My Life in Pink (Ma Vie En Rose)

Director(s): Alain Berliner
Writer(s): Alain Berliner
Producer(s): Chris Vander Stappen
Starring: Georges Du Fresne, Michele Laroque, Jean-Philippe Ecoffey

Ludovic is a seven-year-old who is dead certain that he was born in the wrong body. While the rest of the boys are rough housing on the soccer field, he would rather play dress up and pretend marriage with the boy across the street. What complicates the matter is that the boy across the street is the son of Ludovic's boss and the neighborhood doesn't take kindly to transgendered children. Seen through the eyes of the colorful imagination of a 2nd grader, "Ma Vie En Rose" follows the trials and tribulations of one family as the youngest child comes to terms with himself in a society not ready for change.

Every so often I break away from the gay genre of film and dabble in the cinema of the transgendered. And what I find time and time again is that those in Trans films are excellent actors. Whether you are a woman playing a man, a woman playing a man who wants to be a woman, a man playing a woman, or a man playing a woman who wants to be a man, actors in Trans films have a higher level of scrutiny from critics. Thus, their performances seem to be flawless. Now imagine if your trans character was the age of your little niece or nephew. That child will now and forever be an actor that I admire. I have long said that I admire any straight males that play gay without the use of stereotypes or cultural cliches. I will now say that I admire any actor who is not trans that plays trans (pre-op or post-op), because it is these actors that embrace the character, the form, and the art of acting.

I love how this film focuses on the family's struggle with helping Ludovic find his true identity. It touches upon all the major issues that any family worries about and it has a nice mix of those who support and don't support Ludovic's choices in life. The fantasy element is something that any child can relate to. While Ludo dreamt of living in the world of Pam and Ben (The French Barbie and Ken), I dreamed of living in the world of Saved By the Bell (and yes i was dating Zack in this fantasy). Children have this extra ability to make any little thing into some magical event. Berliner captures this child-like imagination perfectly, drawing viewers of all ages back to the days when they had imaginary friends from the shows and toys they enjoyed in their youth. All in all, an excellent film worth not only the 88 minutes it took to watch this film, but also worth the hours of conversation this film could provide.

Indie Gay Film Biz in Growth Mode Everywhere but on The Big Screen

Take Two Commentary
Indie Gay Film Biz in Growth Mode Everywhere but on The Big Screen
By: Gregg Goldstein

Gay pride season seems to be extending well beyond its official month of June. Gay marriage is now legal in California, stars are coming out of the closet (and woodwork) as never before, and NewFest -- the New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Film Festival -- has kicked off the summer cycle of gay film festivals with its 20th anniversary run.

So why are so many indie gay films doing worse than ever at the boxoffice and among critics?

Strand Releasing's 22 films in theaters last year (most with GLBT themes) grossed just $462,000. Killer Films has shifted its focus from queer-themed features to true crime dramas and other films, with tepid critical and financial success. Rotten Tomatoes says that gay- and lesbian-themed films averaged a 51.5% rating in 2006 and 2007 (well below its under-60% "rotten" threshold), while projects like the 2005 Toronto fest's best Canadian feature winner, "C.R.A.Z.Y.," can't secure U.S. theatrical distribution.

Gay characters might have gone mainstream at the movies ("Brokeback Mountain") and on TV ("Brothers & Sisters" and others), but that success hasn't led to more mainstream projects featuring them in main roles. There's merely been more awareness of a target audience of affluent young consumers seen as willing to support any film with a gay theme, including more schlocky genre films (the sex comedy "Eating Out") similar to the lowbrow fare aimed at straights.

While smaller films are failing at the boxoffice, their production is still being fueled by the same venues drawing gay audiences away from theaters: cable TV, DVD and the Web. Small-town audiences who can't find gay films in their local Wal-Mart can head to Amazon, subscribe to Netflix or turn on MTV-owned basic cable channel Logo. Distributor Regent Entertainment, owner of the Here! pay channel, is more than doubling its annual film production/acquisition slate to about 25 releases in the next year for brief theatrical runs.

