Kept Boy

The movie starts with a relationship that already has problems, has little character development and growth and has an ending that doesn't feel authentic or natural to the story but abrupt and a bit forced. It was not a bad movie just not enough to it for me to feel the need to ever watch it again. It truly felt like a couple episodes mid-season if a tv show. I felt that I missed some of the back story as to who the characters were and the what and why if their life position to be invested in their actions, it then ends rather abruptly right when I felt the underlying who and why of the characters were coming out and tensions were building and I was truly getting into it all. Worst of all it is one of those endings where it feels almost like the writers gave up and wrote a cheap ending they thought people would want.

Director George Bamber and screenwriter David Ozanich have adopted Robert Rodi's popular 1996 book KEPT BOY, updated it a bit, gather a fine cast and the result is a well timed gender variation love story that plays quite well.

Dennis Racine (Jon Paul Phillips) is a handsome young boy-toy of much older interior designer/reality show star Farleigh Nock (Thure Riefenstein) who surrounds himself with beautiful things. Farleigh extracted Dennis from his first year of college to become a kept boy (and we soon discover that the houseboy Javi - Deosick Burney – had Dennis' assignment prior!). Dennis is nearing his 30th birthday and Farleigh shocks Dennis with the news that it is time for him to get a job! A new pool boy Jasper (Greg Audino) is hired and Dennis suspects he is a possible replacement. Armed with suspicion and need, Dennis plays to his ambition. Jasper has an uncle Peter (Charles Fathy), a successful painter in Cartagena, Colombia and Farleigh, Dennis, Javi, and Jasper fly there for a visit. Situations heat up in Cartagena and some surprising changes occur – changes that are both bittersweet and proof that love conquers all.

KEPT BOY addresses many issues in the gay community and with the quality of actors cast in the various parts (John-Michael Carlton, Toni Cohen, Vivian Lamolli, Ellen Karsten, Carrie Madsen, Tamara Zook, Skyler Bible and Scott Atkinson), the situations become credible and even touching. The film mixes humor, lust, relationships, ageism and dreams with a fine dose of polish.

There are some nice moments and interesting performers, but the STORY is where this film fails. Trying to create depth and meaning out of things that are superficial should never have been attempted.

This film also laughs off several serious situations and that seemed like lazy writing from someone hiding shame behind humor. The tale would have been stronger had it called out the sugar daddy character for what he is.

Author Andrew Holleran penned a line that would have been golden in this film: "Don't expect me to be your fountain of youth."

The universality of this story is that it happens to women, too. Unfortunately the filmmakers missed that connection and the possibility of making this story a commentary on the selfish desires of privileged men.

"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.

Dennis lives with his sugar day that is real life TV type Farleigh who has more money than sense and likes to have his significant other not too far away. Dennis has grown used to the easy life and the trimmings of success but with his main actual achievement being 'looking smashing in athletic wear' as John Grant might say. Thing is time and tide wait for no man and after a life of lazy margheritas it is not going to be too long before age starts to show.

Then enter Jasper, he's hunky, he's sultry, he's Mexican and he is the new pool guy. But not for long – soon Farleigh has more than his interest piqued and all of a sudden Dennis has competition – big time.

Now this is one of those stories that plays the coincidence card a tad too many time but as its done so well you sort of forgive it. The actors are all really good especially Jon Paul Phillips as Dennis who really ought to get more gigs. The production is done well too and despite its indie background it comes across as a confident and grown up piece of film making – this is not one for those who want to be mired in bedroom action but is more character based and hence is one I can recommend to all fans of gay themed cinema