In den Armen des Rangers

This little movie, made on a shoestring budget with a small cast and crew, cannot fairly be compared with a multi-million dollar Hollywood production. In spite of any production limitations, this is a true gem... A simply delightful little film.

I'm sure that most of us have a short list of movies that are the entertainment equivalent of soul food - movies that we watch over and over again... we may not fully understand why we like the movie, but it gives us a sense of inner peace - for me, "Gone, But Not Forgotten" is such a film. I found the story refreshingly different from the mainstream gay-themed movies and I thought that the two principal actors, Aaron Orr and Matthew Montgomery were excellent, particularly in the very well crafted love scene.

It doesn't take a huge budget and expensive special effects to tell a story well. All it takes is a good storyteller... and Michael D. Akers and Sandon Berg, along with their excellent cast, have managed to tell an interesting and unusual story in an honest and straightforward way.

I wasn't looking for or expecting a low budget soft porn movie (in spite of the poster) so wasn't disappointed by the movie. The movie successfully explored the search for a gay soul mate, not just quickie sex that sadly seems to characterize so many lonely gay relationships. It also displayed the latent intolerance to homosexuality that is still rife even in enlightened societies and the tragedy of being a closet gay trapped in a straight marriage. It was nice to see two gay men portrayed as "normal" human beings without having their gayness stigmatized or emphasized as their only character trait. It is an enjoyable film - not too deep but entertaining and believable.

This is a small budget indi film that will settle into your heart. The idea of repressed desire and living as others wish you would live was the same theme touched on in films such as Big Eden. Director Michael Akers gives a warm and touching story of a man looking for love and another who doesn't even know who he is or what his life was like before the accident. These 2 are truly likable characters. Rounding out the cast is the brother who doesn't know how to express his love or frustrations, his Christian wife, the town doctor who's devotion to Drew transcends his sexuality and a shrewish wife who makes you understand why Mark would want to forget his past. Fine acting and storyline that keeps you hoping that love wins out. There is no preaching, no fear of AIDS, just a single gay man looking for his soulmate. What could possibly be wrong with a movie like that?

This movie was a wonderful surprise for me. From the reviews and basic plot synopses I'd read, I was already pretty sure I'd like it. What I didn't expect was to fall completely in love with it. I was immediately drawn into the storyline with characters I really cared about. With his very first scene, Aaron Orr drew me to his character, and throughout the movie, proceeded to make me laugh with and cry for Drew. His chemistry with Matthew Montgomery was nothing short of electric, and the two of them easily made me forget that Drew and Mark were only characters on the screen.

The less polished production quality is one of the things I love most, and I'm amazed at how the cast and crew put this little gem together on such a tight budget. I've been recommending this film to everyone I know!

Warning: I talk about the ending of the movie as one of its strong points. Do not read on if you wish to be surprised. "Gone But Not Forgotten" is another in a long line of low-budget gay-themed movies. We cannot hold this movie up against a movie with a full Hollywood backing. So once we let that go a bit (the camera work is OK; the score is OK; the editing is OK; the acting is OK), we find a story to make us smile. The characters do and say the things we hope they will do. Too many movies try too hard to make a point on social issues. This movie allows us the smile that comes from a gay-themed movie with a happy ending. Everyone learns; everyone loves; all is right for the main characters. Wouldn't be nice if we had more movies that made us smile instead of making us say, "yep, that's how the real world is"?