Denied

This movie has going for it what very few 'gay movies' have; the characters and the plot are realistic. The principle actors were very good in their roles. The only real problem was getting the acting down on film. Lots of the scenes are pretty dark, and sometimes it's hard to hear exactly what's being said. But, these are problems that lots of low-budget films, and, again, the story makes up for it.

Some people I know say that the long shots of one character during a scene, or the periods of silence between the actors make them uncomfortable, but that's why i like the movie. It's very realistic. People don't talk like they do in Kevin Smith films. Sometimes you just sit with your boyfriend and don't know what to say for a while.

Again, Acting-Good, Story-Good, Cinematography-Medium. If nothing else, see it because Matt Austin, who plays Merrick here, is the Green Ranger in the current Power Rangers Show. Small World.

I rented 2 DVD's at a local DVD rental store and the 3rd was free so I picked Denied.The plot and description sounded good.I started watching it and realized it was horrible.The picture quality and sound were atrocious.Nobody seemed to be really acting(I could be wrong)but it was like watching someone's home videos of their lives. The picture should have been digitally remastered, the audio or sound should have been done properly,and it desperately needed to be edited because some scenes dragged on way too long and were boring and lame.And then maybe it would be worthy of being released.What a waste! It was painful to watch and I don't know how it even found distribution.The only part I really liked was near the end when Merrick(Matt Austin) admits his feelings to Troy(Lee Rumohr)and they get it on.At least these 2 guys are cute and easy on the eyes.And then Troy decides he's fed up with the head games and living in a small town decides to leave for good.His affect on his best friend was surprising and touching! It is a nice story that undoubtedly occurs but this DVD seems like a very rough cut of what should have been a decent movie if it was remade with a higher budget and done properly.I was surprised to see Stefan Brogren(of Degrassi high/next generation) in such a low budget amateur film.There are some good Canadian films out there and some bad ones,but this one is an embarrassment.

This movie wanted to be better than it is. College dropouts Troy and Merrick share an apartment in a dead-end town. They appear to sleep together sometimes, but their own mental issues plus a psychotic former girlfriend sabotage their chances at a relationship. Narrative question: do they end up together?

The plot is well done. The story is familiar (or at least believable) enough that the dramatic tension works. Character development was decent. Some of the dialog falls flat, mostly due to the poor lighting and over-aggressive Foley editing. The leads are quite attractive, but the sex scenes are only in the PG13 range.

Cinematography is weak. Consistently under-lit throughout. The voice track is nearly inaudible at several key points. A couple of awkward edits too. Overall, would have been an entirely competent movie in the hands of a more experienced director.

A very well scripted film, wonderfully acted, depicting two young men struggling with their feeling towards each other, in the midst of heterosexual surroundings.

Unfortunately, the sound mix is so bad that the dialogs are impossible to follow - and they are essential to understanding what is going on.

I found a work-around on my computer: using an equalizer on the audio, I neutralised the low and medium frequencies and enhanced the medium-high frequencies: this made the dialogs followable. Quite amazing that the producers omitted this quality check!

I disregard the low light quality criticism. True, many scenes are filmed with scarcely a light from a light bulb, but for me, that enhances the atmosphere, although I would not have minded some more subtle shading at times.

All in all, if you can fix the sound, very worth while watching.

I suppose I can understand why many people dislike Denied, but my response to it is very much different. Poor lighting and sound do not kill a movie for me if there is something valuable in it to dig for through those defects, and there is much of value in Denied. Except for the sound and lighting (and possibly the music), it is an excellent movie, much better than 99% of gay movies.

The screenplay is intelligent, subtle, compassionate, never clichéd, and often surprising. Characters talk in the sometimes disjointed way people really talk, switching from one point to another with no warning or explanation. That may be too much for viewers accustomed to the clean, logical, familiar, easy-to-follow way everyone talks in most movies but no one talks in real life. Every line in this movie rings true.

The acting is some of the best I've ever seen in any movie, and certainly much better than in most gay movies. Lee Rumohr in the lead as Troy is especially good, but Matt Austin as Merrick is not far behind; and, in a much smaller role as Fowler, Troy's gentle but troubled fellow ex-jock, Matthew Finlason is amazing.

I would almost recommend watching only the last half hour of the movie, from around the 1:05:00 mark (which unfortunately does not correspond with a chapter marker on the DVD - if you see a man standing alone on a lighted sports field at night, you're in the right place) to the very end. By that point, all the tedious stuff with Merrick's EXTREMELY tedious girlfriend Stacey is over, and all that's left is Troy's resolving his relationships with Fowler (which takes about 8 minutes) and then with Merrick (the last 20 minutes or so). That's when this movie really starts to shine, when it takes off and soars far above any other gay movie I can think of. But watching only the end would deprive you of its context, of understanding why Troy and his friends make the choices they make and how much those choices cost them.

So here's what I recommend: If you can't stand working at watching a movie, if you prefer to have everything laid before you in order and easy to get without any work on your part, everything easy to see and every sound clear as a bell, then forget Denied. Stick with conventional, slickly professional and familiarly produced movies like Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss.

If you love gay movies, particularly gritty, realistic movies about people like us, then give Denied a shot. But hold on through about an hour of relatively tedious stuff; it will make your enjoyment of the treasures at the end richer than it would be without it.

But if you can't do that - if you can't or won't slog your way through an hour of tedium to get to a half hour of great beauty - then skip immediately to 1:05:00 and pay close attention, adjusting the video on your TV and replaying bits as necessary to get what people are saying. It will be well worth the effort. Even knowing nothing about the characters, seeing how they act and interact is profoundly satisfying in a way all movies should be but very few are.

Denied truly is a diamond in the rough; if you're a diamond hunter like me, go for it, and don't give up until you're holding it in your grubby little hands. You may find in the process that it has worked its way into your heart to stay.