Retake

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.

"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.

Hadn't heard of this movie....just randomly saw it on Youtube. At first, I thought it was going to be a dull/lame hustler movie with no interesting characters. But it quickly became interesting as the plot thickened and the hustler and his handsome, older benefactor are suddenly on a car trip to the Grand Canyon. I enjoyed the twists and turns and was rooting for both characters. I wanted the two characters to stay together as a couple, but apparently that didn't happen at the end. Acting was good. Dialogue was good. It was well cast and it was unpredictable. Actually liked it quite a bit.

This an interestingly quirky take on a road trip movie. "Jonathan" (Tuc Watkins) retains the services of a much younger hooker and proceeds to attempt to turn him into the partner he has lost. They set off en route to the Grand Canyon and their relationship - despite themselves - starts to flourish. Devon Graye plays the "duplicate" boyfriend ("Adam") really very well and the toing and froing of their relationship encompasses lust, pain, longing, despair and anger as it reaches it's conclusion. There is enough ambiguity throughout to keep this interesting and the writing is taut. It is well worth a watch.

Definitely a strange, but well scripted story of a man trying to recreate his days with an ex love. Beautifully played by the two leading actors, as well as the general ensemble. The sex scenes though suggestive are not explicit which was disappointing given the story line. But the interaction between the characters and the role playing and how the emotions changed kept me gripped.. Very interesting and recommended.