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Bros (2022)
Gay Woody Allen?
Decades ago, Woody Allen introduced us to an insecure, neurotic, pessimistic NY Jewish character with less-than average looks who somehow manages to date hot women who (in real life) would be well outside his personal reach. Just like those beautiful-but-brainy women, we (as an audience) fell for his quirky charms and we were willing to accept this premise.
I suspect the "Bros" writers' intention was to create an updated, gay version of that classic Woody Allen motif, but it just doesn't work. Bobby (Billy Eichner) starts out as a whining, insecure, disagreeable character and he remains so throughout the entire movie. He fails to win us over and we are not provided any reason why a hot guy should fall for him despite his numerous character flaws. He really deserves to be alone in his misery. I kept thinking beautiful and buff Aaron (Luke Macfarlane) could do so much better.
The Bobby character is so dislikable that his single romantic grand gesture -- writing and singing a cute song about his love for Aaron -- just seems awkwardly out of place and not credible. (I have to credit Billy Eichner for doing a great job writing and performing the song though.) The movie could have been more satisfying if Bobby had evolved into a more pleasant and likable human more aligned with the spirit of the romantic gesture.
"Bros" has many enjoyable moments, so I wouldn't tell people to avoid seeing it. Just be aware that it takes a huge dollop of suspension of disbelief to swallow the premise.
Fire Island (2022)
Gay, Lite Romantic Comedy
I've never read "Pride and Prejudice" so I had no idea it was a modern day, gay retelling of that story. Maybe that's why I enjoyed the film more than some of the other reviewers here. Others have said "the book was better", but if you've never read the book, who cares how closely it compares?
Yes, many of the characters are shallow gay stereotypes. But, I wasn't expecting this film to be a heavy messaged, politically correct life lesson. I appreciated it how (I imagine) it was intended to be received and judged. As a gay man, it was a refreshing alternative to the straight-themed romantic comedies I usually have to settle for -- which, by the way, are no more realistic or meaningful than this film. Superficial, stereotypical characters and situations goes with the genre. It seems improper to expect more.
All of the actors delivered solid performances. I particularly liked Joel Kim Booster, Margaret Cho and Conrad Ricamora. For me, the movie perfectly fulfilled my expectations for a gay romantic comedy titled "Fire Island".
Another Day in Paradise (1998)
Young Vincent Kartheiser -- YUM!
For me, the highlight of "Another Day in Paradise" was the fantastic performance of young Vincent Kartheiser. He's engaging and believable in every scene. It's unfortunate that the version I watched did not include his second sex scene (apparently included in the DVD version) with Natasha Gregson Wagner, the only other actor who delivered a stellar performance. Their sex scene was the most watchable and authentic element in this otherwise hokey melodrama.
Melanie Griffith was completely MISCAST in this film and wasn't credible in any of her scenes. Her overly plumped upper lip was a distraction and made her seem more like a Beverly Hills housewife with a little too much Botox than the lowlife criminal drug addict she was supposed to be portraying. Not intended to be a comic moment, but I laughed out loud when James Woods finally punched her in the face as the film neared the end. I guess subconsciously I had been wanting to do that the entire movie. James Woods really seemed to struggle with the poorly written script. Some of his more dramatic scenes were just hard to watch and I found it impossible to achieve a "suspension of disbelief".
Overall, "Another Day in Paradise" is a weak script with very little reason to have been produced. There is nothing that will be memorable about the film, with the exception of the beauty and grit provided by young Vincent Kartheiser.
The Power of the Dog (2021)
Insightful but Painfully Slow
At a running time of over 2 hours, The Power of the Dog is way too SSSSLLLLOOOOWWWW. The same story could easily be told in a one hour short film without loosing any of the ambience and depth.
The cinematography, locations and sets are impeccable. The wide landscape/aerial shots lent an epic sensibility to the film.
The casting was a major problem: Benedict Cumberbatch is a wonderful actor, but he was completely miscast in this role. He has the wrong sensibility and physicality for the role, plus his American accent wasn't particularly believable -- it was actually distracting. When casting two actors as brothers, effort must be made to select actors with some kind of physical resemblance. Jesse Plemons and Benedict Cumberbatch bear absolutely no resemblance to each other - another annoyingly distracting element of this movie. These casting choices made it impossible to engage in a "suspension of disbelief" while watching this film.
