August

What do we have here? An attractive cast, gorgeous photography, a story older than water, non-existent direction and a screenplay that should send the writer into medieval torture chamber of unemployable, talentless graphomaniacs.

The movie does not raise any questions, does not upset nor observe. It is in fact a wooden dud which by definition fails to detonate due to its poor design. As a consequence the sex is not sexy and the drama is not dramatic.

Ladies... even the music is not musical. I give it a 2 because it is nice to look at when Raul is on - he is about the most sexy, dramatic and musical thing in this tripe of a movie.

Now and then along comes a film that is far more adventuresome than the PR suggests and such is the case of the very well constructed AUGUST. Written and directed by Eldar Rapaport (with Brian Sloan) this is a hard look at love relationships and how the test of time influences the success or failure of commitment. The choice of title reflects the generated heat of contentious relationships and just happens to be set in the time of the infamous Station Fire in Southern California in 2009, the largest and deadliest of the multiple wildfires, burning 160,577 acres (or 251 square miles), destroying countless homes, and killing two firefighters - a time when the Los Angeles basin was without electricity, full of smoke and ashes, and all nerves were on edge regarding the carnage.

Jonathan (Daniel Dugan) and Raul (Adrian Gonzalez) are a contented couple: though they live separately (Raul has married Jonathan's best friend Nina - Hilary Banks - for immigration purposes so they must maintain separate homes) they are devoted to each other and Raul is in the process of planning Jonathan's 30th birthday party. As an unexpected development Troy (Murray Bartlett), Jonathan's ex-boyfriend who has been living in Spain for several years after a painful breakup, arrives in Los Angeles at the height of the heat wave and moves in with his married brother Sean (Bernhard Forcher) and family. Troy calls Jonathan, arranges a meeting for coffee but is sure that Raul will enter the coffee shop to demonstrate the Jonathan is in a committed relationship. But old flames simmer and soon Troy is convincing the not unwilling Jonathan to rekindle their old passion, a liaison that becomes apparent to Raul. At Jonathan's 30th birthday party Nina and her chef boyfriend Nick (Mike Vaughn) invite Troy and Troy's good friend Devon (Brad Standley), and by the end of the evening the group hits the bars to smoke pot and drink. Raul then invites Troy to their home to join Jonathan and him in a physical liaison that results in Troy's 'wakeup call' about commitment as he sees the degree of passion between Raul and Jonathan: Troy as an outsider steps away and eventually returns to Spain - but we never know what will occur next.

AUGUST is blessed with a very fine cast of excellent actors who are able to pull off the intimacy of the story with decorum. There are some problems with the film: the director loses the audience with what feels like inadvertent non-linear storyline that disrupts the flow of the story, and the editor of the film David Au has cut and spliced the film in a disturbing and distracting manner. The musical score by Yuval Ron is heated Middle Eastern in flavor and at times covers the dialogue. But the story works in large part because of the exceptional acting and appeal of Murray Bartlett, Daniel Dugan, and Adrian Gonzalez. As the PR states, ' It is an irresistible gay romantic drama!

Grady Harp

(( BACKGROUND FOR VIEWERS: This Feature Length film is a reworking of Director Eldar Rapaport's 2005, well received Short, "Postmortem" ))

"August"....whatever is meant by that, you might ask? Well, rather than looking at the title as being merely some play on words, let's just assume what's meant is the "simmering"..."sweat-drenched"..."torridness"...of that particular time in the yearly weather cycle. In fact, this is what becomes visually and audibly obvious to us, as our actors/characters experience sometimes uncomfortably high temperatures---a condition reinforced by repeated soundtrack use of Los Angeles area weathercasts. So, indeed, this film does have "Heat"! ....But, it's not just that sort of "Hotness" which involves us...because "Lovemaking Action" makes up a significant part of what we are seeing in this film.

