Mates

Seen it three times now. It gets better each time. The dialogue is crisp and natural. Nothing is spelled out so you need to observe and think.

This movie is not for everyone. But I loved it. The acting is exceptional.

Sam Law is a special standout, however. He has blazing star potential if he can just get in the right project.

Also the direction is exceptional, keeping track of not only the group dynamics but also the various one on one relationships while giving everyone a concrete character arc cannot be an easy task.

It follows four men on a camping trip, there is a mix of prior relationships and new relationships. As the four get to know each other (It's really a group of three with an outsider that keeps interrupting them) the dynamic changes slowly but steadily until we are at a vastly different situation than which we started. I really don't want to say any more because there are so many rewarding small surprises tucked into this film that one only discovers upon repeat viewings.

Hopefully this movie will find an audience. It deserves it in spades.

Firstly, I think some of the reviews on here are very harsh. I can only imagine how Ok there are some parts (the first 15-20 mins) which are very slow and I did consider abandoning, but give it time. I think its definitely represented quite a few LGBTQ issues and it was really nice to see the story develop. I think the actor choices were perfect and each played their retrospective roles well. If you are afer a high action, edge of your seat style picture, then this is sadly not the one for you. A lovely litte hommage to the often complex interactions by the less out and proud. I really enjoyed it, and it certainly kept me engaged.

In general, the standard of independent gay films has greatly improved in recent years. So much so that it's surprising that something as cheap, clumsy and amateurish as Mates can still earn a release. Mates is poorly scripted, the characters are wafer thin and if it weren't for the English countryside the film would have no production values at all. None of the actors is strong enough to rise above the weak material, and they're not helped by pedestrian direction and editing. Technical aspects aside, the central character, Connor, is unappealing. His would-be seducer, Adam, is entirely unbelievable - pursuing Connor in front of his apparently very straight mates, and after Connor has said he's not gay and not interested. And the mates are clumsy straight stereotypes, albeit with an equally clumsy attempt and questioning just how straight one of them might be. At what might seem a mercifully short 80 minutes, Maters is still 60 minutes longer than it needed to be.

I managed twenty minutes and, in a flash of anger at the time I was wasting, switched the whole unconvincing, sorry, amateurish mess off.

The first spoken dialogue during the jog in the park engendered the idea in me that this was going to be a talentless, poorly-acted, badly-scripted farago of tosh. Do those "actors" actually have Equity cards? If so, the union should swoop down and confiscate them so these utterly dire people never sully our screens again.

This was so bad that it was embarrassing; I actually felt sorry for the actors having to recite these lines and act out this nonsense despite their complete uselessness.

It's gone, deleted and good riddance.

I liked this movie Mates which was a very low budget film but done very well and the ending makes it enjoyable.

This movie has its flaws in storytelling but anyone in the LGBTQ world can relate to the longing and heartache of starting a possible relationship.

The bully Mark, one has to think is he indeed jealous of his open minded friend Nathan and did they ever fool around?

And is Connor in love with Nathan as he travels over and hour to jog with his friend ? What more lies behind their motivations if any.

Adam is a very relaxed enjoyable open gay young man hiking with his father who accepts and loves him in whatever his life choices are a nice touch.

As a inde film producer myself ( Sister Mary ) I know how these reviews go because everyone with a PC thinks they are a critic and don't realize how hard it is to Produce a movie on a budget, that said I think this is a wonderful movie and I truly hope to see a sequel at some point. There is so much more to this story that can be explored. Cheer's James.