A Four Letter Word

Jesse Archer co-wrote and stars in this low-budget, low-brow gay comedy-drama about a New York City queen who works at a sex shop by day and spends his evenings bed-hopping; a perceptive co-worker informs him that he may just be a sexual obsessive, which leads the kid to a therapy group and a smidgen of self-enlightenment. Director Casper Andreas, who also had a hand in the script, hopes to titillate and shock his target audience with bitchy, outré dialogue and flashes of naked behinds; unfortunately, this isn't anything any filmmaker treading in queer-cinema waters hasn't tried before. The acting is so wooden, with casting choices apparently made on who had the best pecs, that one can only scoff at these smarmy returns. This is just the thing to kill off the gay comedy-drama. It shows no imagination, no sensitivity, no subtext, no sense of satire or self-parody. When a gay couple squabbles and breaks up for the night, it's merely for the most basic and childish reasons. Are all gay New Yorkers this immature and selfish? And if so, who needs to see it? NO STARS from ****

A Four Letter Word is not a ground-breaking piece of cinema by any stretch. But for all its failings, there is enough substance to enjoy.

The plot leans on the weak side and the main character (Luke) extremely unlikeable. I found myself, at times, feeling very disengaged with his experiences in the film.

But pushing past this, there are laughs along the way and some of the minor characters actually steal the limelight.

The problem with this film is that it throws together all the major gay clichés, and for this reason it stumbles constantly. The director surely must have had more vision than to peddle worn-out and tired gay stereotypes.

Successful gay cinema celebrates diversity and breaks free of the constraints and expectations society imposes on homosexuality.

If anything, A Four Letter Word is a major disappointment in this regard. I expected a lot more.

It's easy to pick holes in this film but there is enough to keep watching until the end.

I have given it a solid 5 for a pass and the power of the support cast saves me from a harsher judgment.

Luke (Jesse Archer) meets Stephen (Charlie David), and of course it's hate at first sight. then, they warm up to each other. it's all an exploration of gay and straight relationships, told from a 2007 point of view, in new york city. we visit long term relationships, dating, sex with no strings attached, dating with strings, love, sadness, breakups. some fun jokes and gay gags along the way. gay life. great banter between Zeke & Luke. Which relationships will work out, and which ones won't? it's really good.. much better than the ratings show. Directed by Casper Andreas. Opening and closing theme is "A Different Kind of Love", a gravely voice of Caroline Wennergren. Fun film. Check it out.

Many four letter words define A Four Letter Word which rains from life and love to an old English expletive. This film is a romantic comedy about the young gay world early 21st century New York. The film mostly centers two vastly different gay men Jesse Archer and Cory Grant who has a great name for the cinema.

Both work at a sex shop and between dispensing dildos and candy flavored negligees talk a lot about how they see the world. Archer takes life as it comes it's the sex store by day and the man hunt by night. Grant is all absorbed into the state of gay life and the many issues to be resolved. Cory has little time for a love life and Jesse has time for nothing else but sex.

Things might be changing when Archer falls for Charlie David who goes to school, but doubles as an escort. But folks in that line of work lie a lot and it becomes second nature after a while, maybe even first nature. Or he could be just a pathological liar. I knew one like that myself many years ago. I can sympathize with Archer you never know when you're being conned.

Secondary plots revolve around another couple J.R. Rolley and Steven M. Goldsmith who are having their crises. Goldsmith is a compulsive control freak and Rolley sort of lets everything slide until the big blow up. There's also Virginia Bryan a straight friend who is having wedding jitters and then gets kissed by a girl - friend and then starts questioning her own sexuality and should make the girl, a girlfriend.

Still it's the primary triangle that drives the film. Archer needs to take life a little more seriously and Grant needs to take himself a little less seriously.

A Four Lettered Word is a nice view of New York City young urban gay life circa 2007. You'll recognize many character in your own lives seeing this film.

Film about flamboyantly gay Luke (Jesse Archer) who sleeps around every chance he gets and doesn't believe in love. Then he meets Stephen (impossibly handsome Charlie David) and falls for him. But can he stop sleeping around and have a monogamous relationship? And is Stephen really as good as he seems? Various other subplots deal with a black/white gay couple, a woman going crazy over her impending marriage and a gay man searching for a direction in life.

This film knows it's audience--within the first 10 minutes there are about 5 full frontal nude men shown. (I'm saying that as a good thing). Plotwise I hated it at first--Luke was obnoxious, VERY effeminate and just annoying. However this is needed to see how he changes later on. The movie is colorful and well-made on a very low budget. There are some bad puns, groan worthy lines and truly terrible acting but, all in all, it was a fun and amusing gay comedy. Also it was fairly truthful on showing gay life realistically and it's refreshing to see a black/white gay couple. In acting terms Archer and David are very good and all the guys are handsome and in good shape. Worth seeing.