For while Regent's 12 films in theaters last year grossed just $335,000, Regent/Here! CEO Paul Colichman says the channel's $7-per-month fee, DVD revenue and low marketing costs make theatrical a worthwhile loss leader.

Even NewFest artistic director Basil Tsiokos admits that long-running festivals like his, San Francisco's Frameline and Los Angeles' Outfest serve more as launching pads for DVD and cable than for theatrical runs. One such example is TLA Releasing's "Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild," a sequel to 2006's "Another Gay Movie," which parodied and exploited gay and straight cinema cliches.

Tsiokos estimates that he's seen nearly 5,000 GLBT-themed features since he began as an intern in 1996. ("I'm joining an ex-gay ministry," he jokes about his "Clockwork Orange"-esque experiences.) But despite their sometimes poor quality, he says that the new genre films he doesn't always choose to program aren't necessarily bad things.

"There are two ways to look at them: You can say some pander to viewers, but they also open films to different audiences," he says. "It's not just the 'I'm coming out' and 'I have AIDS' films anymore." Colichman adds that genre films mark progress regardless of their quality. "Before our films with Chad Allen, had anyone seen a gay detective?" he says.

On a more ambitious scale, Focus Features is one of the few specialty filmmakers willing to bet on gay subject matter, with good reason: "Brokeback" became its most successful release ever. Focus now is producing a Woodstock film which, while not a gay film per se, is based on a gay man's memoir, and the studio might be taking its biggest risk by making Gus Van Sant's long-gestating Harvey Milk biopic "Milk."

Both have the potential to appeal to mainstream, discerning audiences. But aiming outside the gay ghetto marketplace makes them anomalies. For despite breakthroughs like "Brokeback," gay films are heading down the same path as 1970s black films, where quality projects like "Sounder" were the exception and blaxploitation flicks were the rule. Cable's current demand for cheaply made gay movies has ushered in an era of gaysploitation that only the most talented filmmakers and daring companies are likely to resist.

The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy

Director(s): Greg Berlanti
Writer(s): Greg Berlanti
Producer(s): Sam Irvin, Mickey Liddell, Joseph Middleton, Julie Plec
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Dean Cain, Zach Braff, Andrew Keegan

The seam that bonds a handful of West Hollywood friends together is tested as the group deals with love, loss, and the uncertain future. Dennis is a late 20s gay man living in the gayest part of Los Angeles, West Hollywood. He has a great group of friends that get him through life. Together the lot experience the trials and tribulations of love in the gay community. While some struggle to make relationships work, others find themselves yearning for something they think they will never get. In the end the group understands that being gay is not just about loving men, its about loving yourself and knowing what you want in life.

Do i even need to begin yet another blog with my definition of friendship? To challenge myself from the obvious thematic strings that weave themselves through this film, I'll focus on some that seem hidden. I think this movie attempts to state that a gay man is hard to define. While there are numerous stereotypes that can be applied to the homosexual variety, there are always those that stand at the edge of these stereotypes. I love the eclectic group of friends who seem to have nothing in common except for their love of men. In putting together this rag-tag group, the filmmaker is trying to show all walks of life in the gay community. Sure the majority of the friends (Okay, all but one) are white. But putting race aside, we can analyze the each character's behavior as a different subset of the gay community. We have queeny characters, gym bunnies, the older generation, the newbies, the ones that are partnered, the ones that aesthetically don't fit in, the ones that are intelligent, the ones that lack intelligence but rely on beauty. They are all present in this film. I have to say as a person who writes in his hobby, tying together a group of friends with little to nothing in common is hard to do but Berlanti pulls it off.

