Nos jours légers

This is an unexpectedly charming film although I am a big fan of Marcel Schlutt and will watch anything he is in he is so great and so great to look at - my best bud told me tonight that Marcel used to be a porn star - easy to see why - you just cannot take your eyes off him - but the cast in this film was really good - a great ensemble group that was very convincing and very real - set in Berlin the photography was gorgeous - as interesting as the people themselves were - in German with English subtitles which I found particularly interesting since last night we saw Schlutt in a French film that was in English - those Europeans really know their languages.

Alex and leo.. or, in deutschland, Alex und der Löwe. Written, produced, and acted by André Schneider. At least he didn't also direct... that's frequently the kiss of death for films. Leo (schlutt) has recent come out, and pines for alex (schneider). But alex has just dumped his cheating partner, and doesn't want to settle down right away. And has a great support group of friends who hang on a regular basis. All good. When all this is verbalized, suddenly alex is standing out in the hallway, holding his clothes. That part didn't feel right... two guys, who had just been very intimate, but have a disagreement would have that bad a blowup that now alex is standing in the hall, completely undressed? Didn't really make sense. Aside from that, it's mostly good. We get the warm fuzzies when the group hangs out together, and even has a bikini party. Tobi is the outrageous loudmouth, similar to "jack", from will and grace, and steals every scene he's in. Another odd scene is when tobi is performing on stage, in a costume. Instead of concentrating on the performance, suddenly they use trick photography and special graphics effects to divide the screen like a kaleidoscope, with flashing lights and effects. That clearly the tv viewer can see, but the audience in the film cannot. Didn't really make sense. It felt like tobi's act was so weak, it needed spicing up, but rather than write a better scene, they relied on trick photograhy and special effects. Odd choice. Directed by ivesyuri garate. It's mostly good, but needed a few script changes to keep it realistic.

I saw the movie "Alex and Leo" at a screening at QFest in Philadelphia. So here is my opinion: This movie could have been so much better. With better actors, better character developments and better comedy. Don't get me wrong, the movie is charming in a amateur kind of way but it also has many flaws. Beginning with the camera work, the quality of this changes from scene to scene. In one scene it's very professional and in the other scene it's very amateurish. The performances in the movie are split between the good Ones like Udo Lutz and the wooden Ones like Andre Schneider. He, as the main guy of the movie has not much leader qualities, the same goes to Marcel Schlutt who is gorgeous to look at, but doesn't have the acting range to play such a part. Their is no real chemistry between both of them, Schlutt does his own thing and never clicks with Schneider. On the good side is Udo Lutz, who creates a funny Tobi. But even he can't save this flick from being a mediocre German import. The saddest thing to say here is that the timing which is so important in these kind of movies is totally off limit. Like I said: This could have been so much better.

An excellent piece of European gay cinema! 100 well-spent minutes! "Alex and Leo" proves that a great movie doesn't necessarily need a big budget if the chemistry between the actors is right. And the acting in "Alex and Leo" is wonderful! Hard to say whether German porn icon Marcel Schlutt is a good actor or not, but he's cast perfectly as Leo in this droll romantic comedy that features Spanish actor André Schneider (from "La paz de tus ojos tristes") as his love interest. (Schneider has become a little chubby, but let me tell you, he has the movie world's most beautiful eyes since young Paul Newman!) They fall in love immediately but have some mild trouble in the process of becoming a couple. Of course, "Alex and Leo" has a happy ending. We know it as soon as Schlutt and Schneider meet in a hip Kreutzberg bar, and the movie doesn't ruin our expectations. (A little more nudity from Schlutt and Schneider during their sex scene would have been appreciated, though.) There are some mind-blowing performances from the supporting cast as well (Udo Lutz as Toby the Super-bitch is comedy at its best!), and the music is great, too. A movie that makes me wanna go and see Europe. They seem to have the hottest men on earth.

"Alex and Leo" is mediocre in almost every way. The direction is clumsy (non-existent?), most of the actors really aren't that good (especially Marcel Schlutt (another porn star who desperately tries to act), the guy who's supposed to be carrying this flick, is excessively bad! Truly, the film's most unintentional horror is Schlutt's "acting"), and the awful camera work makes the whole thing painful to watch.

Some moments sparkle though. André Schneider has written a beautiful screenplay with some pretty nice jokes and characters in it. (About his acting one has to say kindly: he's proved his dramatic abilities elsewhere; here he's basically required to look petrified and sweet.)

The movie should be called "Tobi", because it's mainly the comedic timing and genius of Udo Lutz (who's never acted before!) that makes "Alex and Leo" worth watching. He's the ultimate gay super-bitch and shines above the rest of the cast. Definitely a talent to watch! (And sexy, too!)

Otherwise: who cares about German movies anyway?