In the Flesh

I knew nothing about this movie other than the blurb I read at Netflix. I was intrigued by the promise of a relationship between a cop and a hustler. I must say that, overall, the film delivered.

In brief, a police department thinks that there might be some drug sales going on at a boy bar. While this premise is not enough to get excited about, when Philip (Ed Corbin) is sent as an undercover cop to discover what's really going on, he has to fight his attraction to one of the bar's boys, Oliver (Dane Ritter).

The suggestion of an intense sexual relationship between the two, that may or may not ever be consummated, keeps the excitement level high. That, with a murder, a heavy-duty alibi, a semi-tragic subplot and a left-hook-to-the-jaw surprise towards the end were enough to keep me on the edge of my seat.

There were a couple of cliché moments, a couple of unbelievable moments (when Oliver opens his front door without looking through the peephole) and for some reason the writer/director felt compelled to throw in a few humorous bits/lines, especially in the beginning, which really didn't work. But overall, I thought this movie was really worth watching. The two leads looked more like father and son, and it did take a while to get used to their relationship, but the beauty of it is that it seemed that it could have been real.

I applaud the producers for taking a chance on this film without big Hollywood stars and for really piecing together a story about a sad, tragic world which seems like it can only destroy all who inhabit it.

After a very disheartening beginning this story moves quickly (but not quickly enough) towards what it is really all about: trust between men. Ben Taylor chose a stalking killer as a plot device, unfortunately the identity of the killer is not much of a mystery. Nevertheless the main focus really is the two male leads and their coming together is explored in ways you don't often get to see in gay-themed films. High praise to Taylor for making an effort to present us with something a little bit different. The two male leads (Ritter and Corbin) are very good together and their performances are far better than I ever expected them to be. Sometimes the script-director is to be thanked, but very often it seems to be the determination and commitment of the actors who pull the film up by its boot straps. Dane Ritter is rivetting. He seems to hit every mark that the story sets for him. All in all, a film that is well worth seeing ... if you can get past the first several minutes.

I read all the negative reviews, and really, they should go make their own movie before trashing this one. I loved it... it was very touching and sensual.. and NOTHING trite about the plot.... in fact, I found it very original. This movie explores the human condition.. it shows us that all of us, from the destitute hustler to the respected cop, are facing weakness of our own. To love someone is to understand him/her, and to trust people and give them the benefit of the doubt. IF you want a perfect movie, dont' watch this.. but if you want a touching piece of film treasure, you must buy this title on DVD.

The scale is small and the results not especially impressive but this earnest, thoughtfully-made movie has a sure grip on its story and characters and never loses its focus. I would have preferred the sex between the hustler and the cop to be a bit more explicit, and it would have helped had Ed Corbin (the cop) not relied so much on that deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression, but the overall effect is respectable enough to make me look forward to the writer/director's next project.

The acting was good, especially the police chief, the sister and the girlfriend. I enjoyed the fact that the gay theme wasn't over powering. It was a love story that happened to be about two men. I would have liked to see more of the two other police, they seem to disappear for long periods of time. I loved the bar scenes with all the boys, they made you want to know more about them and their lives. All in all a good film worth seeing.