One thing the casting director got right is the choice of Kodi Smit-McPhee to play a creative & sensitive gay young man who boldly remains authentic to himself in a world where machismo and homophobia are the norm. Smit-McPhee appears to have been tailor-made for the role. His excellent performance and the arc of his character are the highlights of the film.
The film's moral lesson is important and very timely. However, it could have been delivered more effectively with some casting tweaks and a shorter running time.
Baisers cachés (2016)
Positive Message, But Too Unrealistic
"Hidden Kisses" is an anti-bullying and anti-homophobia movie, which are both worthy subjects. But, the movie wasn't particularly satisfying for me because the story is over-simplified and virtually all the characters are well-worn stereotypes. IMDB lists it as a "TV Movie", so I suspect it was produced as a G-Rated "after school special" targeted at teens and young adults.
Throughout the movie, I was puzzled by the outdated attitude and homophobia the students and others overtly expressed toward the (supposedly) one and only gay student. The film is set in a large city in modern day France, not Brunei or someplace where the "sin" of being homosexual is punishable by death. The world is still not a perfect place for gay people, but we have come a long way in my lifetime (I came out in 1978). It seems particularly unrealistic to portray the student body as a monolithic anti-gay attack force against a solo gay boy who's completely without any friends, allies or moral support.
If you're willing to overlook the stereotyped characters, unrealistic portrayal of French high school students as unrelenting homophobes and the simplistic storyline, you can watch and enjoy "Hidden Kisses" for the positive gay message.
Hooked (2017)
Hooked on Conor Donnally
When I was a young man just out of college I experimented with some gay escorting and I found it to be a fascinating life experience. Later I became a gay adult video producer/director, so I know that world from both sides of the table. For those reasons, I'm always drawn to movies that explore the male escort/client relationship and the hidden world in which they operate.
"Hooked" doesn't really offer any genuine insight nor unique perspective into that secretive world. Jack's interactions with his male clients are predictable and stereotypical, but at least somewhat realistic. However, the only scene with a female client - who forces him to wear diapers and talk like a baby - appears to be lifted straight from "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo". Ridiculous. I understand it was probably included as comic relief in an otherwise serious movie, but I believe it was a misstep that went too far.
I was very impressed with Conor Donnally as the lead character, Jack. Not credible as a 17/18 year old, but I'm willing to overlook that. Of course, he's exceptionally handsome and hunky, but more importantly he was clearly committed to each scene - even the superficial and weak ones. It's all about the spark in his eyes. He definitely has the "x factor" and I hope to see him in many more features to come. The other stand-out performance was by Jay Alan Christianson as Date-Rape Dan. (Apparently he's uncredited in the movie. I'd like to know why.) He was fantastic as a creepy, coked-up slimeball client. I don't think anyone could have delivered a stronger performance.
I try to support as many gay oriented films as I can, but I have to be honest. "Hooked" is just okay overall. Ultimately, it's superficial and it missed a golden opportunity to explore the serious dramatic potential of the gay escort/client dynamic. Speaking of missed opportunities -- Donnally is shown shirtless in many scenes, but only shirtless -- never more. Obviously, I didn't direct this movie! I'll remember "Hooked" for the beauty and spark of Donnally and the brilliantly menacing performance of Jay Alan Christianson.
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)
Composition in Noir
"The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" is a haunting dreamscape. The characters and action emerge from an inky darkness to leave a series of impressions upon the viewer. The mind stitches together these impressions to make a cohesive and simplistic storyline that ultimately is secondary to MOOD. It's a raging sea of emotions & actions: conflict, power struggle, greed, ambition, pride, wanting, desperation, fate, trapped, claustrophobic, helplessness, failure, success, doom, fear. Throughout the movie, there's a visual obscurity, an emotional numbness and disconnect that is reminiscent of a murky dream world.
I must confess I am not familiar with the writing and directorial works of John Cassavetes. Although it was released the same year I graduated from high school, I never heard of this movie until last week. I was listening to a podcast from a couple years ago where Bret Easton Ellis interviewed Larry Clark and they both expressed their admiration for this movie. Their praise of Cassavetes and of this particular film inspired me to watch it. I have no special insight or perspective on Cassavetes' work, I only know what I saw and felt as I watched.
