Whirlwind

Kind of a Week in the life of a gay couple and their friends, Whirlwind was written, produced, and edited by Jason Brown. At least he didn't make the mistake of also directing and starring in it, like many writers do. Bobby (Alexis Suarez) and Sean (Bryan West) decide to give an anniversary party for an uncle, who has been in a gay relationship for 25 years. Bobby and Sean are also considering buying an apartment together, but when sexy bad-boy "Drake" (David Rudd) shows up on the scene, it appears they have different priorities. Rudd is the hot, sexy, single, dark soul,who is determined to mess with happy couples he encounters. It's kind of a "Big Chill" week, as the gang plans this party. Each person here represents a stereo-type who is stuck in a rut, and must overcome their fear of change. Mick is the talented, broody, sad guy. JD is the big drunk who doesn't know what he wants out of life, but who does, really?? No big surprises here, but no plot-holes either. The tag line on the front of the DVD cover says "Banter is witty, and the sex is hot!" ... not sure if I agree with either part of that 100%, but they do capture a lot of gay culture into 100 minutes. Cute cast. Interesting mix of actors -- some are brand new to the acting scene, and some have a longer resume. Directed by Richard LeMay, who wrote and directed "200 American".

This is a film about a group of five gay men in New York and how their lives are affected by the arrival into their social set of a "nasty type". Unfortunately, the "nasty type" is so transparent and two dimensional that it is difficult to believe that anyone with intelligence would allow themselves to be taken in by him. But then the other characters are two dimensional, cardboard cutouts too. The plot was entirely predictable from the very beginning. The "wit" was nonexistent. The sex scenes were flaccid. The acting ranged from the competent to the wooden. Frankly, it was difficult to care what happened to most of the characters. It had the moral vision of a Victorian novel and just about the same grip on reality.

Well it deservedly didn't win an Oscar but it's not the worst gay movie out there.

Yep, it's a bit predictable. Yep, some if the acting is quite wooden. But some of the actors actually have a flicker of talent. The script is a bit cliché, but a lot of the problems are with the direction. Rehearsal and tightening up of the dialog would have helped. Witty repartee comes fast and furious, not after a pause for someone to realize that that was their cue. Some instances could have been helped with editing.

Bryan West has been in other things, but only lists this one title. Maybe he changed his name. He is by far the most natural of the cast. And the hottest.

And don't believe the claims of hot sex. There's some foreplay but it's hardly hot.

It really fit its title well. I liked how it characterized this group of men as a family to each other. There was a driving story -the work toward's the party. Each character was challenged and each grew from it.

I think more background about Drake's history might have been nice and a little bit more sexiness. Drake is hot as the poster shows us, but we don't see his chest that much. After all, gay films have an obligation to show a little bit of butt, at the very least.

I thought it was a nice surprise. When they are bad, I fast forward through them. I didn't this one. I also liked that the DVD has a director's monologue, but I wanted to know more about the casting which it didn't reveal.

I also find it refreshing when most of the actors are gay. I want gay actors playing the gay parts. They do a better job and we need to support our out gay actors and stop giving away all the gay money to others.

Most films in the LGBT genre are not good. 'Whirlwind' is no exception. Full of shallow characters & clichés. The script is very superficial & pretentious. It could have worked if they had focused on one storyline or one idea, but it is so full of characters & story lines, you can never truly invest yourself to anyone or anything. The acting is very stiff & seems melodramatic, forced, and amateur. Overall, the film fails on all levels. Even the sex scenes are not believable.

I would love to say I enjoy more movies like this, but most are awful! I wish the GLBT community would demand better entertainment, but it seems like naked bodies & sex are all we are ever given (and too bad most of us are appeased by that).

If you're looking for a "gay" movie with substance, see 'Save Me', also from 2008.