Leather

This was a very amateurish production that was boring beyond belief. The poor acting helped to sink it!

I watched this movie last night, knowing nothing about it except that it was in the "gay section" on Amazon Prime, some ruggedly attractive guys were on the cover, and it was independent. As such, I wasn't sure whet to expect. With a name like "Leather" I was half expecting it to be about S&M.

Needless to say what I wound up watching was something else all together and I was pleasantly surprised. "Leather" is actually a dreamlike film about three people all at various crossroads in their lives, rediscovering themselves in a cabin out in the woods. The title references the fact that one of the main characters makes things out of leather and is a brilliant craftsmen. The pastoral mood of the movie pulled me in and I found myself longing to walk the wooded paths as well. The sun-washed shots of the lake were a perfect frame to showcase the beautiful story as it unfolded.

The story of childhood friends trying to reconnect, long forgotten feelings, the passing of time - and letting to of people and places that have served their purpose in life - these themes are dealt with impressively. This is not a movie for anyone looking for car chases or things blowing up - but for anyone who wants to go on an emotional journey - and also enjoy some beautiful nature in the process, this film is highly recommended.

Have seen this twice. Yes, the acting is a bit weak at times and it's obviously a low budget movie, but I still liked it. Both leads are in good shape, which helps when they do their nude scenes, and they are both attractive and likeable enough to hold the viewer's attention. The stereotypical "sissy" with the beloved bunny, did not seem to be a likely boyfriend for the muscular, manly blond. But beyond that, it had some funny scenes and some sexy scenes and I was glad it didn't take place in either LA or NYC or some other entrenched gay urban area. Leads weren't reaching for a cigarette every five minutes or snorting crack. That's refreshing for me!!! Sweet little ending!!!

Why does every "gay" movie seem so much the same? Gay life is enormously varied but you'd never know that from the movies about gay life, most of which rehash the same clichés of father-son angst and trite rites of"coming out." "Leather," whose title might lead viewers to think it's something it's not, is yet another film in that long, tiresome line. I suspect the filmmakers' hearts were in the right place. There are moments when you suspect something heartfelt and meaningful is going to happen in this rural tale of a New York City boy who falls in love with a boyhood friend who's morphed into an idealized woodsman - but the writing and acting and are so amateurish and the production work so slipshod the emotions of the film never gain traction.

LEATHER is somewhat of a departure for Patrick McGuinn, in that it feels less transgressive and overtly sexual and delves more into the dynamics of broken families and emotional pain. The story involves a successful, ambitious gay man (Andrew) from NYC who drives to a country house where his estranged father has just passed away, and there reunites with a childhood friend (Birch) who has been his father's caregiver. The two find that they can't seem to rekindle a friendship, but they do find anundeniable attraction to each other. Complicating things is a young, immature gay man (Kyle, the main protagonist's bf) who is still trying to figure out who he is and why he relies so much on his BF for his own sense of self. The three find themselves confronting issues that they have repressed and evaded for too long. Here they're thrown into the forced contemplation of rural life, best exemplified by the above-mentioned local, a leatherworker. Local denizens round out the cast and add color and interesting subplots to the story. The script by Greg Chandler is very thoughtful and multi-layered, and the cinematography (16mm) makes the most of the beautiful setting of Upstate NY. A refreshing film about gay life that is rarely treated on screen. Highly recommended!