Relax... It's Just Sex

Maybe I'm a bit presumptuous in marking this one as a gay film, but since the majority of the characters is in fact gay I choose to do so anyway and I really do not mean anything more than: this is a film mainly about gay people! Now the beginning of the film really is how I imagined how the whole film would be, giving the audience a somewhat comedic look on sex and human nature. Gradually I found out that this was a different sort of film though and I must say that I really was amazed by how well the film turned from comedy, to seriousness, to drama. There are not too many films out there that are able to get from a really funny scene like the intro to such a dramatic last scene, without something seeming odd or misplaced, yet this film did. I mean I really felt as if I was changing alongside the characters on the screen and in the end I was amazed at what I'd seen. There was comedy, there was drama, there were thrills and everything was so realistic that you'd have to have a heart of stone not to be touched by it - except for the conservative maybe ;-)!

7,25 out of 10

Shook me up and I'm not very clear as to why. Having only been 'out' for a few months, some of what I felt I'm sure was due to inexperience. To me, the story of a playwright who lives and breathes in 'Dating Hell' is something everyone gay or straight can relate to. His anger at the 'gay bashers' and his general confusion really had an effect on me. Kind of like taking 'Okay so now you're a Homo 101' and being faced with a lot of issues from across the board.

I truly believed the storyline and the actors were so real to me. The HIV issue with Javi was well done and Buzz made his points regarding alternative opinion convincingly. The lesbian turned straight, Robin and Serina and their triangle against the backdrop of the 'rape' (I won't say more) while the main arc of the story is the straight woman who wants a baby so bad -- all of this demanded me to examine and comment on 'our human condition'.

The film jams alot of perspective into 96 minutes.

See it! I enjoyed it. I cried. And laughed alot but never has a movie made me feel more alone than this one.

Witty independent films about groups of young people trying to cope with modern day life are a dime a dozen these days, but when they're this enjoyable you can't begrudge a director for riding a well-worn wave. P.J. Castellaneta has put together a group of very talented actors (Jennifer Tilly being at the top of the list) to play an assortment of thoroughly likeable characters who experience difficult situations but always have each other's friendship to rely on. The story never bogs itself down in preachy monologues or pretentious revelations; it's extremely funny, quick-witted and very touching.

The first half of the film is plagued by strange use of music and poor sound quality, but somewhere along the line, as if by magic, the film takes root. The technical weakness improves a great deal, and the characters come to life. By the end of the movie, you want more.

This is a realistic view of problems faced by many people: anti-gay violence, relationships that go awry, disease, and miscarriage. The relationships between the friends in this film are very strong and moving, and in the last half of the movie we see some very powerful and wonderful results of the friendships. Perhaps loveliest of all is a scene between two women, former lovers, who are talking as the NEW lover overhears everything. I won't say what happens, but it is a wonderful and gorgeous scene unlike anything I have seen in any other movie. This scene alone makes the film worth seeing.

See it by all means, but be prepared for some frustration with the first half of the film.

This could have been a shallow by-the-numbers movie about gay, lesbian and straight friends in LA, but it wasn't. The characters and situations are realistic, all the acting was good and the movie doesn't shy away from showing male-male sex scenes (which is why it's unrated). The movie isn't perfect. It isn't as funny as it could be and some scenes don't play out at all or play out too long. Still, when was the last time we had a movie that dealt honestly and explicitly with gay men without desexing them or turning it into innocuous comedy (like "Jeffrey"). A really good film.