Testosterone

Hard to think of any other film where the putative good guy and the bad guy are uniformly repugnant. That the setting is Argentina reminds me of that country's major cultural contribution to the world -- the tango. The dance evolved from a musical entertainment for men only in which the participants combined hard-bitten, menacing moves with unmistakeably erotic passion. The soundtrack of this film, including some modern Astor Piazzolla, reinforces an impression genuinely Argentine.

The problem encountered here is one already noted in several comments, namely, that the story is out of focus. A rather preposterous ending compounds the offense. It's really too bad, because otherwise I found myself drawn to the underlying notion of finding resolution to a dramatic theme by moving the scene to some exotic locale. "Flying Down to Buenos Aires," as it were.

Noir and comedy mix well only in the area of satire. One comes away from viewing this apparent attempt to combine the two not with an appreciation of its cleverness, but with a sour taste in one's mouth. In some sense, I got the feeling neither the creators of the film nor possibly some of the actors were altogether thrilled by the script or the characterizations. That's a kiss of death not unlike one might have witnessed at the conclusion of a tango danced in some nineteenth-century Buenos Aires brothel.

David Moreton and Dennis Hensley did a fantastic job with their screen adaptation of James Robert Baker's novel 'Testosterone.' David Moreton's second-only turn in the Director's chair is impressive, as was his choice of locations. Buenos Aires is one of the most striking and remarkable cities on the planet. The Argentine people are sophisticated and intriguing -- exactly what this story demands. Wonderful costume design highlights the Porteños' eye for fashion. In addition, the original music is light and amusing when it should be, turning dark and captivating just when it is vital.

The casting was virtually perfect. David Sutcliffe and Celina Font bring 'Dean' and 'Sofia' to life as if they were born to play the characters. Antonio Sabato Jr as 'Pablo' IS the quintessential Latin lover. As always, Jennifer Coolidge offers us laughter, this time giving us the take-no-crap 'Louise'. Leonardo Brzezicki's 'Marcos' takes us from distrust and contempt, to empathy and compassion. This guy is a true 'find' -- let us see more from him soon. Then the amazing Sonia Braga delivers 'Mrs Alesandro' at a level of outstanding few others could achieve.

'Testosterone' will make you a bit sad, let you have a few laughs, remind you we have all made at least one bad relationship choice, offer one mans decision on how he will reach closure, and will keep you thinking for days to follow.

'Awful?' 'Dreadful?' 'Terrible?' Harsh for a film that never claims to be an epic blockbuster. Moreover, if this was such a bad project, one wonders why do so many have rather deep questions into the characters, their motivations, and interconnections. Not to mention the seemingly endless quest to figure out the true meaning behind this films ending.

If you are looking to be entertained and a bit challenged, with a sufficient amount of foreign culture and 'eye candy' to ensure your attention is held, you need to see David Moreton's 'Testosterone.'

This film was certainly flawed and missed some great opportunities to be a lot better but it really wasn't that bad. I watched it from start to finish and that says a lot about a movie to me. It was not art, but I was certainly entertained. The ironic part of this film was that Antonio was really not that interesting on the screen. All the other actors and actresses were far more intriguing and Antonio's character was probably more important than the actor himself. This movie's only true downfall was that it didn't really capture its "theme" well enough to give the movie an overall point. Also, it was probably just a tad bit too convoluted. It's worth the 90 minute time investment, though, cause it's at least entertaining..

Reading these reviews has intrigued me enough to post one.

I truly feel that those who did not like/get/understand this film have never read a comic book from start to finish. This film IS a comic book.......a story, visually told, verbally disjointed....ON PURPOSE.

There is nothing in this adaptation that smacks of the original written work....and that's OK......it would have been MUCH darker with the HIV angle...more like the twisted film "24th Day".....

This was silly fluff, and nothing more than a fun little ride through a comic book. Those that were looking for a cohesive through line.....nope, not there....and that's OK...since when do all films NEED to be told in a strict linear fashion that fits into a societal mold.

The actors gave their roles a great film noir bite, and I must say that the banter was some of the smartest written for a "gay" film in a long time (or have you all forgotten the inane babble from "Eating Out"). Each character was a grotesque caricature...and I loved this movie for that...even the brother/sister relationship.....true ugliness done up right.

The DVD did offer a not so satisfying alternate ending, wherein Dean is conversing with the ACTUAL head (the cooler lid is off) and ASjr. is responding....not so good...much better to have him drive off into the sunset with our imaginations doing the gruesome dirty work.

Finally, the "meandering" storyline everyone is bitching about.......are you kidding......101 minutes...BLAM...flew by....and I've seen this film maybe 20 times...always show it at dinner parties.....those in our circle who get film noir, and who "get" the comic book mode...LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!

A gay graphic novelist from the States is obsessed with finding his hunky Latin lover, who has mysteriously walked out on him; a search for the guy down in Argentina becomes a complex whirlpool of doubt, suspicion, paranoia and murder. David Sutcliffe, a low-keyed actor who resembles a gritty John Stamos, gives a passable performance here, yet it is tough to discern what the filmmakers were aiming for. As a noir, the movie doesn't absorb much interest with its loosely-hinged plot; as a mystery with a gay-hook, the picture is far too timid, teasing its target audience with just a few man-on-man lip locks. The low-budget shows, with the filmmakers failing to utilize the exotic locations to their full advantage...and why have the Latin stud disappear so soon? We hardly get anything useful out of this central relationship before he's gone--or was it to prevent alienating a heterosexual audience who might be sensitive to gay clinches? If straight movies about sexual obsession were this cautious, more viewers would be abandoning Hollywood films for foreign or pornographic pictures. This is an unusual attempt, but it is ultimately unsuccessful. ** from ****