Le club des coeurs brisés

How un-promising does a gay male Sex In The City sound? This one took me quite by surprise. It's a frequently very funny romantic comedy, that only occasionally dips into cliche. Why America remade Queer As Folk when they already had this is beyond me. Is "Queer as folk" ever an expression over there? Anyway, this includes Frasier's Dad and Superman amongst its gay baseball team, so it's good in my book.

We watched this film when it first was released. On second viewing, thanks to the IFC channel, "The Broken Hearts Club" looks a bit dated since more daring films and television series have come out of the closet recently. It must have been a courageous undertaking by its director, Greg Berlanti, in 2000, at a time that gays were not as prominent as now. The director shows a positive side of the gay life that is not seen often, in that all the characters have values and integrity, something not often seen in mainstream films.

The film is an excuse to bring together a group of young men trying to cope with their lives in that environment. There are different stories that mesh well together. At the center of it all is Dennis, a photographer that seems to have his feet well planted on the ground and knows what he wants. The friends are united by Jack, the restaurant owner, who has taken most of the guys under his wing, at his bistro and as a coach them in the softball team.

We watch the different situations and how the guys react to whatever comes their way. The acting is good, in general. Timothy Olyphant makes an impression as the serious Dennis. Zach Braff, a film director, himself is good as Benji. Dean Cain is the fickle Cole, who loves a variety of lovers, rather than quality mates. John Mahoney appears as Jack, the older influence on the group in an impressive performance.

What director Greg Berlanti succeeded was in presenting young men that appear not to be clichés as in other films of this type. The film is pleasant without breaking new ground.

Quick evaluation: this movie does reflect my experiences of the past 25 years. As a nearing-50 gay man, I can relate to nearly all the principal characters, both personally and as they relate to my friends and acquaintances. Yes, at various times in my life I've been the cute, promiscuous one; the lonely one; the gym bunny (no drugs, though); the (self-perceived) ugly one. . .all those have helped me to become a better, more self-actualized person. Seems there are too many self-loathing queens commenting negatively on this film here. . .maybe they can't see themselves in the characters, but if they were to be honest, they'd realize that they do indeed exist in one or more of these characters.

I enjoyed the film, laughed a little, cried a little. As I said, "been there, done that."

This film gives gay men a meaning beyond stereotypes and the roles usually seen in gay movies. The theme is universal: friends stand by you to assure you that you are OK as you are.

Some of the dialog is hilarious, and the characters ring true even though many of these people are played by straight actors. There is an amusing glossary of gay terms given on the screen from time to time so that straight audiences will understand the lingo of the gay subculture.

The touching elements in the film include the loneliness of what one character describes as "10s looking for 11s." The recognition that a person can be gay and average is the only antedote for this loneliness.

We follow a group of young gay men, under the matronly supervision of John Mahoney, connecting and disconnecting as they try to find themselves in a world that doesn't seem to care who they are. It's a story of human beings. The fact that they are gay is incidental -- and this is a major step forward in gays being depicted in movies.

I know people have their problems with this movie, but I happened to catch it at the perfect time in my life. I think every young gay male should watch this movie and see that there is life after coming out. It's nice to see a gay movie that isn't a GAY movie. The main characters all happen to be gay, but that is not the focal point of the movie. There is no sub-plots about AIDS or dealing with same-sex marriages or disapproving parents. The movie starts when all that stuff has already happened. It really makes you think. Two thumbs up! The cast is superb. Although not superstars, the movie has some well seasoned actors; including Fraiser star John Mahoney. Zach Braff does an excellent job as does Andrew Keegan, Dean Caine and of course Timothy Olyphant. Kerr Smith also has a small cameo but well worth it. This movie begins to break down the stereotypes of gay men and comes up with some great gay lingo that my friends and I have adopted.