Plan B

Plan B is a captivating movie about feelings and the struggle to be honest, at least to yourself about them. An amazingly complex matter we all go through many, many times in life. Skillfully directed and edited by the Argentinean first timer Marco Berger, the film is an emotional statement of sexual confusion, artistically created by a team of young dedicated and intelligent friends. Two other amazing films comes to mind after watching this extraordinary work of art; Alexander Sokurov's Mother and Son and the young and talented Romanian Corneliu Porumboiu's Politist, Adjectiv.

This film is not for everyone, but bright heterosexual people will find it very honest and even valuable. You just do not know what will they do next and will question why are these two nice straight guys get it on? Because sexuality is complex by nature and societies made it even more difficult for them to express what they are feeling and Marco Berger knows that. It seems like the Kinsey Scale is hard at work in this film, where the numbers they belong is keep shifting, but as a spectator, never for a moment lost interest or joy in the beautifully composed scenes especially when they are at sleep or just standing and waiting for something to happen naturally. Your finger might be on the fast-forward side of the remote control, but if you are a true film lover "you will not! touch that button." The joy and artistry are coming from these long, beautiful and important takes and cuts. The film takes its time to let those feelings and expressions do the work, so we the audience get into the characters and almost feel their pain or joy.

One has to be very ambitious and a fanatic Tarkovsky fan to be able to make this stunning expressionist film and Marco Berger, I suspect, is both. I only recommend Plan B to hard- core film lovers and open-minded beautiful human beings, because the film will ask you to participate, will give you the space to be there with them and even examine your own feelings about this complex subject matters as sexuality, society and honesty.

A fine motion picture about male friendship taken to the physical plane and turned into a homoerotic relationship. Certainly the undercurrent was there (as seen in the last reel), moving the characters together rather unconsciously, but the liaison had not been expressly planned. In my opinion, the script has a few shortcomings, starting with the initial proposition: a young man who cannot win back his ex girlfriend, decides to seduce the guy she is having an affair with. That is the "excuse" to develop the story of how two normal guys find out they love each other, first just as candidly as two 12-year-old kids would love each other, and then making it grow as adults, just as plain lovers. I had my doubts about watching it, but after it was finished I was more pleased than hypercritical. My problem with most films with homosexual stories is that I believe they hardly get close to what the "real thing" is: many are advertising campaigns for the unwary; others, plain pornography, and far too many, soap operas with stories that probably would get better after The End, and so on. "Plan B" goes beyond these stereotyped formulas, and tries something different for a change. Nicely acted by the two lead players, with a cast of (apparently) non-professional actors that makes things more believable. Give it a try, no matter what your sexual orientation is.

Plan A is 'make a great film that runs under 90 minutes'; PLAN B is 'make a great film'. By all rights Director Marco Berger's tale of an Argentina man's plan to win back his girlfriend by wooing her new love interest should have had me hitting the FF with its long, extended takes and silent montage sequences. But the acting by the two leads and Berger's bravado in not rushing his tale of unlikely romance pays off. It takes the full 100 minutes - so stay with it - but I found this film genuinely compelling - sometimes irritatingly so. I wanted to say 'who cares' and hit the OFF button but the guys are so truthful and down-to-earth that even the implausible premise seems perfectly likely. Mark PLAN B a success.

I literally stumbled upon this movie and ,unlike all the movie trash out there this is worth your time. I do not even think it is fair to label this a "gay" film. To me that genre should simply be erased, and changed to a love story like any other- whether it's between two woman, two men, a man and woman. Although I digress... I like how the film dealt with the two characters coming to terms with feelings never confronted before, where the friendship line is crossed. It does not get moody, it portrays very realistically how two people may deal with loving a friend. Although the dialogue is pretty minimal, it is very poignant and direct. The scenery of Argentina is shown throughout, and the little things in this film matter. If given the chance to watch this film...do it! You will not regret it.

WOW! I loved this gem of a movie. Two alleged "straight" guys discovering some feeling between them might seem like the plot of a good porno film but this is handled with such realism that the audience can't help but feel drawn in.

At first I wondered why there were lingering shots of the buildings' exteriors, but then I started to like the (what I'm guessing anyway) was the symbolism of imprisonment of feelings,coldness,loneliness, austerity.

I also loved the style of leaving in background noise during great moments. Isn't that the way real life is? I want to see this movie again and the actors were excellent! I especially liked Pablo, who has one scene of internal pain that is not forced in any way and is totally believable.

I'm going to watch it again!