Von Null bis Ich liebe dich

Since the first moment I saw this picture I knew it was going to be a big compromise from me to not jump to conclusions that it was going to be a Hollywood Fake Movie. And it was! I didn't believe in the acting of any involved in this drama story where i found everything very insipid and so predictable specially from the the cast of this film! Everything sounded so annoying and honestly for me it was only a gay story where production, direction and acting was just a Big try from rescuing some Dramatic Love (Unbelievable) Scenes that did not make the movie any better!

Pete, a single black man, has an affair with Jack, a married white man. Pete's father, a lawyer, is upset that Pete is dating a married man for the 4th time, and urges Pete to commit and settle down. Meanwhile, Jack has had homosexual episodes since his teens, married the prettiest girl in his class, had 2 kids, and both Jack and his wife have successful careers. Regardless of his behavior, Jack confesses to his counselor that he doesn't want to be gay or bisexual. While Pete and Jack declare their love for each other, will Jack finally divorce his wife, and will Pete be willing to wait for the divorce?

I saw this at the Inside Out LGBT festival, and the Q+A answered a puzzle I was having. The story was set in the present - Jack's brother-in-law warns Jack against leaving an electronic footprint by texting or sending "dick pics", and Jack's lawyer jokes about his "1st divorce", given that same-sex marriage is now legal. But the "don't want to be gay" attitude seemed to be from an earlier period. It turns out that the inspiration for this film came from the writer / director's experiences earlier in life, before he became too old to play Pete himself. OK, I understand, but it still means I give it a mixed review.

Soap opera of fraught interracial affair between out gay and closeted gay in hetero marriage. Not terrible, the leads are pretty, some good moments, but oh my it just goes on and on and on repetitively in familiar territory. I don't for a moment believe there is any passion here -- even the betrayed parties seem like they'll be fine after a stiff drink. The script meanders, and it looks like everybody was afraid to bring any scale to the thing; acting is not just "looking natural" -- you've got to take us someplace, show us things . . .

This is such an amazing story about love and living in one's truth. The cast was awesome and played their roles to perfection! Darryl Stephens and Scott Bailey's characters were so heartfelt and had many layers. This story was extremely well written and directed by Doug Spearman, and I cannot wait to see what he does next! Bravo!

Is it your standard "Will he or won't he come out" story? Or is it more about the "other man's" fear of commitment? Or his struggle with his black identity amidst a sea of affluent white people. Even the starving artist is affluent to a certain extent.

And then there's the "Where do we stand on monogamy?" Even though most of the male characters are promiscuous. And at one point, they even touch on the crystal meth epidemic in the gay community.

That's too much to unpack. It could be made into at least three different movies.

I would love to see one centered around the black man and the potential complex intersections of his fear of commitment and how that might be related to his growing up as an affluent African American. Directed by a black director, please!

I'll leave you with one of my biggest pet peeves in movies like this. As a New Yorker who visits Philadelphia frequently, I can assure you a magazine copywriter could never afford a quaint apartment.t in Rittenhouse Square - much less move to the newly gentrified meat packing district adjacent to the West Village. Decorated with a Noguchi coffee table and a Barcelona chair!