The cast is comprised of character actors and unknowns, which only adds to the dreamlike experience. A big name movie star in any of the rolls would have broken the spell. Yes, I consider Ben Gazzara to be a glorified character actor, not a Hollywood star. He was perfectly cast here. The sequences involving the annoying, ironically-named "Mr. Sophistication" flanked by the world's least enthusiastic strippers create that drowning feeling we sometimes get in a dream where we want to wake up, but can't. There is nothing visually "cinematic" about this movie. It's primarily dark - very dark, choppy and unsettling. But, all of that faithfully serves its intention.
Retake (2016)
Dark Cloud Go Away!
I have to give credit to the writers for coming up with a relatively unique plot line, even if it left me feeling depressed and sad for the main character. I've certainly known my share of control freaks in my life, but this character goes above and beyond. He's got major mental health issues that aren't really resolved by the movie's end.
Tuc Watkins does a fine job of playing the uptight, controlling "Jonathan" on a mission to recreate almost every significant and insignificant detail of a past road trip. I particularly enjoyed Devon Graye as "Adam", the hustler-with-a-heart who tries his best to fix a clearly broken Jonathan.
Ultimately, the main character makes no emotional progress. He's left trapped in a remorseful, obsessed, sad world of his own making. I don't have a need for every movie I watch to have a happy ending, but this one left me feeling sad and depressed. Retake is a movie I'll never want to rewatch.
Kept Boy (2017)
Just Okay, Lacks Depth
"Kept Boy" was just "okay" and nothing about it was particularly memorable. I watched it only a couple nights ago and I've already forgotten most of the details. This is rare for me because I'm known for having an excellent memory. I was going to re-watch it so I could write a more concise review, but then I realized that forgetting most of it was sort of the point of my review.
This movie was well cast and the actors in the primary roles all performed well. I particularly liked Jon Paul Phillips in the title role. He has a natural "hurt animal" vibe and he delivered a believable performance as a vacuous, adrift boy toy a few years past his "sell by date" (literally stated in the movie). This relationship dynamic has a lot of depth and story potential that was not thoroughly explored. Major missed opportunity.
The storyline suffers by having too many threads going in different directions, so everything is treated only superficially. Scattered, not focused. There are too many characters, various unnecessary scenes pursuing minor plot points. It would have been more impactful and memorable to pare it down to a strong core story and developing that and the characters in more depth.
Call Me by Your Name (2017)
One Crucial Flaw & Armie Hammer Ruins It for Me
CMBYN had potential to be a film that deserves all the praise and attention it's received. But, for me it fails because of two major problems: Elio's attraction to Oliver seems to come from nowhere and Armie Hammer lacks credibility or depth as an actor.
As a gay man who's been in relationships with an age disparity -- years ago as the younger and in more recent years as the older -- I have a special understanding of those dynamics.
Oliver (Armie Hammer) is presented as a pretentious, semi-obnoxious, aloof character. Somehow Elio becomes intrigued and then obsessed with Oliver, even though there is nothing in the plot nor in the character development to initiate and fuel that interest. (There are a couple painfully contrived scenes: Elio playing piano for Oliver and Oliver giving Elio a brief neck rub.) I suspect the filmmakers were banking on the audience finding Armie Hammer so attractive and appealing that Elio's interest would be taken for granted. Unfortunately, I personally don't see Hammer's allure (he seems asexual to me) and his acting has the depth of a cardboard cutout. I was not going along for that ride -- I needed more convincing, which never came.
By contrast, Elio (Timothee Chalamet) was perfectly cast and he delivered an outstanding performance in every scene. It's a shame he wasn't paired with another equally compelling and attractive actor who would have elevated the Oliver character to the same praise-worthy level. Then, we'd have a hit movie!
There is only one "sex scene" between Elio and Oliver and it seems like a cop-out. It shows the pair kissing in bed, the camera pans to a view of a tree outside the window, then jump-cuts to the two waking up the next morning. The scene was nowhere near as tender and sexy as a previous heterosexual sex scene between Elio and a girl. I immediately suspected the director must be straight, so I was surprised to learn that Luca Guadagnino is gay. I'm left to wonder why the pivotal gay sex scene was glossed-over while the less significant hetero sex scene was presented almost in real time?
I was also disappointed in the overall look and feel of the movie. As a professional commercial photographer, these kinds of things are important to me. The movie lacked the luscious visuals and sensual qualities of light and place that could have made the movie's appearance magical and memorable.