I think this film has had a huge presence on the gay community, particularly those just coming to terms with their sexuality. With a very notable star-studded cast, gay men are often inclined to choose this film over the numerous others. With great production value and witty dialogue, this film seems as mainstream as the next. I could not think of another gay film that would be a better choice to break into gay cinema viewing. This provides the fun and sex at the right moments but also has superb timing when it comes time for a lesson to be learned. While it has many of the gay cinema cliches, it definitely promotes them in a rather unconventional way. This is one of those movies that you can pop in and watch over and over again, whether you're paying attention or not.

The Laramie Project

Director(s): Moises Kaufman
Writer(s): Moises Kaufman
Producer(s): Declan Baldwin
Starring: Kathleen Chalfant, Laura Linney, Peter Fonda

Moises Kaufman's stageplay translates to the screen in a star-studded film documenting the effects of Matthew Sheppard's death on various citizens of Laramie, WY. A year after Matthew passed away, a group of five New Yorkers arrive in Laramie to interview members of the town about the murder. They sought out to create a stageplay in honor of Matthew Sheppard. They walked away with the words and emotions of a town still raw and forever changed by the loss of Matthew.

Without fail, this movie has the ability to make me cry like a little baby. It will be ten years this October since Matthew's death. At the time, this film made waves in the minds of millions around the world. It changed many people's perception of prejudice and homophobia. Ten years later, this film is just as powerful as when it premiered. As I watch this film, I am reminded of the numerous others who have died from violent attacks for being Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Questioning or Allies. While their deaths may not have been as highly publicized as Matthew's, their deaths are definitely not forgotten as we strive for full equality.

What surprises me about this film is the incredible Hollywood support yet again. Once again the usual support of Christina Ricci and Janeane Garafalo are a welcoming sight. As long time supporters of queer issues, their presence speaks more than words can say.
With other performances from admirable folk in mainstream Hollywood, this film launches from its rather humble beginnings to something more grand than ever imagined. One day, films such as these won't be marketed to just niche markets. Instead they will be as plenty as the mainstream sequels that rule the screens today.

Ben & Arthur

Director(s): Sam Mraovich
Writer(s): Sam Mraovich
Producer(s): San Mraovich
Starring: Sam Mraovich, Jamie Brett Gabel

Ben & Arthur are fighting the political fight to get married. As if the the laws and legal loopholes aren't enough of a challenge to overcome, they must also deal with gun wielding ex wives and bible thumping brothers.

This film was made by a person who likes to see his own name. After you get past the first five minutes of credits with Sam Mraovich credited for every position, you get to see Sam deliver some terrible lines in some equally terrible acting! Here is one stupid scene:

Ben & Arthur just received a phone call letting them know that their attorney was murdered. Then a neighbor calls to inform them that someone broke into the garage downstairs. Ben rushes down stairs to discover their motorbike was stolen.

Ben: Our bike was stolen
Arthur: Oh no!
Ben: God Dammit Ben I need to know I can count on you.

Arthur storms out and pouts in their bedroom. Ben apologizes.

Arthur: That comment hurts Ben. It hurts.
Ben: I know, I'm sorry.
Arthur: And when I die you can buy a hundred bikes with my insurance policy.

Ben punches Arthur out. Arthur wakes up in Ben's lap.

Arthur: What happened?
Ben: That'll teach you for saying stupid things.

End scene. Now this scene is supposed to be a squabble between two husbands that ends up strengthening their relationship. Now all I can deduce from this scene is that the two are in a domestically violent relationship, they live in a building with poor security, and their apartment has little to no charm or appeal. While I can suspend reality as much as the next cinema viewer, I cannot seem to suspend reality enough to understand some of the plot points in this film. And to be quite honest, I don't really want to waste my time trying to understand.

