World and Time Enough

I am still coming down from the experience of watching WORLD AND TIME ENOUGH. So much in this gem of a film. What stays with me are the two leading actors, Matt Guidry [Mark] and Gregory G. Giles [Joey] playing gay partners. The treatment of their relationship was right on. At long last, gay partners played with depth and compassion. No silly walking out on each other or bar hopping or getting it on on the side. This is a straightforward look at two men in love. They happen to be in love with each other, share a home together, have dreams of better living conditions and allow each other the freedom to be themselves. What a joy to behold. One is HIV Positive and one is not. This, too, they make do with and get on with their lives with the understanding of the situation and not making it traumatic to the point it envelopes their everyday existence. My hat's off to Eric Mueller who not only wrote the screenplay in 1995, but also was the director of the film. Whatever happened to these two incredible actors? Where have they gone from here? According to their film history, they haven't done that much since 1995. Are they theater actors? I would love to see them both again. Together or separate in something. That's hoe good they were. See this movie whether you have a partner or not. It surely says a lot about not being by yourself. Makes me want a partner. It shows us all that living alone isn't always what's it cracked up to be. Thanks to Mueller, Guidry and Giles for enlightening me.

Tender, slice-of-life drama marks an impressive debut for writer/director Eric Mueller. Unlike most queer cinema of the 90's, World and Time Enough eschews ubiquitous drag queens, trendy settings, and bitchy dialogue. It's sensitive, low-key, and modest. A film that's more interested in "quiet moments" than a complex narrative and lots of action. Those who appreciated Bill Sherwood's Parting Glances will probably love this movie, which is a little less urbane and more blue-collar. Viewers with short-attention spans and an affinity for graphic gay sex should definitely avoid at all costs.

Much of the film's success is due to the ingratiating performances of Matt Guidry and Gregory Giles as central characters Mark and Joey. Both actors are spot-on in their portrayals of two men who share a deep, mutual love for one another. Their supportive relationship is a refreshing change from the dysfunctional unions typically presented in films of this kind. Although the actors are both straight in real-life, they are completely believable as onscreen lovers. Like other reviewers, I'd love to see the two together again. Guidry continues to appear in Minneapolis theatre, while Giles is concentrating on theatre in LA. Maybe one day Mueller will do a sequel to show us Mark and Joey, still united I'm sure, years later. I know I'd be the first in line to buy a ticket.

Movies like this one give me hope - if Strand would release this movie - and it somehow got a good review in one or two outlets ... well, then. I guess there is hope that I'll be able to get a movie made and released after all.

Surely friends of the filmmaker wrote the IMDB comments. This film looks like a school project. In that realm, filmmaker Eric Mueller deserves an A. It's technically ok. The script is ok. The acting is ok. But it's just not a good movie. According to the quote from Out magazine which appears on the boxcover, Kraig Swartz (who speaks directly to the camera) "steals the movie." I wish he would. I wanted him to. But I didn't believe him for a minute - and he's a playing a stereotypical screaming mensch.

Too many gay romantic comedies have a writer/director at the helm who would have benefitted from a collaborator to keep him in check. This is a prime example.

I am surprised to be the first to add my views on this film, as gay films usually seem to attract lots of comments! This one is different in a number of ways, not least because of the plot's twists & turns, especially in the last 20 minutes, leaving you agonising about the final outcome! In fact my main criticism would be that, having chosen & developed very believable characters, the writer/director then makes them behave in very strange ways at times to forward the plot. However, the best part of the film, and the main reason I stayed hooked until the end, is the central relationship between Mark & Joey. For once this is seen as the most stable element in the film. There is no doubt about their faithfulness to each other, no big break-up/reconciliation. Even Mark's HIV status is not a dominant feature, but simply one element in the story. So this film is certainly one of the best portrayals of a gay partnership that I have ever seen. One final comment - I was intrigued when checking out the stars on the IMDB database that none of them seem to have done anything else in movies or TV. This seems to be a familiar pattern for so many American gay films, and I'd be intrigued to know why this is.

This festival entry boasts two likable performances. Matt Guidry as an indisposed Mark, and Gregory G. Giles as his trusting friend, Joey, together create a charming portrait of companionship. The chemistry between the two actors is so ingratiating that the film takes on a timeless quality, despite topical references to politics and social situations. This is, of course, not a mainstream production, and it is apparent that the budget was limited. There are also many flaws and weaknesses present . . . yet, the two leads are so natural and convincing, and their characters' bonding so believable, that one is touched and impressed -- and ultimately moved. One looks forward to seeing Guidry and Giles in future films, and more of Eric Mueller's directorial work. ###