Plainclothes

I've read that this movie was kind of expensive to make but man...it doesn't show at all. I think the actors are doing their best with a pretty basic script, but the production is just bad.

It's not the VHS resource - Gregg Araki's work still looks interesting today. It's the editing, the cheesy close-ups and everything that goes by the numbers: even the antagonist has no redeemable qualities. Tovey is the highlight - he elevates the material with his performance but there's just so much he can do. It's not a terrible movie but I needed to bring some objectivity to the reviews posted so far..

The film has the intimate feel of an exclusive memoir, the chemistry between the two actors takes the audience's breath away, the wonderful performances and images make an old story very beautiful, and the language of the shots can make you feel it!

The first encounter between the two actors is well shot, and the first half of the film is when the audience is fascinated by their story. The film's biggest feature is the way it is edited, the old DV machine cuts and the sound of the machine malfunctioning create a sense of tension and anxiety. As a fan of Russell Tovey, I think compared with his previous gay movies, his performance in this movie is very fitting and reaches another level.

From another perspective, this is like our real grindr story, sometimes you will fall in love with a stranger after ONS, which is beautiful, but it is painful and can not be eternal.

Definitely one of the films you must watch in 2025.

I hope we all find our own San Francisco.

Wow. I seriously enjoyed this film. Loved the way it was shot; grainy and authentic. The director really evoked the time and place so well. The acting was all round knock out (I can see why it won Sundance ensemble award), but particular credit to Tom Blyth - an actor I am not familiar with. He hooked me in from the 1st second and never let go until the last line of the film. Maybe he just reminded me of myself in the 90's; expectant, excited, hopeful, disappointed, frustrated all wrapped up in one confusing mess. There are not many films that I watch more than once (ok, I've seen Aliens more times than I can count) but I hope to revisit this one at some point in the future.

I really struggle to care about romance films. Love is such a private, subjective, and in many ways arbitrary experience and, as a show-don't-tell medium, movies in my opinion just aren't an easy art through which to explore how people feel it. Generally movies standardize it to "well she fills his X deficit/need and he fills her Y deficit/need and that's why they work". I don't care about such contrived, transactional relationship.

Plainclothes, however, completely breaks through this trap. For spoilers I won't detail how, but this easily the most "real" romance I've seen in recent memory, perhaps late memory. I teared up several times in this one. If you're gay or bi, this is especially moving. But even if you're not, you're in for a novel concept and a tense story to keep you glued through an eye-opening experience about gay love, or the lackthereof...

Another reason this works so well is that, while substantively a tragic romance, it FEELS like you're watching a thriller due to the pacing, anxious cinematography, and tense writing structure.

So, so good. Keep an eye out on the creative team. Exceptional film.

It's 2025 and why are gay themed films still examining men coming out, in this case, when it appears to be set a few decades back. This story has been done over and over again, for decades, and while this is an excellent film, it would be great if film makers moved on to some other facet of gay life.

What saves this film is that it's fairly well written and the performances are outstanding. Tom Blythe is exceptional in the lead role and the entire film's plot is grounded in reality, even if it's a sad reality.

What brings the movie down is the decision, I assume, to film this as if it were actually filmed decades ago on the worst camcorder ever. The movie looks cheaply made and there are too many ugly video effects added. The editing and many quick cuts don't help. With as many fine actors that there are in this I doubt the decision to film this with horrible cinematography was one of budget , but of choice. It was a bad idea. It takes away from the film and overall the film is very moving and has a real message.