In den Armen des Rangers

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"?

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?

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.

OK, so I've watched the maybe five good English speaking gay themed movies released over the last five years. My internet rental queue has about 70 titles for which I remain ever hopeful. One after another, they rate anywhere from simple horrible to pointless, depressing, tedious, condescending, or French horrible. Hope has not completely vanished, but expectations are no longer exceedingly high.

Maybe low expectation was why I liked this movie. I certainly think way too high expectation is why some others did not. The best of film makers would be hard pressed to do better with a budget that wouldn't pay for food service on most movie sets and undoubtedly filmed in less time than a big budget director spends picking his nose. Come on, this little guy deserves a break. The story is feasible and interesting situationally. The characters are believable and their interactions seem real without stereotype. The storyline is laid out in a logical fashion. There is a point. The acting is at least up to soap opera standards. Problems that hound gay relationships are addressed honestly. The video format seems very fitting for the simple, small town, natural surroundings in which it was filmed. The guys are aesthetically decent enough. And it has one of the best choreographed romantic love scenes of any gay movie, big budget or not. As far as pace, this is indeed not an action packed, ADHD storyline, but the pace does thankfully allow the characters to develop. It's just a nice story to let you know the big bad world is not going to always eat you alive.

"Gone but not Forgotten" is more like a granola bar grabbed at the checkout counter rather than say, "Foie Gras en Terrine", at the French Laundry. Simple, momentarily satisfying, and basically healthy. I hope it gets judged accordingly.

The actors aren't very good looking and don't really act very well. The storyline of a guy with amnesia whose past life is unknown is rather predictable and despite what another reviewer here says, there's really not any "mystery" to it. The movie seems to be shot on a handy cam. But despite all this, I enjoyed the 90 minutes I spent watching this movie and found it to be quite engaging. The lovely locales surely helped. And maybe even the fact that our heroes aren't good looking but are sweet and ordinary (Drew's face reminds me of a cute chipmunk). Anyway, an independent gay movie is bound to suffer when compared to slick Hollywood movies, so I think it's best not to go there. I recommend this movie to all gay people, but don't go in expecting Bareback Mountain.