Still and all, IF a film director is going to expand an earlier released 16 minute Short into a 100 minute Feature Length work....and essentially retain the same storyline and same 2 lead characters (tho now 6 years older)....there has GOT to be more provided than "Heat"....more than "Hotness". Admittedly, a much lessor role in the short film's "triangle of 3 guys" has notably (and most SIZZLINGLY) been expanded in this 2011 production. For now we are seeing the character of "Raul" being torridly played by relative newcomer, Adrian Gonzalez (giving us something not weather-related which definitely IS HOT). Oh, and we also have added a female role in the form of B(Girl)FF (and Green Card facilitator) "Nina", played by Hillary Banks.

At this point, allow this Reviewer to give just a few closing thoughts involving the "old and new" productions, as coming from someone who's lived with the former for years...and with the latter for a couple of viewings:

• In the Short's early scene...involving former lovers meeting once again at an outdoor coffee house...there was an intimacy, a "Heat" between the 2, which burned off the screen and into the viewer. That is pretty much missing in today's re-tread scene and, for me, is due to one actor in particular.

• Adding several extraneous scenery and street-related shots may add minutes to a feature's length....but it does not necessarily add interest.

• I was sometimes left wondering which way writing and film direction were heading with the sex shots. There is an anal sex scene, with virtually a full length, nude shot of the 2 going at it. Yet, at another point we're given an after-sex scene---our leads still together in bed---BUT wearing underwear (even tho the camera is, obviously, avoiding any "crotch shots"). Are we advertising boxer briefs? Is this CBS or NBC network TV filming? Does our director expect this ever to be shown as a K-Thru-12 afternoon school special?

• What I would consider a production glitch involves occasional sound problems, due to music and background conversations drowning out conversation between lead characters (this is even with earphone listening). There is no captioning provided...at least in the Region 2 DVD release.

FINALLY -- Perhaps the best thing I can bring out of this comparison of Short vs. Feature Length film, is that the feature definitely gives us a FINAL Ending...one which cannot be misconstrued, or that is left up in the air. And even better than that....everyone gets what they deserve.

PS -- Writer/Director Rapaport strikes me as being particularly capable of developing intense and interesting story lines; he should stick to doing that...in all-new works. (I do acknowledge it is not easy for anyone to expand a short story into an acclaimed full-length novel...let alone achieve fully successful refilming of an earlier work.)

****

A boring movie about love affairs made for teenagers with lots of blank spaces.

Jonathan, a shortish, homely-ish, 29-year-old, minimally employed nebbish in LA, has a tall, gorgeous (but shallow and manipulative), 40-ish ex-boyfriend, Troy - who dumped him five years earlier but for some reason has moved back from Barcelona just to get him back. BUT... Jonathan has an even MORE gorgeous (breathtakingly gorgeous) twentysomething current boyfriend, Raul - who is not only gorgeous but sweet, strong, sincere and totally devoted to him. Right away you say to yourself, this is just like real life, just like me and the two incredible hunks who can't get enough of me. What's a homely nebbish girl to do? That's the dilemma in this movie that I really wanted to hate but can't.

It's the actors' fault: they're very, very good - TOO good for this unbelievable story. Unfortunately, the weakest actor is the one playing Jonathan, who brings no sensuality or charisma or other hot quality to the role to compensate for his nebbishy homeliness and explain WHY the two hunks are so irresistibly attracted to him.

He was much more believable in Postmortem, the short this movie is based on (available on the compilation DVD Boys Briefs 3 in the US or Boys On Film 4 in the UK). Opposite the same actor as Troy (but a much less gorgeous actor as Raul, in an almost negligible role), he was sexy, and the attraction between him and Troy in Postmortem was palpable and totally believable; it's not in this movie (but Postmortem was set in sexy, dynamic NYC, not in sterile, boring LA, which may have a lot to do with it).

Self-defeating compulsion is the only motivation either Jonathan or Troy shows in this movie, which may be intentional. August is a lot grittier and more complex (and therefore more interesting) than Postmortem was, which is why I'm giving it six stars despite the lackluster performance by Daniel Dugan in the key role as Jonathan. He was great playing the same character in Postmortem, but he'd lost the fire or something when August was made; since that character is central in the story, August suffers for it.