HIDDEN AWAY (originally "A escondidas" )
--- I very rarely give a movie a 9 rating, in fact I think this is only the second time I have and this movie fully deserves it. Some may not like this movie because it has some gay over tones but if you just let that pass you will see that is not what its actually about. If you are looking for sex scenes you will be wasting your time with "Hidden Away." This movie is first and foremost a genuine coming of age gemstone. It concerns a displaced Moroccan youth, Ibra, who is on the run from a quasi legal extradition order from the Spanish government which is in a full end run around its own laws to remove Arabs from its borders. Ibra, who appears to be about 16 has blown into the town where a 14 year old Spanish citizen, Raffa, resides. Ibra takes shelter at a youth hostel but has also run into the wrong company of another Arab who is a drug dealer. Raffa apparently lives a comfortable life in his home and is a rising star in his youth water polo team. He whiles away his days with his closest friend, Guille, playing water polo, smoking weed and playing video games and is accepted by his wide circle. But not all is as it seems and Raffa is now at that age where everyone is trying to force him into relationships with girls, and though he does not completely understand why, he is highly stressed by this and not at all comfortable. One evening at a local youth dance Raffa and Ibra lock eyes and Raffa is immediately drawn to this new interest in his life. Raffa goes against the normal adolescent heterosexual grain of his peers and begins working at gaining Ibra's attention. The two are both introspective and Raffa spends more and more time becoming friends with Ibra, to the detriment of his best friend Guille. However Guille is a true friend and accepts that his friend is experiencing something intense and lets him be. Eventually Raffa and Ibra begin a typical process of "sparking" as they become closer friends and eventually Raffa's friends find out the relationship is too close for their liking and he is excluded and then the extradition warrant comes a calling and everything goes south. The two boys run for it together and Raffa's one true friend, Guille, meets them and admits he doesn't understand but sheds tears with his friend as he realizes they are leaving possibly forever and he accepts Ibra because Raffa does. The movie is poignant and brings up what it is like for a boy's first love even when he doesn't first understand it. The whole process is so much better than how I have described it and if you really want to see a very touching coming of age movie I highly recommend "Hiding Away." I have told some of the story here but in no way anything but a fraction of it and you will realize this when you watch it. And I have completely left out the ending so you can experience that for yourself. It alone will touch you deeply as well as the aftermath.
--- Note: In the end credits you will see a message about the passing of Alex Angulo. He played the attendant at the youth hostel and was killed in a car accident in 2014 (Alex Angula born Alejandro Angulo León 1953 - 2014)
--- I very rarely give a movie a 9 rating, in fact I think this is only the second time I have and this movie fully deserves it. Some may not like this movie because it has some gay over tones but if you just let that pass you will see that is not what its actually about. If you are looking for sex scenes you will be wasting your time with "Hidden Away." This movie is first and foremost a genuine coming of age gemstone. It concerns a displaced Moroccan youth, Ibra, who is on the run from a quasi legal extradition order from the Spanish government which is in a full end run around its own laws to remove Arabs from its borders. Ibra, who appears to be about 16 has blown into the town where a 14 year old Spanish citizen, Raffa, resides. Ibra takes shelter at a youth hostel but has also run into the wrong company of another Arab who is a drug dealer. Raffa apparently lives a comfortable life in his home and is a rising star in his youth water polo team. He whiles away his days with his closest friend, Guille, playing water polo, smoking weed and playing video games and is accepted by his wide circle. But not all is as it seems and Raffa is now at that age where everyone is trying to force him into relationships with girls, and though he does not completely understand why, he is highly stressed by this and not at all comfortable. One evening at a local youth dance Raffa and Ibra lock eyes and Raffa is immediately drawn to this new interest in his life. Raffa goes against the normal adolescent heterosexual grain of his peers and begins working at gaining Ibra's attention. The two are both introspective and Raffa spends more and more time becoming friends with Ibra, to the detriment of his best friend Guille. However Guille is a true friend and accepts that his friend is experiencing something intense and lets him be. Eventually Raffa and Ibra begin a typical process of "sparking" as they become closer friends and eventually Raffa's friends find out the relationship is too close for their liking and he is excluded and then the extradition warrant comes a calling and everything goes south. The two boys run for it together and Raffa's one true friend, Guille, meets them and admits he doesn't understand but sheds tears with his friend as he realizes they are leaving possibly forever and he accepts Ibra because Raffa does. The movie is poignant and brings up what it is like for a boy's first love even when he doesn't first understand it. The whole process is so much better than how I have described it and if you really want to see a very touching coming of age movie I highly recommend "Hiding Away." I have told some of the story here but in no way anything but a fraction of it and you will realize this when you watch it. And I have completely left out the ending so you can experience that for yourself. It alone will touch you deeply as well as the aftermath.
--- Note: In the end credits you will see a message about the passing of Alex Angulo. He played the attendant at the youth hostel and was killed in a car accident in 2014 (Alex Angula born Alejandro Angulo León 1953 - 2014)