LA-LA Land

Young Matthew Ludwinski becomes the Dirk Diggler of 21st century in Going Down In LA LA Land. The obvious comparison for this film is with Boogie Nights. Unlike the other film Going Down In LA LA Land as a gay film gets up front an honest about the porn industry being a great gay industry. And we have up front gay characters.

Ludwinski after breaking up with his boyfriend in New York decides to try to make it in Los Angeles as an actor. Of course he soon realizes that Los Angeles is the only place other New York where every other attractive young person is trying to make in film and television and its worse here.

Ludwinski sort of slides and glides into the porn film industry first behind then up front of the camera. Then it's a bit of escorting and then he hooks up with Michael Medico, a most closeted star of a G rated situation comedy. As it turns out Medico is a lonely man looking to express his love which in his case still not dare speak its name to Middle America.

What was interesting here is during the course of the film, Ludwinski could have taken any number of different courses professionally and romantically and his life could have been tragic or nondescript or any number of other life places. Go back over the film and see what I'm talking about.

Allison Lane plays his best friend who gives Ludwinski room and board while he's in Los Angeles. She's interesting and even though she betrays him, she's likable in her own way. She's obsessed with fame which is the problem.

I was involved with someone many years ago, attractive, but obsessed with fame. He never got anywhere near that because he failed to realize that people in theater do it because they love it. If fame comes, it comes, most will never see it, but those who stay with it love theater for its own sake.

Her role is small, but Judy Tenuta puts some real bite into her couple of scenes as a washed up has been actress who also drugged out on fame and celebrity.

Going Down In LA-LA Land is one interesting take on gay life among the aspiring on the west coast.

....."Brokeback Mountain." ......(*Alternate title for this review: "I Hear the Crabcakes are Excellent").

In its first near two-thirds running time, "Going Down in Blah-Blah Land," is the typical "Hollywood meat grinder" story about all those aspiring, young Newbies scrambling for a foothold, after arriving in the world's film capital. (WARNING: Beware those Gay video porn-mills!). ....Ah, BUT, then come the very best parts, where we start to see...(well, you'll find that out, below).

NOW TO OUR CAST: And saving the best for last, here's a glimpse at the major characters...beginning with:

• *Allison Lane, as the ditzy B(Girl)FF of the male Lead. Named "Candy", she is the supportive and often funny--yet sometimes tiresome--friend from back home. (Good for Allison...she gets more screen time than anyone other than our main star).

• Next, in a major (time-wise) supporting role, we have the Director, himself: Casper Andreas, playing a "User" of a guy, who we'll later see as the true scuzzball he becomes. (This viewer thinks Andreas would do well, in future, spending all his time BEHIND the camera....for I'm starting to picture him as he appears in his last scene---or is that just effective acting?).

• AND FINALLY: Let's speak to that "CHEMISTRY" mentioned above. RARELY, in an American produced Gay film, do we get to see such an emotionally deep relationship between two men. It was obviously developed by main actor, Matthew Ludwinski (as our gorgeous "Adam") and his co-lead, Michael Medico (as sweet, but closeted, "John") during their shooting time with one another. Their "few" scenes together will keep you RIVETED. We can a..l...most Touch what they burn off the screen at us. (And there's the shame of this movie: 56 and one-half minutes into it before we even see this couple together--except for a "prologue" of sorts). NEVERTHELESS, you tell me if the likes of this film relationship has been seen, in this country, since the days of "Brokeback Mountain"!

Oh, I had my doubts, well into this movie......but Matthew Ludwinski held me to it.

****

I have been watching gay cinema for about two years now and its really hard to find those decent movies. You have to go through tons to find those ones that really are good. This movie is absolutely one of them. Amazing acting and on screen chemistry between the actors make this a move you would want to see over and over again.

The director starring in this movie was daring and works really well as I can not imagine seeing that character portrayed by anyone else. Candy, Adam and John are all amazing characters as well and they just jump off screen and its as if your watching real life and not something on the television or computer screen.

It is a mix of romantic comedy and serious drama. Which at points creates an interesting space of humor and tension that feels real and mimics true life. While at other points it's too funny to be serious while at the same point too serious to be funny, which creates a sense similar to look at modern abstract art and thinking either I am missing the point here or they failed to hit their target.

Overall it is a good movie that has a nice balance between sweet and tragic but it bothered me that some characters came into the story seeming to be important and then just kind of drop out of the story with little to no explanation as to why or what happens to them.

The cast grabbed me so fast, I was hooked from the opening few minutes. Very funny,heart warming,perfectly acted,great production values and the cast of characters were real. I couldn't sleep because of a broken heart and found this movie on cable. Had no idea what it was about and thought it might cheer me up. It did more than that. Made me take a look at me and make some decisions about how I wanted to live my life, with the integrity in which Adam lived his. Don't settle for anything other than what you want and deserve in life. Live with integrity and strength of character. The characters in this movie acted the parts so well that they really made me think about issues like this. Not many movies have the power to do that. That is what a great movie should do.