Testosterone

A gay graphic novelist from the States is obsessed with finding his hunky Latin lover, who has mysteriously walked out on him; a search for the guy down in Argentina becomes a complex whirlpool of doubt, suspicion, paranoia and murder. David Sutcliffe, a low-keyed actor who resembles a gritty John Stamos, gives a passable performance here, yet it is tough to discern what the filmmakers were aiming for. As a noir, the movie doesn't absorb much interest with its loosely-hinged plot; as a mystery with a gay-hook, the picture is far too timid, teasing its target audience with just a few man-on-man lip locks. The low-budget shows, with the filmmakers failing to utilize the exotic locations to their full advantage...and why have the Latin stud disappear so soon? We hardly get anything useful out of this central relationship before he's gone--or was it to prevent alienating a heterosexual audience who might be sensitive to gay clinches? If straight movies about sexual obsession were this cautious, more viewers would be abandoning Hollywood films for foreign or pornographic pictures. This is an unusual attempt, but it is ultimately unsuccessful. ** from ****

Lots of things don't make sense in this film, which irritates. But it's so homo-erotic that a lot can be forgiven. Sonia Braga in full dragon mode, and lots of partially- or fully-naked hunks sucking face. Jennifer Coolidge has the funniest lines in the film, and I love her deadpan delivery in this one. It has the makings of a camp classic, but the premise of the film is irretrievably flawed. Given the final resolution, there is no reason any of the characters would have put themselves and each other through all of this. And the final shot (was that meant to be a twist of some kind?) makes absolutely no sense. Most tragically, no one ended up with the adorable bell-hop! I'd have taken him home in a heartbeat! ;-)

I do not know the novel. So , I can not compare with original a dark, decent film about loss, secrets, searches and romance, revenge and roots of succes. Sure, it seems have the sins of low budget films. The story is not always coherent, the actors , their name and their bodies are the main attraction, the story is not the very convincing one but, after its end, this mix of love/ obsession story, film noir attempt seems, for very subjective motives, just decent. The flavor of leaves ash in fall - like is, maybe , the best virtue.

David Moreton and Dennis Hensley did a fantastic job with their screen adaptation of James Robert Baker's novel 'Testosterone.' David Moreton's second-only turn in the Director's chair is impressive, as was his choice of locations. Buenos Aires is one of the most striking and remarkable cities on the planet. The Argentine people are sophisticated and intriguing -- exactly what this story demands. Wonderful costume design highlights the Porteños' eye for fashion. In addition, the original music is light and amusing when it should be, turning dark and captivating just when it is vital.

The casting was virtually perfect. David Sutcliffe and Celina Font bring 'Dean' and 'Sofia' to life as if they were born to play the characters. Antonio Sabato Jr as 'Pablo' IS the quintessential Latin lover. As always, Jennifer Coolidge offers us laughter, this time giving us the take-no-crap 'Louise'. Leonardo Brzezicki's 'Marcos' takes us from distrust and contempt, to empathy and compassion. This guy is a true 'find' -- let us see more from him soon. Then the amazing Sonia Braga delivers 'Mrs Alesandro' at a level of outstanding few others could achieve.

'Testosterone' will make you a bit sad, let you have a few laughs, remind you we have all made at least one bad relationship choice, offer one mans decision on how he will reach closure, and will keep you thinking for days to follow.

'Awful?' 'Dreadful?' 'Terrible?' Harsh for a film that never claims to be an epic blockbuster. Moreover, if this was such a bad project, one wonders why do so many have rather deep questions into the characters, their motivations, and interconnections. Not to mention the seemingly endless quest to figure out the true meaning behind this films ending.

If you are looking to be entertained and a bit challenged, with a sufficient amount of foreign culture and 'eye candy' to ensure your attention is held, you need to see David Moreton's 'Testosterone.'

This film was certainly flawed and missed some great opportunities to be a lot better but it really wasn't that bad. I watched it from start to finish and that says a lot about a movie to me. It was not art, but I was certainly entertained. The ironic part of this film was that Antonio was really not that interesting on the screen. All the other actors and actresses were far more intriguing and Antonio's character was probably more important than the actor himself. This movie's only true downfall was that it didn't really capture its "theme" well enough to give the movie an overall point. Also, it was probably just a tad bit too convoluted. It's worth the 90 minute time investment, though, cause it's at least entertaining..