant child actor who played Bernardo. We have Hailey Joe Osmond, I guess Spain's answer to that is him.

I had the opportunity to see a sold-out showing of this movie during the Rochester Image Out Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, and I recently watched it again on DVD. It is a moving story of a defiantly single gay man who becomes the guardian of his nephew. His apprehension at taking care of his nephew dissolves when he is forced to make some difficult choices. There are many tender moments in the film, and it is surprisingly funny. Some of the content has been edited for the DVD, but most of the cut scenes are included as extras. One of the aspects that should be mentioned is that the lead character and his friends are part of the gay sub-culture known as "bears." This group represents many of the gay men who do not fit into the gay image that is often presented in film. No one is young, thin, and without facial hair except for the nephew, sister, and grandmother. The movie provides a frank and honest view of the bear community, as well as a realistic portrayal of defining a family under unusual circumstances.

HAIKU: This movie is more / Winsome than Chicago jocks / Football or baseball FOUR PLUSES & A NEGATIVE: 1) Honest gay sex scenes. 2) Positive portrayal of being HIV+. 3) Frank discussions on the topic of gay youths/adolescents. 4) Happy ending. 5) I realize the possible contradiction in what I'm about to say… I dislike when HIV+ men continue to have casual sex in airport bathrooms, backrooms of gay bars, saunas, etc. Often it is unsafe. While I am free to not have unsafe sex, I suspect that many people have unsafe sex without much consideration for the ramifications. I wish that the movie had been more responsible in its portrayal of an HIV+ person having sex.RANDOM THOUGHTS: I know it's just a movie, but how sad is it in life when people are blinded by their good intentions (like the estranged grandmother). I wonder if people like that, whose children become involved with drugs for example, think that they, as the parent, had nothing to do with it. These are the same people who then want to impart their parenting skills and decision-making on their grand-children as if trying the same crap on the next generation will lead to different results. Again, I understand that it was just a movie, but in the end did she (or do people like that) really ever get what they want. What benefit exactly did she take with her to the grave? I enjoyed how this film developed, slowly revealing its secrets and doing so with an honesty and sincerity rarely seen in film, especially films with gay themes. Perhaps, it's just rarely seen in American cinema? Even though I am not into Bears (subunit of gay culture where the men a more fat than fit, more sloppy than stylish, etc.), it is nice to see them portrayed in non stereotypical ways… ways that make them attractive and engaging as people, versus sexual beings not to your liking. I would imagine that non gays who venture out of their comfort zone to see this movie might be surprised at the similarities between gays and straights with respect to family, friends and love. Gay sex scenes aside, I would recommend this movie to mature audiences who would like to see a tender portrayal of gay love (casual sex, casual intimacy, bond between friends, familial conflict, inter-generational bonding, and living with HIV). If you'd like to read more of my haiku, please visit my blog at: richardwallenhaiku.blogspot.com

Having just finished "Cachorro", I'm left with goosebumps. There is no way a movie of this depth could have been made in America. The reason being that homosexuality isn't vilified or degraded, and actually shows gay men caring about each other.***Spoilers ahead*** The plot centers around a gay man, Pedro, and HIV positive dentist, who is left in charge with his 9 year old nephew, Bernardo, while his widowed sister heads of to India for a 'vacation'. Instead, she is jailed for drug trafficking and Pedro is put into a precarious situation. He's grown close to his nephew, and has to deal with an estranged grandmother who it seems will stop at nothing to gain custody of the grandchild she never knew.I can't comment on the edited theatrical release, but the DVD release treats gay sexuality in a pretty straightforward manner, no pun intended. There are sex scenes, but they're not out of line with what I'd expect from progressive European cinema. We are instead treated to a closely knit social group who rally behind Pedro and Bernardo. The movie ends neatly with a few surprises that I will not reveal here.There is a strong message of family throughout the movie. We see it in the relationship between Pedro and Bernardo, as well as with the other outstanding cast members. I must say that I was a bit taken aback by the casual drug use in the movie. It's just not my scene, but we do see Pedro move away from them throughout the film.All in all, a wonderful effort by writer/director Miguel Albaladejo. The principal cast is terrific here, led by Jose Luis Garcia Perez as Pedro and David Castillo as Bernardo. What a treat! Recommended!