Straightman

Take two ordinary men who have no previous film credits for acting, directing, or writing, put them in charge of all three tasks, and the result is likely to be as shapeless and self-indulgent as "Straightman." This low-budget movie is a real disappointment -- so much so that I begin to suspect the glowing reviews were written by friends of the cast. It's a shame, too, because there is potential here for a good indie movie. It begins with a good premise, the working-class Chicago backdrop is interesting, and there is a sense that the film might be semi-autobiographical.

This film's main problem is that the director, who also co-stars, apparently has no distance from the material. An objective eye would have edited the tiresome and repetitious improvisation. As it is, the two men talk on and on and on. Scenes are too long, and footage that should have been cut is treated as sacrosanct. The drama goes from feeling fresh to feeling forced as each of the lead actors has to pile on dramatic moments. While the actors do not stink, they are not noticeably talented, either; so they cannot sustain the drama, and ultimately their time on screen feels undeserved.

Not recommended.

Great storyline, but the execution was a bit strange -- almost feels like they are improvising as they go along, lots of pausing and repeating while we think of what we're going to say next. Dude is best friends with a straight couple, and when they bust up, the two guys move in together, which (of course) will have its own challenges. the BENS... Ben Berkowitz and Ben Redgrave star in Straightman. and they wrote the script together, as well. it's pretty good, but the actual execution needs some tightening up. (Lynn Redgrave DID have a son ben, but its not clear if this is the same guy...) the men are everyday guys, no fawncy models here, but the women are all pretty foxy. it's pretty good, if you overlook some of the silly, rambling discussions, and part of THAT can be chalked up to the drinking going on a lot of the time. This one is directed by Berkowitz, and the two Bens will collaborate again on Polish Bar some years later. showing on Filmrise channel.

I don't usually skip ahead in movies, but had to do it with this one. Was thanking my dvd remote for that option! Not entirely bad, just overall boring. Ben Redgrave is white trash "eye candy". The homo sex scenes are very erotic. The straight sex scenes were like watching a Ron Jeremy movie. Yuck! A nice attempt for film production. Will be looking for more movies by this novice team. If they can pull it together, lot's of potential.

Straightman is the story of Jack and David and what happens to their friendship once they become roommates.

This is a tough movie to watch. Not because of the subject matter, but because the acting, directing, and the writing are not up to the quality needed for a movie like this. While having some really great moments, it seemed that the director was more interested in keeping the viewer off balance with unsteady camera work.

The script, if there was one, seemed to broad and too focused by strokes. Where things should have been played with a delicate hand, we were smashed over the head with info. Where we should have been given the internal dialog of a character, we are just given the outcome.

The acting seemed both earnest and forced. The moments that shone are the ones where the two main characters weren't talking to each other. When they did, it felt forced and awkward.

This is a movie I would have eagerly watched when it first came out. So starved for representation in movies, I would have been glad for it. Now, it just doesn't hold up to newer movies that seem to have done the same story, but better.

Here's a low budget movie that actually says something positive. We have two male leads, young and full of testosterone, one gay and one straight, who discover and reveal to one another how deep their "friendship" bond is. The dialogue, shots and settings seem very realistic as if the camera is merely a fly on the wall. The screenwriter had a great concept, but it could have been far better if the interior residential settings were not so low end....I actually thought the two leads could have been squatting in some abandoned building. Also, the use of the "f" word was way overdone. Does anyone other than the lower classes use that word that often? The gay lead was attractive, but the camera never shone on his face to highlight his male beauty. That needed corrected. Look at the movie "Weekend", filmed in a similar way. Yet, the director made sure there were a number of well lit, close ups of Tom Cullen's beautiful face. Acting was pretty good. I never felt like they were just reading lines with zero emotion. Would love to see this concept taken to a higher level.