The Event

Gay guy Matt has died from AIDS and Asst. D.A. Posey suspects something other than natural causes. In spite of these mysterious overtones, "The Event" spends most of it's time being a gay guy dying flick which deals with coming out to mom, visiting doc's, hanging with gay friends, talking about options, taking drug "cocktails", creeping symptoms, emotional contortions, philosophizing about life/death, etc. in a kind of muddled Mulligan stew of gay/straight family/friend relationship stuff via flashback. The ill focused story manages to pull itself together in the end and gives everyone in the audience (who is left) ample time to relish in the hopeful woe of the moment...and then ends all over again. Kinda sappy, full of stereotypes, quite disjointed, and poorly scripted, "The Event" has it's moments though they apparently went unnoticed by GLAAD. The bare bones DVD I watched also had no CC or subtitles or special features. Recommended for gays and anyone who have the stomach for another AIDS flick. (B-)

Thom Fitzgerald has done a wonderful job directing this film. By twenty minutes into the movie I cared about the characters. There's nothing pretentious or annoying about this movie, however the ending shocked me totally. I was not prepared for the ending. I heard sniffles when the credits rolled and when I walked out on to the sidewalk after leaving the theatre I felt stunned. I had no idea that local actor Walter Borden was in the movie -- a definite added attraction. But I don't want to say who does a better job in acting than others as I totally believe the movie is superb just the way it is.

This is a movie I would prefer to attend alone so no one will talk to me throughout the film. Without sounding like an owl, the ending shocked the pants off me. I thought I figured it out, but was w-a-y off. Thom Fitzgerald: take a bow.

Only one thing saves The Event from being a total loss; Olympia Dukakis! When she is on screen, the warmth of her being and the grace of her acting temporarily convince you that this is a good movie. She plays a pivotal character and she packs an arsenal of subtle and powerful emotion!

Unfortunately, there are many, many minutes of film dealing with the other characters, most of whom have a faceless, gray presence that gets annoyingly boring. They are not helped by an episodic, way too long screenplay and episodic and short-on-creativity directing. The climax of the film is genuinely moving (thanks mostly to Dukakis), but it takes so long to get there that you feel cheated that you didn't care more for these characters during the balance of the film. The little coda after the climax is unconvincing and unsatisfying.

Lots of unnecessary pop songs intrude along the way. Parker Posey is the only other actress to induce any sparks. If you can wade through the slow spots, its worth seeing for Dukakis; but barely.

A excellent film. The Event put a human face on what for many is only a social tragedy and statistics they encounter through the media. The director, Thom Fitzgerald, is due substantial credit for, while not opting for dramatic gimmicks and attempting to create a believable story, putting something togehter that neither collapsed into portraiture nor drolled on into docudrama. The cast performed well also in these regards with a luminous Olympia Dukakis bringing the import of the story front and center. A deeply touching film. Secondarily this film serves as a grave warning in particular to 17-24 year old men, a segment where the HIV infection rate has climbed dramatically during the past couple of years. Many such young men consider AIDS to be a managable disease and not a death sentence and forget that the side effects of many cocktails can all too easily include severe headaches, memory loss and dementia leaving infected individuals with a quality of life that is, in director Fitzgerald's words (who spoke after the film showing at the Quad Cinema in the West Village after the early evening showing on Oct 3) `just not there.' So, find out where this film is being played and go see it!

i heard of the movie by chance and caught it while it played (it was only here for a week). i had to go by myself because no one else would go with me. but i did, and i'm glad i did. what an amazing movie. it moved me in ways i never believed possible. i went because of don. i knew little of the plot. an old couple left mid-way through the movie. why? it was hard to watch. it was a hard concept to swallow. i cared about the characters from the start. when the sister reacted to her brother's news of his infection it hit me harder than a bus could have. that's the reaction i would have had.

it was a hard topic to deal with, but it was done so properly and it ws very beautiful. the acting, the filming, the writing, it drew emotion out of people.

it really is a must see. i can't wait for it to be released for home-viewing. bravo