Straight-Jacket

I had the privilege of attending a screening of STRAIGHT-JACKET at SXSW Film 2004, and it's been, hands down, my favorite film so far from this year's selections.

It's a smart and sassy homage to fifties films that expertly balances farce with message. Guy Stone (Matt Letscher), a Hollywood sex symbol whose randiness keeps threatening his career until his agent (Veronica Cartwright) and studio boss marry him off to a naive secretary (Carrie Preston). Everyone knows the marriage is a sham but Sally, who enthusiastically tries to domesticate Guy. Meanwhile, Guy meets Rick, (Adam Greer), who challenges his promiscuous ways as well as his willingness to live a lie at the height of the communist scare.

Letscher has the part down perfectly; he's an adorable cad who could be inserted into any romantic comedy of that era and fit right in. Preston and Greer, both from the original theatrical cast, are also solid casting. Cartwright seems to channel several actresses of the era known for being ballsy women. But the most enjoyable moments are the droll lines delivered by Michael Emerson, as Victor, Guy's Butler; I couldn't wait to hear what he'd say next.

Stylistically the film captures the spirit of the era, from the titles, to music, and the creative use of computer imagery and set design. The in-jokes are fast and furious, remaining suggestive without being offensive. It's solid film-making from top to bottom.

This is a movie I intend to own the moment it's available on DVD, as well as see again as soon as it gets distribution.

STRAIGHT JACKET began as a play by writer/director Richard Day and Day transforms this bit of fluff about Hollywood and its foibles and hidden secrets in the 1950s with the panache that true comedy must have: verisimilitude. The look of the film within a film has the constant appearance of being 'on camera' and that bit of execution makes the film really work. Day deals with issues such as closeted gay actors and actresses, film moguls with an eye on the buck more than on art, the sub rosa gay scene of the time (pre Stonewall) among others. Though there is some parody on the life of Rock Hudson it is only a sidebar.

Guy Stone (Matt Letscher) is a handsome, successful movie star with a devoted female audience who gives the public appearance of being straight while carrying on a wild but anonymous gay sex life. His agent Jerry (Veronica Cartwright) struggles to keep him in tow, always aware that should his sexual preference become public that his acting career would be over. When Guy is photographed en flagrante Jerry decides that the story must not leak, a story which would prevent his obtaining the role of Ben Hur, and convinces Guy to quickly get married - the most available 'wife' would be the ditsy, star struck secretary Sally (Carrie Preston) whose boss Saul (Victor Raider-Wexler) agrees as a solution.

Once married Guy discovers Sally's obsession with being a 1950s wife complete with the tacky re-do of his pad, drowning him in affection, and ...preventing him from his nightly sojourns into the gay world. Guy meets pro communist writer Rick Foster (Adam Greer) who has written Guy's latest film, a script that must be doctored to pass McCarthyisms. They do the courtship dance and eventually actually fall in love, much to Guy's consternation! The political and conscientious differences between the two are forgotten until their pairing is discovered. Guy is asked to go before the TV cameras to confess his homosexuality (which the McCarthyites equate with Communism) and to give names of others who are of like nature.

At this point the film becomes poignant and the manner in which the films is resolved is best left to the surprise of the viewer. While some may feel this 'change of direction' in a comedy is melodramatic, others will see the conclusion as a meaningful resolution that maintains that 'comedy' is just the other side of the mask of 'tragedy'.

The sets and costumes and flow of the film are quite well done, successfully transporting us to the dazzle of the Fifties and the many mindless motion pictures that flooded the screens. The individual actors are good with especial kudos to Veronica Cartwright who can toss away one-liners with the aplomb of the best of comediennes. Carrie Preston is wholly convincing as the platinum blonde fluff head and delivers a song very well. While Letscher and Greer perform well there is no magic in their bond, even after their true feelings are revealed: they remain uninvolved with each other as actors so there is little to no sexual tension. The musical score is just this side of atrocious but it suits the era. In all, this is an entertaining if overlong film with an important re-enactment of a scary time in Hollywood that meanders a bit too much for the final punch it could have had. Grady Harp

"Straight-Jacket", despite it's horror film title is one of the best comedies, gay or straight, that I've seen in a long, long time. The sharp-witted script is a delight and the look of the film is great. You really feel like you're watching one of those old 20th Century Fox Cinemascope films from the Fifties (with color by DeLuxe, of course!) Especially wonderful is the new heartthrob discovery Adam Greer, who melts both the main character's heart as well as the audience's. It may seem hard to believe that a vain Hollywood movie star like Guy Stone (the film's protagonist) could fall in love with a Marxist novelist, but Greer makes that plot twist seem not only plausible, but inevitable. Veronica Cartwright (who I loved vomiting up all those cherries in "The Witches of Eastwick") gives another memorable performance as Stone's agent, Jerry. I can hardly wait until this film comes out on DVD so I can buy it.

There is a quote by a popular musical duo where they talk about some of their albums as being meant to be taken seriously where as others are meant to be taken as entertainment or for the pleasure and enjoyment. I think film should be viewed this way as well. On that level, this works fine as an entertainment. It's very obvious an independent film with a limited budget and, if anyone bothered to do some research or get the DVD and listen to the voice over, they would have discovered that Skywalker Sound donates their services to films that wouldn't otherwise be able to afford it. So the people complaining about the CGI or the sound obviously have no conception of what an independent movie is. The fact that mainstreams studios have been funding $5 and $10 million movies and releasing them through their art house labels skewers the fact that a number of films are still made and released for budgets well under that. There's no way they had $10M for this movie.

It's a good example of attempting to do what was done with Down With Love but without the budget. The performances are fine, with some really good work by a few of the performers, the dialogue was good although the situations and resolutions were, not surprisingly, predictable, especially at times. It should exceed your expectations unless you really are expecting a $5 or $10 million production or more.

In 1950s Hollywood actor Guy Stone (Matt Letscher) is very popular--and secretly gay. He's in a gay bar which is raided. To save his image his publicist (Veronica Cartwright) arranges a quick marriage to sweet, adorable Sally (Carrie Preston) without telling her that Stone is gay. Then Stone meets hunky, drop dead handsome Rick Foster (Adam Greer) and falls in love...but what about his marriage and career?

Good gay comedy but far from perfect. Halfway through I thought the movie was going to end...but it kept on going. Basically this was a good hour long movie stretched out to 96 minutes. Also Letscher and Greer are obviously straight--I've never seen such uncomfortable kissing! But those are my only real complaints.

That aside this movie looked great and had a funny script. Most of the actors were recruited from the stage play for the movie so they had their roles down pat. Letscher is good as Stone--arrogant and obnoxious. He obviously buffed up for the role but he just wasn't handsome enough (to me) to be a big Hollywood star. Preston is very good as his wife Sally--sweet and lovable but doesn't overdo it. Greer is impossibly handsome as Rick. He's also buffed up and Stone's attraction to him makes perfect sense. That aside Greer is a very good actor too. And Cartwright is hysterical as Stone's agent --she barrels through this film tossing off one liners left and right.

So--I DID like it but this is no milestone in gay cinema. It's an entertaining well-done fluffy movie--but that's about it. Worth catching if you want an undemanding movie. I give it an 8.