Strapped

We sometimes feel like we are lost, alone, and confused. Why not? Life is a labyrinth of trials, much like the building that the protagonist gets lost (literally and figuratively) in. Mistaking one path for another is easy, terrifying, and painful. Each path has friends and enemies, angels and demons. But if we're lucky enough, brave enough, we just might let someone in. Getting lost finding the way seems less scary.

Strapped is one of the most excellent films I have watched in quite a while. The writing is excellent, the direction is excellent, the acting is excellent. I have so much more to say about the intelligence, the symbolism, the honesty, the multi-layered profundity, the heart, and the life-affirming testament that is this film; however, why spoil all the fun for you?

There is no warning on how good this little film turns out to be. With a simple theme of a young handsome hustler getting "lost" in an apartment building, it goes on to portray different lives all familiar to an experienced gay man, and yet not dull and never predictable. A night in this young hustler's experience can analyze gays' psyche anywhere. Raw, sexy, emotional, without being too indulgent. At the end, one gets to ask oneself if he is getting lost, wanting to be lost, or simply arriving at home. Ben Bonenfant, as the hustler, is well-acted and well-directed. The boy is so believable as someone to be paid for sex. His facial expressions tell some complexity of being gay quite right. It is so nice to watch a film we can totally relate to. Thanks.

Saw this last night from Netflix. I'll be honest, I rented it because of male nudity (I'm not proud.) I am happy to say, that although the nudity was at a minimum really (especially for a film about a gay hustler) the film itself was just delightful. It was definitely a journey in self discovery and I enjoyed it from start to finish.

One little think kind of hit me the wrong way... Everyone in the film kept talking about the lead as being "So beautiful." I'll agree that he is handsome, but the longer haired gentleman in the final scene with him would qualify as "beautiful" for me. I know, I know...beauty is subjective, but that is the only not "glowing" thought I had after the film was over.

I would highly recommend this to, well, anyone.

An astonishing, spectacularly good little movie - much, MUCH better than anybody has words to say. Sexy and poetic, lyrical and heartbreaking and soaring. It is as mundane as a leaking roof and as wide and glorious as the universe. To say it is about a hustler turning tricks is like saying the Odyssey is about a guy who got stuck in traffic on the way home.

Its minor flaws, so tiny they are almost insignificant - sloppy camera focus in crucial scenes, occasionally ponderous dialog, the total lack of tongues during the all-important kiss - simply make it better, realer, more human, as tiny flaws in great works of art always do.

If I could have seen only one gay movie in all my life, this is the one I would want it to be.

For a gay themed movie, this is extremely polished and well-done; perfect acting, great editing, compelling sound-track and most of all an excellent script with on-point dialogue. Given my review is "late in the game" I won't bother with a synopsis. I will say that for a plot of the day in the life of a male prostitute, this absolutely gave the viewer something extraordinary and atypical of the genre (because yes...it's been done before, as admitted in the film itself with the references to "My Own Private Idaho"). There are many layers to this film and in fact to the lead character, as we find out through his acting AND the dialogue that he indeed takes on the personas of the people he is about to have sex with (and he could only accomplish this if he were a very polished actor...which he definitely appears to be). This film delves into the human psyche and asks the question if we are ALL pretending/trying to be someone we are not/putting on a show for others. A very well done and IMHO underrated film.