"Hard Games" (2002), a top-notch British import, has a cast that is hot not in the usual spit-and-polish kind of way, but in the more realistic "I saw the hottest guy at the park today" kind of way. Direction by Christian Marshall is expert, fresh and stylish. The standout to me is a black stud, Bryce Goldfinger, who not only stars in two scenes, he also jogs through the public park where all the hook-ups happen during the opening credits. Bryce's muscled, fat-free physique is camera-ready, and so is his handsome face (though I rather wish he would lose his sunglasses and baseball cap, which he wears almost constantly).
In the first scene, Bryce hooks up with adorable and flexible young stud Anton Dixon. Anton plays the adoring devotee to Bryce's sex god throughout, and the dynamic between them is intriguing. Bryce raises his armpit, and Anton licks out his sweaty pits, and when Anton sees Bryce's enormous uncut dick, cinched up with a silver cockring, the rest of the scene is about Anton needing Bryce sexually, and his lust sears the screen. And Bryce participates fully in giving Anton what he needs, too. The camera seems almost incidental in the scene, definitely capturing the action but not intruding upon it, letting the studs show how well-versed they are in the art of sex. For example, when Anton is up on all-fours on a sofa, his asshole bared, Bryce spits on it, and hits a direct bull's-eye -- not one iota of his saliva goes anyplace but right to his target, Anton's winking hole, and you know with that kind of talent and concentration that this stud is going to be one helluva hot fuck. Bryce is anything but disappointing as a top man. The kind of mewling, groaning, toe-curling sex noises Anton makes as Bryce works his ass over with his fingers and his dick are not easily faked, and I think they were absolutely honest in the scene. For one thing, the more he gets from Bryce, the further apart he spreads his legs (and this guy can spread 'em with the best), wanting and needing more. In the amazing finale, Anton's shattering orgasm leaves cum on his fist that he licks off, and then Bryce brings himself off, and his droplets of white stuff stand out in sharp contrast with his rich, dark skin.
The next scene takes us back to the park, where Mossine, a dark, handsome stud is kicking around a soccer ball. Mossine is being watched, and not so subtly cruised, by another hottie, Dean Monroe. When they hook up in an apartment, the result is not just hot sex, but an encounter that is tinged with romance. Mossine is almost pretty, his sultry eyes ringed with long, dark eyelashes, contrasting nicely with Dean's rougher, more macho look. The way Mossine glances up at Dean while he's sucking his cock is hyper-sexy, as if he's looking for approval (or maybe he's just enjoying watching the effect his mouth is having on Dean). When Dean applies his oral skills in a short rimjob on Mossine, the camera grabs the action from a severe angle from underneath, thanks to director Marshall's fearless hand-held camera). Close-up shots merge with tracking shots as the two studs fuck, and Mossine's thick, dark dick probes Dean's hole from behind and sidesaddle, while Dean and Mossine ramp up the heat with occasional hot kisses. Mossine straddles Dean and shoots on his chest and stomach, and his uncut cock looks really beautiful as he draws out the last bit of his load. Then Mossine sits behind Dean and toys with Dean's nipples as Dean jerks off, and the scene ends with another tender kiss.
The next scene has a great lead-off. Warren, a hot pierced and tattooed skinhead stud (wearing a gold wedding band, too), catches sight of Rickster passing by, and immediately goes into hot pursuit mode. Warren leaves no doubt that he's going to have Rickster, striding after him like a man with a mission. The sex takes place on a rooftop, where Warren indeed does get what he's after. Rickster bends over almost immediately, and Warren pours beer into his asscrack, then he takes a big mouthful and spits it right onto Rickster's pucker and licks it out, followed by a pretty rough finger-fuck. I had heard that British workingmen liked to gather for a pint after work, but this wasn't exactly how I had it pictured (it's much better, actually). Moving inside, the pair does a flip-flop, and Rickster is the one doing the rimming, with Warren's curvy ass spread wide for his tongue. Rickster's ass then gets a thorough work out, first with a big black dildo, and then the real thing, Warren's uncut dick. Rickster's cum-shot is great, a splattering of juice erupts from his dick as Warren continues to thrust into him. The scene ends with an unforgettable climax, as Warren pulls out and sprays so much cum on Rickster's face and chest it almost looks like he's pissing it out.
Bryce returns for the next scene, in which he hooks up with tall redhead Ben Taylor, who is at least as well hung (and maybe even better) than Bryce. Ben's cock is a showstopper, but the real entertainment in this scene is watching the way Bryce, who was such a consummate top in the first scene, switches so easily to the role of greedy bottom, taking Ben's huge cock in several different positions. There are amazingly good angles of the penetration, due once again to the adept camerawork and the agility of Ben and Bryce, who seem to have no limit to the width they can each spread their legs apart. The scene is also far from static in terms of setting, moving from a sofa to an upstairs balcony rail, where Bryce props himself with one hand and arches his back so that Ben can once again fill his hungry hole, and then to a bed, where Ben fucks Bryce sidesaddle and missionary. Through it all, Bryce's dick stays rock-hard, and he pops a major load all over his torso while Ben is fucking him. Then Ben stands over Bryce and creams Bryce's bulging pecs with his load, and his hooded cock is still dripping cum when the scene fades.
Mossine returns for the last scene, and this time he is paired with blond cutie pie Johan Johnsson. This scene, as with Mossine's other scene, is also infused with romance (hmmm -- maybe it's just Mossine). As these two studpups undress each other, their wandering hands and insistent kisses slow things down a bit, but when they are finally naked, the scene takes off at breakneck pace, starting with Johan's expert deep-throating of Mossine's delectable-looking meat. Later, as they share a bath, Mossine returns the favor, as he tastes Johan's hairless hole, teasing it for the long fuck to come. Mossine pounds Johan's sweet ass to his heart's delight, from behind in the standing position, then in bed missionary. That's only the beginning, and the two take fucking breaks so that Johan can suck Mossine's cock intermittently. The cum-shots that end the scene are riveting. Mossine sends streams of cum up Johan's torso, and Johan smiles up at him, his blue eyes gleaming in the light. Then it's Johan's turn, and his load is just as impressive. Johan leans in for a last kiss, and the scene fades.
Director Christian Marshall's loose approach to control on the set, letting the studs in the cast react naturally to each other, and his rather unusual hand-held camera technique (eschewing the tripod entirely), which allows for multiple angles of the action, are a welcome breath of fresh air to gay porn.
DVD features: Chapters; bonus scene (mutual blowjobs between Ben and Bryce); gallery; production notes; behind-the-scenes footage; trailer ("Hard Games"); and no regional coding (playable worldwide).
A DVD Review by Martin Cox