Kissing Jessica Stein

Director(s): Charles Herman-Wurmfeld
Writer(s): Heather Juergensen, Jennifer Westfeldt
Producer(s): Heather Juergensen, Jennifer Westfeldt, Eden Wurmfeld, Brad Zions
Starring: Jennifer Westfeldt, Heather Juergensen, Scott Cohen

Jessica Stein is a copy editor for the New York Tribune. When she is not busy under layers of work, she occasionally has the time to go on a few odd dates which almost always end up disastrous. Helen Cooper is a assistant director for an art gallery in Chelsea. She has no trouble getting a date, nor juggling the three men in her life. Helen's boredom for men and Jessica's interest in Helen's newspaper ad, draw this unlikely pair together. While Jessica and Helen's relationship begins to flourish, Jessica's boss and close family friend begins to reveal his hidden feelings of Jessica. Thus the love triangle is set. What can be more complicated? Jessica's jewish mother's goal in life is to get Jessica married, Suddenly, Jessica finds herself biting off more than she can handle.

Yes, I blog about more than just gay cinema. Lesbians make movies too. And had I known that lesbians were so good at making movies, I would have seen this a long time ago. My co-workers bought me this film to add to my collection and on this random night when my plans were suddenly cancelled, I decided to pop it in. It was a clever romantic-comedy about a woman's struggle to understand herself. What I found the most genuine about the film is that Jessica Stein is a wishy-washy person who can't seem to make up her mind. It reminds me of my life. I can never seem to make up my mind. While yes, I am a gay man with little to no desire (Who am i kidding, I have no desire) to do anything remotely sexual with a girl, i found this film to be thrilling and intriguing as I followed Jessica Stein's sexual awakening. Weird, I know. I think the saving grace for all gay men in this film is that there is a flurry of hilarious male characters, two of which are a queeny gay couple assisting Helen in her own sexual awakening. These help drive the plot and provide for comedic breaks from all the talking the two women did.

I highly recommend this film to all walks of the LGBT community. You don't need to be a lesbian to watch it. . . trust me I was hoping it would be. Then I could've talked some major shit about it. In the end, I nod my head and tip my hat to these fine women in making a delightfully entertaining film that not only brings LGBT issues to the forefront in cinematic history, but also provide a break from the daily struggle of being gay. So I raise my glass of champagne and say "To the Lesbians!"

Adam & Steve

Director(s): Craig Chester
Writer(s): Craig Chester
Producer(s): Darryl Anderle, George Bendele, Paul Sun, Kirkland Tibbels
Starring: Malcolm Gets, Craig Chester, Parker Posey, Chris Kattan

One night in the 80s, Adam and Steve had a pretty traumatic night. On the night that they met, Adam developed an addiction to cocaine and Steve lost control of his bowel movements causing him to diarrhea on Adam's floor in front of him. Years later, Adam is a former crack addict turned ornithologist trying to deal with his own commitment issues. Steve is a successful doctor who has an obsessive compulsive need to be clean. This doesn't stop him from being the cleanest promiscuous slut in New York. When the two meet again after a series of clumsy encounters, they fall in love and develop a flourishing relationship. Just as Steve is about to propose, he finds out that Adam is the man from the past and it was he that caused Adam's addiction to cocaine. Unable to grapple with this new found knowledge, he calls off the relationship. The two deal with their emotions for each other. And with the help of their straight friends, get into many comedic moments ranging from country two-step dance sequences and dysfunctional 12-step meetings.

Imagine Saturday Night Live mixing with some romantic show on LOGO. That is what "Adam & Steve" is. With excellent comedic timing from Parker Posey and Chris Kattan this movie provides a spoofy look at every lovey dovey couple in the media. With a hot country dance sequence and broad comedy elements, this film is a refreshing look at comedy. It's one of those movies you just pop in and clean to. Something that would be on TBS. . . if they allowed gay stuff to be on TBS. The writing was mediocre but definitely got to the point relatively quickly. This film will not be confused with the likes of Philadelphia or The Sum of Us.

