Le 24ème Jour

The 24th Day is a tense, low-budget gay thriller which focuses on Tom who holds Dan (an ex-trick) captive. Tom had tested positive to HIV 24 days ago and is convinced that Dan was the one who gave it to him. He extracts a blood sample from Dan and threatens to do bad things if it comes back HIV positive.

The 24th Day has a well conceived story-line (apparently it was based on a play written by the Director or something) - and although it takes a little while to get going - I think it sets the scene well and draws you to the characters.

It's basically a two-man film and the two leads are quite well acted - Dan (played by X-Men's James Marsden) is cocky, self-assured (for the most part) and defiant while Scott Speedman's Tom is uneasy and simmering (in the angry sense).

The film quality (as in picture) is fairly poor - but it doesn't distract from the film.

24th Day is a cool little thriller which is worth checking out if you like low-budget movies.

Scott Speedman and James Marsden's one-night stand turns into an intense power play between captor and captive.

A independent film adaptation from a play by Tony Piccirillo and directed by same, is a tour de force with very good acting by Scott Speedman and James Marsden. Although straight forward and attentively simple, one is easily engrossed by the story. The dialog carries well, and the ending very human.

It's not often I enjoy simplified concept pieces but this was vital and endurable for the criticssm.

A flawless, and beautifully moving film. A important work for our time.

Director, P.J. Castellaneta, did close to this same thing (minus the death threats) 13 years earlier in his 1991 release, "Together Alone." Here's how the two films line up:

--2 hunky guys (one married / one not---in both "24th" and "TA").

--A night of lovemaking (remembered+talked about in "24th" / actually in bed in "TA").

--AIDS as a factor (does he have it / does he not---in both films).

--A night of philosophizing (what if this / what if not this---in both films).

Apparently 1991's "Together Alone" garnered even lesser acclaim than has "24th" (but Castellaneta did go on 7 years later to make a somewhat more successful 'little number' you've probably heard of titled, "Relax......It's Just Sex"). Actually, "TA" has never made it to DVD's ranks from its original VHS video release.

Scott Speedman? While still somewhat newer and 'a-learning' as an actor, it takes only moments to see the shock waves of guilt, sorrow, and anger this man throws off in his role as Tom. Wow!

James Marsden? Dear gods, don't be jealous........for this man is so beautiful. (Just an aside: at times I find it almost difficult to look at him. While everyone's perception of beauty differs, to me this man is just plain arresting---watching him here and in "Heights" is almost too much). Nonetheless, his physical attributes are far surpassed by a freshness and depth of feeling, rare in such a young performer, which he brings to his dramatic roles, that of Dan being no exception.

Since I can add nothing more concerning performances and plot points than is contained in the several 7- to 10-Star reviews already here, I will mention only one character detail: Tom is, at his most basic and essential, a good and honest human being. That is never lost sight of in this film, and, I think, is meant to clue us in on the real way in which the film is intended to end.

****

"The 24th Day" is one of those movies that you really have to be in the mood for. It may not seem like it at first, but as soon as things change for James Marsden's character Dan, things change for the viewer also. "The 24th Day" is a very thought-provoking film, which due to it's content is not everyone's sort of film, but being such an unusual and rare sort of film, is a great film to watch and perhaps for some people, after watching, may come out with a greater understanding of the issues in the film, one of the obvious being HIV.

Few and far between are there films where homosexual characters are portrayed as normal people, and this is one of them, so when the HIV aspect of the film was introduced it seemed rather odd - do all gay related films have to be about HIV? The answer is of course no, and the film does, through Marsden's character Dan, strongly point out that HIV is in no way a "gay disease", which is a good point, as there seems to be not enough awareness of this, however, the people that need to be aware of that are probably not going to be the ones watching this film anyway. However, it would have been interesting if the film did not have the HIV aspect and for it to be a psychological thriller or something with one guy obsessed with the other years after they first met.

But I digress. James Marsden was wonderful in a role that seems very removed from his usual films, kudos to him. Scott Speedman also did a fantastic job of portraying his character Tom. Essentially a 2-character film (as it is adapted from a theatrical performance), it can get quite monotonous at points, but the actors both stay in good form. Overall, a powerful and effective film.

The other reviews have pretty much said it all, although I expected a little more from this given the rather over-the-top ecstatic reviews (certainly I expected more than the one plot 'twist' I got just over half way through - one that had already been revealed to me on the blurb on the back of the DVD).

One can argue it's a homophobic piece or one can argue entirely the opposite, but one can't argue that it's a well scripted, well paced and well acted movie that is worthy of 90 minutes of anyone's time in the world of Hollywood formulaic drama that dominates the mainstream. There isn't, truth be told, a lot of plot here, but what little there is turns out to be surprisingly gripping, thanks to the superb job of both the actors who are never less than totally believable in their roles.

I was amazed to read one 'review' here that just appeared to be a spiteful attack on the perceived commercial success of James Marden's acting career - just because he's easy on the eye is no excuse for slating a performance that most actors would be envious of as a career best. Well worth a viewing!