Entre Amigos

Often it is very tricky to adapt a play, especially one of a rather long length, to the screen and keep the story and characters intact. Though I have not had the pleasure of seeing a theatrical production of this film, I do own the play and have read it numerous times. Although the film did suffer a tiny bit from some things being edited out, characters speaking directly to the audience, further character insight etc., it is still a wonderful film, full of superb acting and characters that you fall in love with.

The characters are brought to life with superb accuracy, due to the fact that all the actors, except Nathan Lane, reprise their roles that they held on the stage for about all of two years. And it shows that they have bonded as artists with both each other and their characters.

As with almost all films there were performances that personally stood out to me. John Glover shows the audience why he won the Tony Award for his performance. Playing twin brothers, 'John the Foul and James the Fair' showing the defination of range. The other actor that really stood out was the always brilliant Justin Kirk, playing the young, blind Bobby Brahms, showing why he won the OBIE Award for his spectacular performance. The cast also includes Stephen Spinella, two time Tony award winner for Tony Kushner's masterpiece "Angels in America", Jason Alexander, and many other actors that deserve much more recognition and fame than they currently have.

This is a beautiful film with precious characters that you will love.

Adapted from a hit play by Terence McNally and utilizing most of the original stage cast, this film cannot hide its theatrical roots... nor should it.

This is a sweet and sad story set against a perfect summer at a perfect country estate in upstate New York (?) that shows the lives of 8 gay men as they come to terms with AIDS, death, love, compassion, and the thin bonds of friendship that hold them together.

Their summer idyll is a microcosm that, apart from the real world we never see, touches us all because it is their humanity that dominates this story. That one is a dancer, a lawyer, a choreographer, etc. is unimportant. They are 8 gay men whose lives are intertwined in love, valour, and compassion.

Jason Alexander is very good in the Nathan Lane role, the portly man dying of AIDS who, late in life finds love. John Glover is brilliant (repeating his Tony-winning role) as twins: one a nasty hateful man; the other a sweet man whose death from AIDS is imminent. Stephen Spinella and John Benjamin Hickey are solid as the yuppie long-term couple. Stephen Bogardus is warm as the stuttering host, Justin Kirk is surprisingly good as the blind man, and Randy Becker is good as the Latino hunk whose causes so much trouble.

The film is full of stereotypes and warm humor and terrific moments of truth. This is not a revolutionary film that tries to change the world, but it is a wise and bittersweet look at the lives of gay men in the time of AIDS, men whose lives are shattered (and ended) by a cruel and heartless disease.

There's nothing earth-shattering here, no insights that make the lives of gay men clear and understandable to non-gays. But it is a work of great honesty and simplicity in showing 8 gay men as.... human beings.

The scene, when the men go skinnydipping under a summer moon is beautiful in its complete innocence. No viewer can fail to understand their childlike glee in such a simple pleasure.

This film is a must see just because it is not a strident, political rant against the horrors of AIDS. The characters, especially those played by Glover and Alexander, accept their fates with great dignity, humor, and valour. This film is a great tribute to all our victims of AIDS, and a silent condemnation to the society and politics that let it happen.

Eight gay men spend Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day in a remote house near NYC. Film follows their friendships and relationships. Previous posters have complained about the lack of character development but remember...the original play ran 3 1/2 hours! They had to cut out over an hour's worth of material to get a two hour film and the cutting does hurt. Still I like the film. The entire cast is good...even Jason Alexander. The setting is beautiful and the script is very good...but I saw the play so I was constantly remembering things they cut out. Ramon's (Randy Becker) part especially was chopped down. Still, the film shows a bunch of gay men dealing with AIDS, sex, love etc truthfully and with great humor. The best performances come from Alexander, Justin Kirk, John Glover and Randy Becker. Also the film has plenty of casual male nudity (especially Becker who is handsome and has a very nice body). Worth seeing...especially if you never saw the play.

Mart Crowley's 1968 play "The Boys in the Band" focuses on a group of gay friends getting together in a New York apartment. It addressed the internalized homophobia of the preceding decades. Therefore, one might think of Terrence McNally's "Love! Valour! Compassion" as a follow-up. This one depicts eight gay men getting together at a country estate. The year is not identified, but AIDS gets mentioned, so it's probably mid-'80s at the earliest.

Joe Mantello's* big-screen adaptation of the play is a fine piece of work. I should admit that I've never seen a stage production, but it's clear that a lot of passion went into this movie. The characters muse on the issues affecting their lives, as well as the popular culture from which they've taken inspiration (with one man positing that the US produced as many gays in 250 years as England did in 2,000).

All in all, the movie has its flaws, but the assets outweigh those. I recommend it.

So is Glenda Jackson really the British version of machismo?

*Joe Mantello more recently directed a Netflix adaptation of "The Boys in the Band" starring Jim Parsons and Zachary Quinto. He also appeared on the Netflix miniseries "Hollywood" as a 1940s executive.

I am saddened by the number of negative comments about this movie. Love! Valor! Compassion! is one of my favorite movies of all time. Not every movie has to be full of action and deep thinking to be good entertainment.

What makes this movie so enjoyable is the chance to see a gay men, who lead very different lives, interact with one another to build and maintain their friendships through good times and bad. I hope that I, too, will someday have a group of friends like that.

Jason Alexander is fantastic as the stereotypical Broadway play lover and his developing relationship with John Glover's English twin brother is precious. The characters of Perry and Arthur show a "normal", boring gay couple just going through life with each other enjoying growing old together -- a lifestyle many of us aspire to. And, Randy Becker isn't too difficult to look at, either!

Granted, there are places where the writing is uneven at best (the death of Bobby's sister, the hiding in the closet scene, for example), but viewers who enjoy a good story about friends who love and support each other without the expectation deep plot twists will enjoy this screenplay for what it is -- relaxing entertainment. Enjoy!