What I did love about this film was that it assumed that gay marriage was legal. Talk of marriage and the wedding seem as normal as Oprah giving away a fleet of cars. Perhaps it is wishful thinking from the writer/director or perhaps it was a message to the masses that gays value marriage just as much as straights. Either way, marriage is something that seemed normal and expectant. Having just won the right to legally marry in California, there has been a lot of buzz in this state about gays getting married. Flower shops are congratulating us (while pedaling their business). Wedding planners are creating lavish gay civil marriage ceremonies (while pedaling their business). Politicians are saying "We always supported you" (while pedaling themselves for re-election). But its this film that made me return to the thoughts I had as a kid. The thoughts that anyone can marry anyone they loved. That is something I lost when I grew older and learned about the oh so many rights refused to LGBT folk in this nation and worldwide. Everything became a struggle for rights and a step in the road to equality. This film gave me back the feeling that gay marriage is not a political stronghold. Its just a marriage between two men or two women who love each other. It's just another day to dress up and take pretty pictures. . . okay so it is more than that. But you get my drift.

It's My Party

Director(s): Randal Kleiser
Writer(s): Randal Kleiser
Producer(s): Robert Fitzpatrick, Gregory Hinton, Randal Kleiser, Joel Thurm
Starring: Eric Roberts, Gregory Harrison, Margaret Cho, Bruce Davison, Marlee Matlin, Olivia Newton-John, Bronson Pinchot

Nick and Brandon were the perfect couple. With a wonderful house, a loveable dog and great friends, they thought they were on top of the world. When Nick finds out he is HIV+, things in their relationship deteriorate. The two went their separate ways content to never see each other again. One day, Nick contracts Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy and is diagnosed with only a few days of proper brain function left. Instead of feeling down and out, Nick decides to throw a party. A party to celebrate his friends, family and loved ones. A party where he will spend his last few hours with those he loves and eventually overdose on pills and leave the pain and illness behind. As the party begins and people flood in to say their goodbyes, Eric's brain function and vision starts to spiral downhill. When Brandon's brief visit to the party turns into a stay until the end, old feelings begin to stir and love rekindles for the brief moments they have left together.

All I have to say after watching this movie is that if any of my friends throw a party to celebrate their impending death, I will kill them before the guests arrive. This movie, though full of witty dialogue and comedic moments, is tragically sad in plot and story. I could never imagine going to my friend's party knowing that in a few hours he will commit suicide. For the few moments I stopped crying in the film, I thought about those i've loved. Ideally I would love to see everyone before I go. But I also know that the party would be me crying my eyes out the entire time. I cry when they play "We Are Family" in a club, how the hell am I supposed to throw a party celebrating my suicide!?

Once again the 1990s have given us yet another great film! The star-studded cast is impressive and definitely a unique blend of thespians. The story is a genuine celebration of life and once again pays tribute to those who've past on from AIDS and AIDS related illnesses. Looking at the history of queer cinema, you can see a trend of excellent queer films in the 1990s dealing with the topic of AIDS. Directly following this era is what I like to call the era of commitment. Stemming from the severity of the previous generation, today's gay films focus more on finding love in a time when love is sparse. Whether it be self-love, love amongst friends, or the special love between two (or sometimes three) people, films nowadays lack the serious issues. Issues that generations of gay men before us not only witnessed but survived through. It makes you think what the future of gay cinema is.

Longtime Companion

Director(s): Norman Rene
Writer(s): Craig Lucas
Producer(s): Lydia Dean Pilcher, Stan Wlodkowski
Starring: Campbell Scott, Mary-Louise Parker, Stephen Caffrey, Dermot Mulroney, Bruce Davison

Craig Lucas' stage play is translated to the screen in this ensemble film featuring some of today's biggest stars before they were big. Starting in July of 1981, this film documents the lives of a small group of friends living in New York during the media coverage of the outbreak of AIDS. As the years go by, their path in life takes them on several twists and turns, losing many loved ones along the way.

