This sensitive, well-acted romantic drama puts a delicate and mature twist on the classic coming-out story. Filmed in Santiago, Chile, it follows an emotionally ill-at-ease, married architect’s journey of sexual discovery, which switches into high gear after he meets an intriguing gay man.

When we first encounter successful 35-year-old Bruno (the soulful Francisco Celhay), he has just made the difficult decision to separate from his loving wife in order to sort through his feelings. His concerned family calls it a selfish choice, and the couple’s young son is understandably confused and hurt by his doting dad’s decision to leave, but their familial bond appears strong. After Bruno is approached to design a new architectural landmark, he is introduced to Fer (hunky livewire Emilio Edwards), a local tour guide with unique access to the soul of Santiago’s gorgeous cityscape, both ancient and modern. This professional hookup quickly turns to flirtation and much more, complicated by the undeniable chemistry — intellectual and physical — between the handsome leads.

The grayscale of the film’s title exists between the old world and the new, certainty and doubt, straight and gay. Is Bruno gay or bisexual? Is he confused or incapable of commitment? The answers turn out to be not so black-and-white. In his assured feature film debut, director Claudio Marcone reveals new and surprising depths in a midlife coming-out tale by focusing on fine-grained emotional shadings.