Retake

"Retake" is a road-drama about a lonely guy in his late 40s who hires a younger male prostitute - to drive with him from LA to Colorado. But "Retake" is not just another "road- buddy-movie". It's a powerful drama about human condition, relationships, pain, loss, and - love. The lead players (T. Watkins and D. Graye) are excellent in their portrayal of two complex characters, who search for answers through sensual and physical exploration. Their little "game" frequently breaks the rules, taking them to another dimension; exploring their past, and their inner-pain. It's a well written non-mainstream narrative, with certain dramatic elements of various European realism "waves" (such as Kieślowski, Wenders, and early Wajda). Nick Corporon's (director) mise-en-scène approach is semi-minimalist: long interior shots, mixed with hand-held photography and natural movement. An old Polaroid camera prop (used by the main character) - ads a touch of nostalgia to carefully staged cinematic ride. Overall, the picture is an example of well executed independent film that delivers something we lack in today's American cinema - a REAL people's story.

A simple story, full of nuances from its beginning, Hitchcock influence, realistic portrait of hustlers, a nice relation, discovered in its complexity, correct work, good acting, delicate subject, portrait and eulogy of loneliness , bitter , perfect end. A trip of two strangers. The precise purpose of the old one, the temptation to escape from his life circle of the other. And complex relation between them. Not great but, obvious, more than decent, beautiful for melancholia of story and for few inspired scenes. And nice for the courage of end , giving simple, precise message about a pain without cure.

FILM: Retake DIRECTOR: Nick Corporon RATING: 8/10

Jonathan is a man in his late forties whose emotional center has been entirely decimated by his previous partner, and this film begins as he hires a male prostitute to accompany him on a road trip to the Grand Canyon. His hope is to recreate a moment he shared with his ex, down to every last precisely staged polaroid. A shaky premise to be sure, but disbelief is quickly suspended in the capable hands of the two lead actors. Played quietly by Tuc Watkins, Jonathan wears his pain in his eyes and in the occasional quiet outburst. Brandon, 25 years his junior, shares a similar depth of spirit, his will toughened by just trying to survive. With these two richly complex characters, Nick Corporon gives us a searingly raw account of two men finding each other amidst the land mines of their own heart break. With gorgeous hand-held camera work that is at turns intimate and grandiose, this film takes us deep inside the damaged hearts of two individuals and leaves us believing again in the healing power of human connection. Not without its problems, but an absolute must see.

Okay, so now I've just watched this movie ... 6 stars on IMDb, I thought it was very much better! A realistic portrayal of hustlers, and what they are like. John's and what they can be like. I met guys like this for sure in real life! It all made sense to me!

Hustlers are screwed up, John's are really strange, (I know from experience,) it played out as a real possibility, right up to the very end results.

"Brandon," Adam ... (Devon Graye) had a realistic imperfect body, although an AMAZING face you just must fall in love with! Then there was the other protagonist, Jonathan, (Devon Graye) the messed up John. Amazing.

The script was strong and realistic right to the very end. I thought it was great! Been there, done that, (well not quite,) but it played out REAL!

Strong 8 stars from me!

I am now 93 years old, and counting. I have outlived all of the people that I have known in my prime, so at this point in my personal odyssey I feel empowered to comment on men that I have known well over the years, since now they are all safely dead.

Which brings me to "Retake" (2016).

First of all, I agree in all respects with the only two reviewers currently listed as of this date in the "Retake" comments section. Where I expand on the other two reviewers' comments is that I have known personally three men who -- over time -- did what the character Jonathan (Tuc Watkins) did in Retake, and more importantly, I have know personally two of the three men who did what the character Brandon / Adam (Devon Graye) did in Retake.

The three real-life Jonathans that I have known tried to recreate the emotionally charged special events that they had enjoyed on their road trips from New York City toward the West Coast with their young lovers in the early 1960s, 1980s, and early 1990s, respectively. And a Polaroid camera was confirmed to be present in at least two of the three road trips.

All three real-life young lovers died of drug overdoses. All three real-life Jonathans later rented young men who looked similar to their respective dead lovers to play-act their way through a later parallel road trip in their ultimately failed attempts to relive their respective emotional highs, and all three coincidentally traveled from New York via the classic Route 66 highway. I know all of this because I was asked to clean up the various messes that my three Jonathans left in their wakes, which I did in the 1960s, 1980s, and 1990s, retraveling the still classic Route 66, or its remains.

But for me, the weird, even eerie parallels with the movie Retake is that my three Jonathans were unsettlingly similar to the portrayed character Johathan, and my two personally known Brandons / Adams were virtually identical to the character so beautifully and skillfully played by Devon Graye (Devon Graye Fleming). The personally unsettling, definitely eerie, and almost identical behavior displayed by Devon Graye was later confirmed with the two now-not-so-young men rented years before, neither of whom had seen Retake before I recently approached them and supplied them with DVDs of Retake to confirm my conclusions. Which both emphatically did. And both were suitably amazed, as I was.

Yes, the movie Retake is not perfect, but it definitely is A MUST SEE. And please permit me to conclude, as one of the earlier reviewers did: "Overall, the picture is an example of well executed independent film that delivers something we lack in today's American cinema ‑ a REAL people's story."

Parenthetically, I wonder if the director of "Retake", Nick Corporon, personally knew or knew of any of the six real-life people in question.