What can I say? If you've ever seen "Silverlake Life", you know how truly powerful the subject of AIDS is when brought to the big screen. This film made me realize, just how devastating the AIDS outbreak was on our community. I've always thanked god for being healthy. And I've always considered myself fortunate for having healthy friends. I grew up thinking that the AIDS epidemic was behind our community and we are making strides in medical research to prevent deterioration from HIV and AIDS. After seeing this film, i've realized that the epidemic is in no way over and that i've been living a sheltered life by not having friends afflicted by this disease. It is thanks to films like this one that keeps the topic of AIDS and the victims that have died from it from being completely forgotten. It is films like this one that remind me why I got into the business.

The ensemble cast does an excellent job of showing how devastating AIDS was to all walks of life and what is has done to those who've witnessed many of their friends and family die from it. The cast also does an wonderful job of uniting to form a powerful message from Hollywood to the world drawing attention to something that is often times viewed as just a gay disease. The film's ending got me thinking, what will we do when the cure is found? Will it be a big reunion of family and friends who've past on? Or will it be the remaining generations paying homage to those who've died and helped to find a cure to this disease that has taken some many?

A Very Serious Person

Director(s): Charles Busch
Writer(s): Charles Busch, Carl Andress
Producer(s): Peter Bobrow, Richard Guay
Starring: Charles Busch, Carl Andress, P.J. Verhoest

Gil, a precocious pre-teen with a propensity for old Hollywood films and show tunes, loves spending time with his grandmother. When she gets too old and ill to care for herself, the two hire a nurse. After the first few nurses fail to meet high standards, along comes Jan, the Danish gay male nurse who lets nothing go by unnoticed. What starts as a summer of constant clashing soon becomes a the best summer of Gil's life. Together the two learn to live, laugh, and appreciate the finer things in life.

Gil is the standard effeminate boy in school growing up. While he may not be the first to jump in the pool or play ball with the boys, he is definitely the type to touch the hearts of all those around him. Similar to Scot from Breakfast With Scot, Gil's effeminate qualities create for quality amusement in any plot. The best part of this film would be the unlikely relationship between Jan and Gil. Rarely. do you see children having a positive impact on adults in film. Children are often the first to be overlooked as too young or too inexperienced to understand. But if you pay enough attention to them, you can find that its children that know a helluva lot more than adults. When it comes to sexuality and love, kids are often the first to recognize pure love without the pretense of sexuality and labels.

I find that this film has taught me to continue the fight as a gay man. I was never effeminate growing up and in a way, I wish I had been. It is the effeminate gay men that deal with so much in life. But it is also these men that have a stronger sense of self and a stronger drive to make it in life. With so many people blocking your way to your goals, the only thing to do is live your life and walk on by. Pride is more than just taking off your shirt in a parade. Pride is being yourself in the face of adversity.

Guys and Balls (Manner Wie Wir)

Director(s): Sherry Horman
Writer(s): Benedikt Gollhardt
Producer(s): David Groenewold, Kirsten Hager, Eric Moss, Andreas Schneppe
Starring: Maximilian Bruckner, David Rott

Ecki and Udo have been enemies on and off the soccer field since they were kids. While they may play for the same team on the field, they most definitely do not play for the same team off the field. After a disappointing loss the team takes to ridiculing Ecki. It only intensifies when the find out he's gay. Having been kicked off the team, Ecki flees to Dortmund where he creates a team from all walks of the gay community scheduled to compete with his former team in just three weeks. Together, Ecki and his teammates not only learn the game but also a lesson in pride. And maybe a little love.

