From Zero to I Love You

I grew up resenting being taught to be paranoid. The folks in this story could have benefitted somewhat from a pinch more paranoia than they exercised. My only resistance in the movie was my inner counselor kept doing therapy on all the characters. OF course I know if they all made consistently good decisions there would be no plot and no movie. Well, not a problem; they were all screwed up enough to make a damned good, impressive movie! My time was well spent.

This is such an amazing story about love and living in one's truth. The cast was awesome and played their roles to perfection! Darryl Stephens and Scott Bailey's characters were so heartfelt and had many layers. This story was extremely well written and directed by Doug Spearman, and I cannot wait to see what he does next! Bravo!

Soap opera of fraught interracial affair between out gay and closeted gay in hetero marriage. Not terrible, the leads are pretty, some good moments, but oh my it just goes on and on and on repetitively in familiar territory. I don't for a moment believe there is any passion here -- even the betrayed parties seem like they'll be fine after a stiff drink. The script meanders, and it looks like everybody was afraid to bring any scale to the thing; acting is not just "looking natural" -- you've got to take us someplace, show us things . . .

This low budget film makes great use of its resources due to a lot of talent behind the screen as well as in front. This is a stylish, well written rom-com about a gay love affair with all the difficulties & complications getting there as is usual for this type of film. It's a nice little movie full of very likeable actors and the characters they portray. It's smart and humorous and I was surprised at how much I liked it as it's not my usual style, but it's hard to resist despite a bit of necessary unpleasantness involving a wife and children. All the actors are good, though I never really bought for a minute that the co-lead, Scott Bailey, was gay, but like the rest here, he is likeable and appealing. I was particularly impressed by the other lead, Darryl Stephens. He's talented and attractive with a smoky voice that is killer. It's not flawless by any means, but it is a good little film that I don't think had a theatrical release, which is a shame, though it probably wouldn't have made a dime. It's not the point of this film, but bisexuality is a lot more common in this country than many would believe.

Frankly, I could watch anything with the apparently ageless, engaging and charming Darryl Stephens in it, so I'll try to get through this review with as little bias as possible. But in truth, Spearman has assembled a talented cast that delights from beginning to end. Stephens has palpable chemistry with his handsome co-star, Scott Bailey. Keili Lefkovitz is effervescent in the potentially thankless role of the down-low guy's wife, and Stephen Bowman is a ton of fun as Stephen's best friend. Veteran Richard Lawson - trivia: his first credited role, in 1971, was "Homosexual", in Dirty Harry. He went on to appear in pretty much everything, including Dynasty (1986) and Angry Boys (2011) - plays Stephen's father, who, in a refreshing twist, is a black father who doesn't have a problem with his gay son.

Good gay rom-coms don't come along very often. From Zero To I Love You manages to be hopelessly romantic, a hoot, and genuinely insightful (the damage wrought by Pete and Jack's affair isn't merely brushed under the carpet).

Surprising, enchanting, and sexy, From Zero To I Love You is a winner. Doug Spearman: what's next?