Solteros, pero...

The day I was finally able to admit to myself that I was a gay man I rented this movie. That first viewing changed my life. It helped me envision a life a hoped was ahead of me. During my first year of being out I watched this movie so many times and still watch it about once a year.

The first time I saw it I thought it was one of the best movies I had ever seen. Time has dimmed my view of it but it still a must see for any newly out (newbie) gay man.

The script is well written. Some of the direction is a little off but it was a low budget film. It is also fun to see all these mainstream actors like Dean Cain, Timothy Olymphant and Andrew Keegan playing gay.

Greg Berlanti's film is worthy of a lot of praise in a society where gay men tend to only fulfill certain stereotypes. A character, Howie mentions how he would like to see gay men being represented as something other than the woman's best friend, the hustler, the aids victim or the sex addict and this film does tend to try hard to avoid these stereotypes. The script is brilliantly written and sparkles when it is at its peak. At its worst, it may be a little bit cliche ridden but hey..it also has originality ( I have taken "Meanwhile" and now its commonplace down ere!) and is not afraid to portray gay men as just a group of lads who are falling in and out of relationships, liek any other group of young men. However certain characters do tend to bring the pace down a little and it does sometimes seem to have the sentiment that gay men have got it so bad compared to everyone else in the world. Timothy Olyphant stands out here in an able cast, made up primarily of TV actors. My only grumble was the inclusion of the lesbian couple who seemed to only be there to represent the ladies and also to give Howie a meatier role. 4/5

We watched this film when it first was released. On second viewing, thanks to the IFC channel, "The Broken Hearts Club" looks a bit dated since more daring films and television series have come out of the closet recently. It must have been a courageous undertaking by its director, Greg Berlanti, in 2000, at a time that gays were not as prominent as now. The director shows a positive side of the gay life that is not seen often, in that all the characters have values and integrity, something not often seen in mainstream films.

The film is an excuse to bring together a group of young men trying to cope with their lives in that environment. There are different stories that mesh well together. At the center of it all is Dennis, a photographer that seems to have his feet well planted on the ground and knows what he wants. The friends are united by Jack, the restaurant owner, who has taken most of the guys under his wing, at his bistro and as a coach them in the softball team.

We watch the different situations and how the guys react to whatever comes their way. The acting is good, in general. Timothy Olyphant makes an impression as the serious Dennis. Zach Braff, a film director, himself is good as Benji. Dean Cain is the fickle Cole, who loves a variety of lovers, rather than quality mates. John Mahoney appears as Jack, the older influence on the group in an impressive performance.

What director Greg Berlanti succeeded was in presenting young men that appear not to be clichés as in other films of this type. The film is pleasant without breaking new ground.

THE BROKEN HEARTS CLUB: A ROMANTIC COMEDY (2000)

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Sound formats: Dolby Digital / SDDS

The lives and loves of an LA softball team, comprised entirely of gay men.

Greg Berlanti's heartfelt drama seems a little timid in the wake of confrontational entries like "Queer as Folk", but the former producer and co-writer of TV's gay-friendly "Dawson's Creek" makes an otherwise auspicious directorial debut with this familiar account of several gay friends looking for love and companionship in vanity-driven Los Angeles. As one character puts it: "Gay men in LA are a bunch of 10's looking for an 11."

Essentially the tale of a Queer sports team comprised of staff and management at a popular restaurant run by elderly patriarch John Mahoney ("Frasier"), the film's paper-thin narrative is roused by a combination of lively dialogue and well-defined characters, played to perfection by a terrific cast, culled mostly from the New York stage: Ben Weber is the 'Plain Joe' whose inability to attract a boyfriend is due more to his lack of self-esteem than absence of personality; Dean Cain (Superman himself!) is a hunky aspiring actor who leaves a trail of broken hearts in his wake; punk-style Zach Braff portrays a gym-queen, wilfully blind to the dark side of gym culture; Matt McGrath and Justin Theroux are ex-lovers who can't seem to let go of one another; and Andrew Keegan is the cute new kid who stumbles into this disparate group whilst struggling to come to terms with his burgeoning sexuality. The unofficial pack-leader (Timothy Olyphant) is smart and sassy, and increasingly aware of the personal opportunities he's sacrificed in his relentless pursuit of casual sex with strangers.

The actors invigorate a fairly routine scenario, though Olyphant (whose demonic good looks have typecast him in too many villainous roles) dominates proceedings as a young man standing at the crossroads of his life, seeking confirmation of his own personal value. Mahoney is funny, wise and dignified as the Shakespeare-quoting softball coach, and Broadway singer-actor Billy Porter gets some of the best lines in a role that otherwise amounts to little more than comic relief. Beefcake is provided by supermodel-turned-actor Michael Bergin ("Baywatch: Hawaii") and Christian Kane (semi-regular on TV's "Angel") in cameo roles, and the lovely Kerr Smith appears briefly in one of the movie's best scenes. Watch out, too, for a memorable appearance by Jennifer Coolidge as a 'helpful' hair stylist who brings the house down with a single line of dialogue! However, a subplot involving Weber's sister (Mary McCormack) and her attempts to become a mother with long-term partner Nia Long is underdeveloped to the point of redundancy (memo to gay movie makers: if you're gonna include lesbians in these otherwise all-male offerings, do 'em properly or not at all!), and Cain's much-publicized 'kiss' with Keegan is coyly hidden by the angle at which it's filmed, a hideous cop-out (the eminently straight Olyphant has no such qualms - he kisses his male co-stars with reckless abandon!). Shot on location by cinematographer Paul Elliott (AND THE BAND PLAYED ON), the movie has the look and feel of a widescreen TV show, dominated by closeups and medium shots which invalidate Berlanti's use of the scope format.

Gay cinema doesn't really need another romantic comedy, but while "Broken Hearts" doesn't offer anything new, it's salvaged by snappy editing, a quickfire pace, and first-class performances by some of America's finest young actors. And thanks to a clever, throwaway bit of name-dropping, the movie offers fleeting confirmation - at last! - of the role played by sex-god Antonio Sabato Jr. in the fantasies of hormonally-charged gay teenagers everywhere! Been there, done that...

How un-promising does a gay male Sex In The City sound? This one took me quite by surprise. It's a frequently very funny romantic comedy, that only occasionally dips into cliche. Why America remade Queer As Folk when they already had this is beyond me. Is "Queer as folk" ever an expression over there? Anyway, this includes Frasier's Dad and Superman amongst its gay baseball team, so it's good in my book.