Similar to "Eleven Men Out" and "Iron Ladies", this film continues to wave the banner that gay men are good at sports too! While most of these films rarely, if ever, show actual sports being played, "Guys and Balls" does an excellent job of creating an exciting soccer game for viewers to get into. For a moment, a brief moment, I felt butch. . . I said brief. I forget how blatant homophobia in sports can be. While yes, this is a movie that probably hypes up the homophobia, it's still sad that a man's worth in sports is determined by how masculine they are. One reason that I love this film is that it creates a new idea of the world masculine. All the men on the gay team are, in their own right, masculine. Whether it be the threesome of leather daddies or the effeminate muslim halal butcher, the characters all add their own spice to masculinity. And of course, when compared to the hetero-normative idea of masculinity, the gay versions are just spicier.

I don't know why I was never into sports. Even now, when I know I can watch sports and see plenty of cute men, I still have no desire. Sure, I can sit through a ball game if I had to. But that desire to go to a game and cheer for some hunky athlete with a number plastered on his back was never really built into my model of me. I will say though, that if I was interested in sports, I would kick ass. As would any gay man interested in sports. As gay men we are told from a young age that we're different from straight men. Thus as gay men, when we want to do something "hetero" we go 110% to succeed in all that we put our mind to. This film does an excellent job at showing this desire and drive that gays can have to succeed and prove themselves worthy in a world that is constantly telling them they are deficient. Whether it be soccer, volleyball, baseball, football or swimming,films such as these remind us that being gay is not just about the stereotypes we are fed. Being gay is overcoming the obstacles and celebrating the victories.

Cut Sleeve Boys

Director(s): Ray Yeung
Writer(s): Ray Yeung
Producer(s): Chowee Leow, Ray Yeung
Starring: Chowee Leow, Steven Lim

After the sudden death of their friend while he was having an anonymous public tryst, Ash and Mel closely examine their lives as Gay Chinese-British men struggling to find love and lust in London. Ash's dreams of finding a burly, manly straight-acting Top lead him to explore cross-dressing. When he falls for Ross, a "tranny chaser", Ash comes face to face with the line that defines gender and sexuality. Mel is the Chinese-British version of Brian Kinney. He only stays with a guy long enough for either the drugs to wear off or until his rocks are drained. While he blatantly pushes away the advance of a hunky country bumpkin, Todd, he secretly struggles with his own insecurities about himself and finding the right person in life.

I love this film! It is a British Post-Colonial era film a few decades too late, but still rather insightful and thought provoking. While normally British Black Cinema pertains to the African and South Asian diaspora of England, this film easily falls into the genre with similar plot and subject matter. As Chinese-British London natives, Mel and Ash deal with issues they would not deal with had they been in a land other than the merry old UK. If being gay is a headache to deal with for most, imagine being gay and Chinese in a world where caucasian skin tones reign supreme. Though lighthearted and colorful, this film provides such a creative look at gay men in London that one overlooks the frivolous venue that is presented. I'm not saying that this film is anywhere close to being tip-top in production value, but I will say that with clever dialog, a unique subject matter, and small bits of amusement, this film extends beyond production value to a genuine story of two people. That is the main goal of any film.

This film got me thinking about the way I look for love. I always view myself as an outsider in the gay community for many reasons. While I can hold my own at a bar and make millions of friends, i can never really land that special person. I drew from Mel and Ash's struggle and realized that while I may not be able to land a guy, I am much better off than hundreds of gays that change themselves in order to find that special someone. I can never imagine picking up a hobby or doing something different to myself just to find that man. If i change, it is because I'm bored and need something new to keep me sane. And for that I'm thankful to have seen this movie. It really taught me to embrace the way I view life. It taught me to be myself and if that right person comes along, great! If Not. . . at least I'm living my life the way I want to.

Relax...It's Just Sex

Director(s): P.J. Castellaneta
Writer(s): P.J. Castellaneta
Producer(s): David Cohn, Megan O'Neill, Harold Warren, Steven J. Wolfe
Starring: Mitchell Anderson, Jennifer Tilly, Lori Petty, Terrence Carson

Vincey and Tara are two best friends that seem to have a crazy group of friends. On the surface, the mixed bunch of gay, straight, and lesbians seem to have nothing in common. Vincey is a struggling writer search for love in all the wrong places. Javi is a young man recently diagnosed with HIV. Tara yearns to get pregnant from a workaholic boyfriend, Gus. Throw in a few lesbians and a picture perfect gay couple and you have the recipe for the Jambalaya that makes up this group of friends. On a deeper level, the group all has their own issues with sex and love in the 1990s. While some have it and hate it, others want it and can't get it.

