Play the Devil

Good acting minus the older guy. Loved the grandmother and best friend devins acting. Petrice who plays Greg is a rising star. The stereotype of homosexuality being something you are recruited into is sadly worked into the plot and the light skin son being the good smart one and the dark son being the wayward bad one is also a part of the plot and these things show that this film was done by a white and I imagine straight woman thus the lack of authenticity. A good film but these stereotypes bring it down

This film feels like it was written in the 1950s or before, when all gay relationships were tragic and ended in violence, with a mood full of judgment, control, and shaming for anything that threatened to transgress puritanical values. Unlike Black Orpheus however, which this film seems to aspire towards, Devil is so hackneyed and inept in the way it works itself towards its tired conclusion, the tragedy isn't transcendent, it lies in the writer/ director's slow moving exploration of every queer stereotype in every fear-based homophobic film. Seriously, the film is a class in tired film tropes that became obsolete 50+ years ago. You have the morning after shame, the self-hate, the fear of being outed, the queeny older gay preying upon the 'good boy,' the sugar daddy trope, the 'concerned and confused wife' cliche, the crying closet case cliche, the soft boy trope, the toxic masculine cliche, the violent judgment cliche, etc. All of this is lazy writing and painting by numbers, not storytelling that is fresh, unique, and revelatory. The moments that ARE authentic, those defined by the Trinidad setting, sadly get lost under all the rehashed leftovers. The bright moments in this film are the talented actors overcoming the writer/director's limitations. These include the young lead, his granny, his hothead brother, and his best friend. Most of the rest of the characters are so brutishly underwritten they feel like props or furniture. This is disturbingly true for the poorer residents of Trinidad. Yuck. Stars for the actors only.

Of course, the reason why I titled my review the way I did is because homosexuality is a massively big deal in Trinidad and, as far as the populace is concerned, punishable by death. For years, Trinidad has been playing a tug of war between the conservatives and progressives. Generally speaking, if you wish to progress outside island society, you have to leave for Europe, the US, Canada, and so on. That's where the characters of "Play the Devil" erred. Trinidad should never be confused with Fire Island, NY or Provincetown, MA where such behaviour is the norm. In any case, the movie was daring and intriguing simply because of the bold subject matter, and also because it gave viewers an in depth look of how the common folk live there. The film itself wasn't great - it was a little slow in parts, but the acting throughout was fine and the cinematography of the countryside and beaches are worth the price of admission. Recommended.

Director Maria Govan's intriguing character study will not be acceptable to those viewers who want someone else (director, actor) to telegraph who's the bad guy. The film is Play the Devil. Govan is playing Devil's Advocate.

You have to think when you watch this movie, and you may not be happy with your decisions. What seems on the surface to be one of those May-December gay romance stories, set in the poverty-stricken island of Trinidad, turns into Billy Budd.

Beautiful and naïve, young Gregory (Petrice Jones) is the promise of his family. Approached by an older (but not old) businessman (Gareth Jenkins) with plenty of money, he finds himself flattered by the attention-at first.

Here is a chance to escape poverty, receive an education, and live in indolent luxury. It is tempting, but the young man has second thoughts-and needs space. Perhaps he is not gay after all. However, his obsessed older fan won't take no for an answer and begins insinuating himself into all aspects of Greg's life.

Feeling more and more trapped and cornered, Greg sees how such a relationship will ease the burdens of his family and open up a new world for him. Yet, his stalker knows better-and insists that the young man is merely fighting his nature when he should give in to it. It's enhanced by two remarkable performances by the leads.

You know this is heading in a negative direction, but perhaps you will not see how it must conclude.

Set against the Carnival of Trinidad where young men paint themselves in blue and act the role of devils, chaotically racing through the streets, you have a clear case of possession. You may not have just another gay movie here.

Director Govan is not making this easier with her parallels to Billy Budd, and her film becomes an un-gay parable.

Petrice Jones plays this rather well as an 18 year old Trinidadian that befriends a wealthy local man who becomes infatuated with him. The storyline takes it's time and to be honest, it doesn't really go anywhere before an ending that really rather lets it all down a bit. The potential to get to the bottom of the relationship between the two men - which is, to a certain extent, reciprocal - is underdeveloped, but there is an integrity about Jones' performance that helps carry the production which must have been done on a shoestring budget. It also manages to show us some of the beauty of the islands and of the people. There is potential from this for both the actor and director Maria Govan - it's a good start.