The One

There is much to be said for this film. It is deep and filled with lots of unexpected turns. I specially enjoyed this film because it dives into the realm of real raw emotion-just the way people feel and think. The way the main character is conflicted about his values vs his true emotions mixed with societal/family expectations was developed very well. The film is also a very intelligent, well crafted piece of real life and about how things work out due to unforeseen circumstances. It is also a cautionary tale of what happens when you allow true relationships to linger for too long without really showing the way you feel. People, as with life, move on, so the message to the story is clear. Do not take people for granted because once that relationship that was special is gone, it is hard to regress back to how things were. In short, "The One" is about living life to the fullest with all of its consequences. Definitely worth watching.

Got to chime in with everything scootmandutoo said. I don't think I can remember a single moment in this whole movie that I found emotionally convincing, or even plausible. Was it the hackneyed writing, the extremely far-fetched situation (yeah, I guess there may be guys out there from the Ivy League-Choate-Amherst-Wall Street law firm set that actually stay deep in the closet at this late date, if only to clinch their places in Daddy's country club and will, but I just don't travel in those exalted circles), or the unbelievably _earnest_ efforts made by all the actors other than the male leads? No, they all tried so damn hard it wore me out to watch them. And then you have Tommy and Daniel, whose scenes together were like a torrid (or torrid one minute, chilly the next) love affair between two planks of lumber. Did sparks fly? No, but sawdust must have piled up in the corners. Lawd have mercy, chillun, at least try to pretend you're feeling SOMETHING, not just standing around waiting for your next dividend check!

Very rarely do I regret time spent watching any movie whatever which claims to speak the Life of the Gay Male. This time I did. Folks, really don't waste your time when there are pictures like "Big Eden" and "Parting Glances" and (the hilarious) "Sordid Lives" waiting to be seen and re-seen. Listen to me. I'm your mothah. I know about these things.

This film starts off well giving me an element of hope that this film might actually be good. But just as my expectations are lifted, the sledge hammer comes down hard crushing all hope of this film being somewhat entertaining.

The acting is good, but the writing doesn't do the actors justice. Even the best of actors couldn't make this film believable or plausible. There are too many stereo types written into the script which makes it tired, dated and so irritating to watch.

The casting was well done which was the only redeeming factor that made the film palatable to watch.

The ending of this film was, let me just say, very incomplete and unsatisfying. There really was no resolution except for the obvious.

A total bust in my opinion.

Since the beginning of the 21st century there has been an abundance of independent Gay/Queer films. For the first time in film history this has been able to happen due to many complex reasons that I will not go into here. This is a good thing, but the bad thing is that most Gay men outside of film festivals do not get to see them. DVD has helped distribution, but if you are living in homophobic countries this can be of no help. At the limit men in these countries can ( not everywhere ) have access to male on male pornography. That is like living on Pizza when what you need is a nourishing, fulfilling meal. Gay/Queer film can be nourishing and give hope. I decided to choose 15 or 20 at random and to see what they had to offer to those privileged enough to have access to them in a world that basically ( famous critics, usually male take note ) does not give a toss if they exist or not. End of sermon. I began with ' The One '. It had been solitary on the shelves for too long. I can understand having read the other reviews why it has caused quite a bit of confusion, and without giving spoilers on content I consider it has a lot to say about confusion in sexual relationships. The direction was good, and I did not think either of the male actors were planks of wood. Both gave decent performances, and the ending for me was disappointing. This is a subjective view as I would have liked another ending, and ideally the film could have lasted a half hour longer. The complexities were rushed too much towards a conclusion that I can see was frustrating to some and that includes me. So why was I unhappy about it ? The film hinges on the ' love ' ( debatable ) between two mature, intelligent men and a good extra half hour could have thrashed out a bit more the cowardice and romantic lies that led to the final scene. Also Gay men need happier endings and I think these two male characters in another scenario could have given one. Mainstream Gay film ( not always ) tend towards the sad ending and they get good reviews. The reasons ( political and social ) seem more at ease with crocodile tears endings for the sadder approach. A kind of ' well, it had to happen like that given it was two people of the same sex '. Independent film is freer to choose and of course sad endings can happen in them as well, but they are not quite so obligatory. They can also show what really happens in sex between men which mainstream films shy away from. That leads to another disappointment in ' The One ', and that is the rather unconvincing physicality between the two male leads. Hot on emotion they were less hot on what cements a rounded romantic/sexual encounter. Is this the fault of a tepid approach by the director or the hide the penis approach of the actors. It is not that I particularly want to see what the male has between his legs, but it is kind of basic between two men, plus the freedom of independent film to not be so coy. To sum up: the film is well made, good acting but it needed more flesh as it were on the scenario towards the end and please male actors loosen up a bit more in a film that involves more realistic love/sex making. Reading again the other reviews I can see why it satisfied some and why it disappointed others. At least the film opened up discussion and in the good light of that it succeeds despite the fact I was on the disappointed side.

There is some really good acting here. But the best acting is is done by secondary players, because they have the more plausible story lines. The worst acting is by the two lead actors, but the fault may mostly be due to the implausible storyline given to them. It was insane to think that a deep and thoughtful philosophy major would be so clueless about himself after so much experience in school, grad school, and life in the city. But even more insane to think he'd fall in love with a selfish, egotistical liar who borders on the criminally obsessed. The story has too many scenes and actions for which you cannot know what the character's motivation is. At one moment the closeted man is completely afraid of man man sex , the next second he's all comfortable and cuddly, and then wham he's nervous again. No continuity of character from scene A to scene B, so no chance for eventual character development from Beginning to End.