Adam & Steve

Romantic comedies are formulaic and predictable. Still, there's such a thing as a "superior" genre film, and Adam & Steve is one of the lamentably few that rate that description. Although it's a gay romance, there's nothing that made me as a straight guy remotely uncomfortable. I do think the fact that gay actors played gay characters made things a bit more fluid- much better than, say, "Jeffrey," which featured straight actors overacting gay.

I laughed a lot more than I remember doing at any Rom-com in recent memory. Parker Posey really stole the show for me, but I've always been a fan of hers. The romantic aspect of the film is campy and farcical to the point of absurdity, and hence didn't bother me too much- and the jokes are constant and quality.

If I were to register any criticism, it would be of the generic plot devices- hidden identity, comical misunderstandings, the obligatory Rom-com chase-across-town-before-it's-too-late. But as I said, it's a genre film, and well done for what it is.

Adam (Craig Chester) and Steve (Malcolm Gets) have an embarrassing one night stand in the late 80s. Then the movie fast forwards to 2005. They meet again but have no recollection of their earlier encounter. They fall madly in love...but then Steve remembers. Can they survive this? Also Adam's best friend (Parker Posey) falls in love with Steve's best friend (Chris Kattan).

This is no masterpiece. It has its dead moments and there are some painfully unfunny moments--and where the hell did that two-stepping sequence at the end come from? Still it works more often than it doesn't and is easily one of the best movies I've ever seen dealing with a gay couple. When it's funny it's hysterical and some of the observations Adam and Steve make about being gay and in love are VERY accurate (Chester and Gets are gay in real life so it adds more to the lines--they speak from experience). Also Chester wrote the script AND directed it as well as starring in it--this guy is very talented.

Acting is good all around. Gets and Chester are just great and perfectly believable. It's always great to see Parker Posey and she's just wonderful (catch her outfit at the two-stepping). Even Kattan is good--he annoyed me totally in SNL. And the supporting cast includes Julie Hagerty, Sally Kirkland and Melinda Dillon--all are just great.

I saw this at a sold out viewing at the Provincetown Film Festival. The demand for this was so great they had to ADD an extra showing! This is the most truthful movie I've seen so far about gay life and love. Not perfect but damn close. A must-see for gay men.

The premise is this: Two gay men, Adam and Steve, meet in the 80's and have a disastrous encounter. Fast forward to the present. Adam and Steve's paths cross again and they begin to date, neither remembering their history together. Until one does. How will the past affect the future? Somewhat interesting premise, however, writer and director Craig Chester doesn't have much faith in it and decides to fill the film with a barrage of gross out humor, slapstick, and silly over the top moments. While some of these are very very funny, others don't work at all. The end result is a movie that seems to sell out for cheap laughs rather than go for something real.

Craig Chester (who also wrote and directed) and Malcolm Gets are likable as Adam and Steve but don't generate much chemistry. Parker Posey is always good for a few laughs. Chris Kattan is basically wasted in a supporting role as the best friend.

If you are looking for a few laughs and don't have expectations too high, I would recommend this film. If you are seeking an authentic contemporary film about gay relationships, pass over this one and rent "All Over the Guy."

What a fun, funny, sharp-witted, incisive film about the rocky road to romance. And how brilliant that it's about a gay couple-- a committed, monogamous gay couple who look very much like real gay human beings (as opposed to the broad caricatures usually seen in film and television). Is it possible that this will be the first "gay" date movie that straight couples will go to and laugh with?

Maybe that's hoping for an America more open-minded than it is, but certainly the open minded heterosexual partners are in for a good time.

Kudos to writer/directer Chester for creating what is an impressive mosaic of styles. In lesser hands the film, with everything from emotional honesty to slapstick comedy to over-the-top (and I do mean WAAYYYY over-the-top) camp, should be a mess. But somehow scenes of first love are actually made sweeter all the more by the slapstick running gag that accompanies them (sorry, no spoilers here!).

The leads are extremely appealing, the dialog is well-realized, and the realities of dating are sharply realized in a film that walks the fine line between maudlin and frank but rarely feels dishonest. That's going to sound ridiculous in the context of a film that includes a choreographed dance-off featuring a drag queen, but the movie is wise to use broad strokes of humor to help otherwise clichéd movie devices go down easier. Additional kudos to Parker Posey, who becomes the heterosexual equivalent of the "Jack" character on "Will & Grace." Her comic contributions are note-perfect.

Chester has commented that the use of comedy has a role in helping straight audiences better accept a budding romance between men. I hope that's true, because this film deserves better than the "cult" or "gay/lesbian" dungeon in your local video store.

This film is a romantic comedy between two men in New York City. They by chance meet each other, get along very well, until things start to fall apart.

It is great that throughout the film, the emphasis is on love, instead of sex. It is so easy to fall into the temptation to make scenes depicting gay sex in order to entice gay viewers to watch the film. However, in this film, there are no sex scenes at all. The thing that keeps the viewers watching is the real love that keeps Adam and Steve together. Coupled with the excellent character development, the love between Adam and Steve becomes convincing and touching.

The dance sequences of this film are very well rehearsed and delightful to watch. The plot is straightforward and predictable, but that's the whole idea for romantic comedies.

I hope gay romantic comedies get made more often!