Pete8139

I saw this movie on the opening night of the Reel Pride GLBT Film Festival in Royal Oak, Michigan. The central idea - following a couple's relationship over several years, against a background of changing politics and social mores - is an ambitious one that hasn't been done to death in gay cinema. There is an attempt to balance serious scenes with ones of satire and outright slapstick, but the tone is often awkward and much of the comedy is staged (and played) a little too broadly. However, Larry Sullivan and Steve Braun, give sensitive, intelligent performances in the leading roles, and basically carry the film. (They also play their more lighthearted scenes well - not to mention that they're very easy on the eyes.) The director, Miles Swain, should be very grateful for the presence of these actors. He's made a valiant effort about a period and matters of importance to the gay community; I just wish it were a little better. I should mention, though, that the audience around me seemed to like the movie more than I and, in fact, the person next to me said he liked it a lot. I wouldn't dismiss it as a failure, but I was disappointed.

This movie is handsomely produced, but the script seems like just an excuse for a lot of one-liners. I like movies with glib, funny dialogue, but this script is a far cry from "All About Eve." It's more like a sophisticated sitcom, with better jokes and a lot of curse words (although I don't know anyone in real life who uses "f**k" as much as these people did.) I was puzzled as to why the two gay male characters were attracted to each other in the first place and why they kept going back to each other. Their getting together at the end seemed forced, just to have a happy ending. The movie "Trick," released two years ago, was made on a shoe string, but it had more romance and charm than this.

I disliked this movie when I saw it in a theater, so I tried to watch it again recently when it was on cable to see if maybe I had just been in a bad mood. It didn't seem quite as awful the second time, but it's still pathetic. For a bunch of gay men, these guys aren't very interesting and don't have any of the wit gay men are stereotypically known for. The "S & M" scene, with two of the men hiding in the closet, was the limit. There are faults with the TV series "Queer as Folk," but it seems like a masterpiece next to "L!V!C!". Even the much-discussed nudity is a bore.