The Men Next Door

Ok, you shouldn't watch this movie an critic as it is think to be a masterpiece, just don't. The idea is to watch and relax.

The basic idea it is what would happend if a guy dates two men at the same time, one ten years older, the other one 10 years younger.

I was trying to show my roommate how Netflix streaming works and unfortunately picked this movie. The synopsis seemed like it might be entertaining. After about 10 minutes into the thing I realized it was going to be unwatchable...actually 1 minute into the movie when the protagonist cuts his birthday cake and it made some loud fart like sound---that was intended to be funny...I had a very bad premonition.

Leaden stereotyped semi-bitchy West Hollywood gay dialog as other reviewers have commented yes yes yes it is queenie that sure doesn't help; but what killed it for me was being boring and trite and decidedly unfunny. What is so funny about having his brother send a stripper? That is more of a trauma to watch for most gays. Add on the bad acting and you have a real lemon.

I have been out for 20 years and queen humor is like a drag show entertaining for about 3 minutes and then a complete bore.

I agreed with the reviewer that most of the characters were downright disagreeable or grating. One of the promiscuous friends found a trick with a large phallus we were forced to look at etc etc.... That explained why he couldn't come to the birthday party. Someone less than intelligent wrote and directed this thing--

I unplugged it after about 15 minutes...it brings up the hardest part about using Netflix streaming: There is so much garbage on it...in fact the hardest and most time consuming part of using it is trying to find something watchable. If I am short on time I will pick some 50s B movie at least it will be coherent unlike this thing.

I so wish they would arrive at the stage where movies are not "gay" but just happen to have a sympathetic character or two who happen to be gay. A gay James Bond---hopefully in my lifetime.

AVOID AVOID AVOID

Try: Nobody Else But You ==== witty funny with incidental gay characters.

If you're looking for gritty reality, social significance or thought-provoking dialogue, this movie definitely should be avoided.

The story is improbable and ridiculous, but I'd say the first 80% of the movie is mildly amusing ... not because of the situations, but because the actors are fairly engaging at the amateur level. The central character grimaces a little too often and the supposed romantic attractions are definitely credulity stretchers, but it is just a fluff sitcom and decidedly low budget so you'll have to be in the mood to be mildly amused and/or slightly inebriated.

Unfortunately towards the end of the movie the ménage à trois disintegrates and we are expected to feel some sympathy for the predicament our hero faces and to be concerned about how it will be eventually resolved. That's when the disturbing realization hits you that the writer and director are actually laboring under the impression that anyone takes the story seriously or cares how it ends. When the cute, somewhat amusing repartee stops and everyone starts waxing philosophic, you'll start hitting the fast forward button ... if not sooner.

Rob Williams is to film as Jeffrey Dahmer was to cuisine. In nearly EVERY film of his, the dialogue is completely campy, contrived and BORING. Regardless of the actors and delivery the "jokes" just fall flat. In fact every character's lines sound like they were written for the drunk, clueless guest at a gay party that believes he is the witty center of attention, when in reality no one even knows who invited him and gives him courtesy smiles in sympathy. Well, no courtesy smile for this garbage heap.

This is the type of comedy that might appeal to Will and Grace fans. It also is very much like a gazillion of youtube videos out there, where groups of bad amateur actors put together little comical gay themed vignettes. As in those, in this film they have literally copied the mildly bitchy West Hollywood repartee straight from their dinner parties, bar chat, office banter and pasted it into this story about a professional Quadragenarious gay man and his professional gay friends, an annoying fag hag, and two lovers: "the men next door."

The main actor seems to think that his every acting effort should be followed by curving his lips in an pouting way (no sweetie, it's just not cute, you're not a 13 year old teenage girl). He has zero charisma and no sex appeal. Every joke cracked, I couldn't as much as raise a smile, it merely instilled irritation. And believe me, I do know how to appreciate a well delivered camp performance; this simply is not. The other actors carry no humour with them, except for the "straight" brother character.

I could only bear watching this for about 20 minutes before I gave up. The best thing about the film is the HD quality. But perhaps that would have been of better use if the interiors were less Ikea showroom, and a bit more more lush. I prefer to go to a gay bar on Santa Monica Boulevard myself, and eavesdrop into people's conversations; that will provide me with a whole lot more entertainment than this not so terribly funny flick.