The 10 Year Plan

So two best friends scribble down a contract on a napkin that states that should they both be single in ten years, they are to marry each other. One of the pair, "Myles" (Jack Turner) is a successful lawyer, but also more of a loving and romantic sort of lad who always ends up getting dumped. When that happens, he habitually meets up with his pal "Brady" (Michael Adam Hamilton). He is a much more confident guy, a cop, who picks up men effortlessly but who isn't remotely into anything longer-term than fifteen minutes. Both are out, proud and accepted by their friends and at work where just about everyone else thinks that they are really made for each other, but can't see the wood for the trees. Then "Myles" meets "Hunter" (Adam Bucci) with whom he feels a connection, only for his pal to meet him too, and... This whole film is cheesy and predictable but the two lead efforts are quite engaging and it's the sheer (albeit optimistic) normalcy of the film that makes it a bit different. Nobody cares that they are gay, indeed the dynamic between "Brady" and his partner "Richard" (Moronai Kanekoa) delivers some quite pithy patrol-car banter as the former's sexual successes are frequently the topic of conversation whilst his pal fares less well with the ladies. It's quite a fun look at the shallowness of gay lifestyles, and in that it can be a little lazily stereotypical, but it's still quite watchable as the conclusion looms ever larger without the merest hint of doubt!

Ok, I'll start out by saying that no, this movie is not genius and it's not great. Movies like this aren't exactly meant to be genius though, I knew what I was getting myself into with this one. To me, this was simply a cute, fun feel good movie. I was alone and on Netflix one night, and thought it would be light and fluffy, and it was. I say all that because you have to know what you're in for. If you pick this movie apart and scrutinize it, you'll probably have a bad time. It's predictable and it is very cheesy. The reason I enjoyed it so much, is because I liked the actors and their characters. I thought they were likable and I liked seeing them together. I also liked the supporting members of the cast and the character they played. The writing is far from brilliant, but like I said, it's all fluff and idealistic. Can't say if others will like it as much as I did, but I really had fun with it.

Totally contrived and implausible plot, but it ended on a charming positive note. Not much chance that someone young and hot and addicted to the LA Grindr scene is suddenly going to shake that loose to form a stable, monogamous marriage. Negative portrayal of gay men being hyper promiscuous, mean spirited and detached with their hookups. But at least they weren't smoking or doing hard drugs. The two central characters became likable enough to root for them, but there was no basis given that would warrant any shred of faith that their re-imagined relationship would last more than a few months.

The 10 year plan is full of clichés both of the gay world and of Hollywood romantic comedies. Is absolutely predictable and shows nothing new. But it's nicely shot and gives a some good laughs. I had a nice time watching it.

The 10 Year Plan has some of the plot premise of the great MGM musical It's Always Fair Weather. That was the one where the 3 army buddies agree to meet at a Manhattan bar in 10 years to see if their plans for the future have worked out. In this film two roommates make a bargain that in 10 years time if the romantic Jack Turner hasn't found the man of his romantic dreams he and roommate Michael Adam Hamilton will take their roommate status to a different level.

With the marriage decision a film like The 10 Year Plan could be made with the ultimate goal of romance the ultimate commitment of marriage for a same sex couple. These two roommates have differing views however. Jack Turner is an incurable romantic waiting for that perfect Mr. Right to wine, dine, and romance him into a happily ever after ending. Michael Adam Hamilton believes in Mr. Right Now, he's got a lot of wild hedonistic oats to sow.

I think you can see where this is going. One unexpected bonus was the fact that Hamilton is a cop, completely out and with a partner Moronai Kanekoa who is also quite hetero and completely comfortable with it. Imagine that, things are indeed changing despite whatever roadblocks the religious right throws our way. I found that aspect of the film more interesting than the main plot.

Nothing terribly special about the film itself. But the making of it is terribly profound.