As I continue to find material for this blog, I'm reminded yet again that films from the 1990s with gay subject matter are far superior than that of today. Sure Brokeback burst open the door on gay mainstream cinema, but it was features such as this one that help pry the door open enough to peer out of the closet. This film was a refreshing view at the way friends interact. It started as yet another light-hearted romp through the subject of sex but soon became a hard look at friendship during times of tragedy and struggle. Of course Jennifer Tilly provided hilarity in her usual way. She also had a few poignant moments where she truly brought me to tears.

I always thought that a friendship-family was the family that was less complicated. My circle of friends are the people who accept me for who I am and always support me and my endeavors. They are also the ones that don't hold back when I make a dumb decision (all because they love me, of course). Like so many gay men, I created a surrogate or friendship-family to protect myself from the real family. After seeing this film I realized that the trials and tribulations that affect every family also affect these surrogate families. I also realized that it is these trials and tribulations that unite the family closer, especially at the point when they seem the most fragile. I related to every character in this film (including the lesbians). And I can truly say that P.J. Castellaneta has captured the absurdity that is love, sex, and friendship.

I Think I Do

Director(s): Brian Sloan
Writer(s): Brian Sloan
Producer(s): Lane Janger, Bettina Tendler O'Mara
Starring: Alexis Arquette, Christian Maelen, Tuc Watkins

Bob and Brandon were best friends in college. After one particularly traumatic Valentine's Day when Bob's true feelings for Straight Brandon are revealed, their friendship was never quite the same. Years later, Bob finds himself as a writer for a soap opera and dating the soap's leading hunk, Sterling. Brandon is the hunky high school english teacher. Their friends, Carol and Matt, finally decide to tie the knot which provides a perfect time for a mini-college reunion. Bob, excited to catch up with lost friends grows happier as Sterling proposes. Bob is sitting at the top of the world until he meets Brandon once again. Old feelings he thought were dead begin to rekindle, especially when Brandon begins to return the feelings. Bob finds himself at a crossroads, deciding between his former fantasy love and his current beau.

When I first read the description of this film on my Netflix profile, it seemed incredibly familiar to me. I couldn't remember if I had watched it in the past. After about five minutes, I remembered I watched this eight years prior when I was in high school. Boy am I glad that I watched this again. I forgot how good films of the 1990s were, especially with LGBT subject matter. I vividly remembered watching this film and thinking to myself about what it would be like to be a post-college adult and reuniting with old friends. Now eight years later, I find myself as that very post-college adult reuniting with those dear friends as we stand on the brink of the ultimate adultdom. . . marriage. This film made me nostalgic for the times when I sat around with friends between classes or crammed for finals side by side with a partner in crime. It also made me nostalgic for the day when Chris Simpson flooded my fantasies. I'm not sure what I would do if Chris Simpson popped wood for men today, let alone have that undying love for me now that I had for him back then.

For this very reason, this film does an excellent job of not only conveying gay love, but the love between friends. As dysfunctional as the group of friends is, they are definitely the epitome of the surrogate family that many LGBT youth create. The chemistry between Alexis Arquette and Christian Maelen was natural and comfortable. The side characters offer amusing and interesting character arcs such as a bride bored with the idea of her wedding. The plot came to a nice conclusion in the end but left ample room for the growing story. What starts as a modern day variation on 1930's silent films with dividing title cards (similar to movies like "Jeffrey"), ends in a movie that makes your forget all form and structure so you can appreciate the true nature of story telling.