I've seen plenty worse gay movies, that's for sure. First of all, for American gays, this is a British production. I always find it more interesting to see gay life depicted in other cultures. Even if the movie is terrible, you can at least look at the different sets, locales, etc.
The primary conceit of this movie--that a woman introduces her boyfriend to her gay friends and that makes him gay--is just sketched at. Essentially, we're observing her friends and their friends and their various respective lovers as they interact. Some of the characters are downright unlikeable, but how is that not true to life? At least among this bunch, some have interesting jobs, like the guy who produces a house/swap decorating show. And I liked the interaction with the aspiring actor/caterer and his family. When the actor/caterer's phone rings, his straight brother says, there it is, your agent. You got the lead in that snuff film. The mother looks up from her plate. What movie, she asks? It's funny.
As with most Brit movies, there is class friction which may go over the heads of Americans who are not attuned to the differences between posh and non-posh accents. And there's the usual clichéd urban gay men problems, lust, jealousy, money, jobs, etc. They ARE clichés, but let's face it, they're clichés for a reason--the problems exist.
Ultimately the movie fails, because, if it's primarily about a straight man becoming gay when exposed to gay life, that's the weakest part of the movie. Like I said, hardly sketched in. It's just an excuse to show gay life. I think the movie might have been better, in fact, if that flimsy framework had been abandoned.
All in all, I found this an easy watch, and it held my interest, despite the clichés, despite some unlikeable characters. If you approach this with lowered expectations you might actually like it. Faint praise, I know. But I have to give it, because the movie is a lot better than the other review would have you think. (And at this writing, there's only one other review.)
The primary conceit of this movie--that a woman introduces her boyfriend to her gay friends and that makes him gay--is just sketched at. Essentially, we're observing her friends and their friends and their various respective lovers as they interact. Some of the characters are downright unlikeable, but how is that not true to life? At least among this bunch, some have interesting jobs, like the guy who produces a house/swap decorating show. And I liked the interaction with the aspiring actor/caterer and his family. When the actor/caterer's phone rings, his straight brother says, there it is, your agent. You got the lead in that snuff film. The mother looks up from her plate. What movie, she asks? It's funny.
As with most Brit movies, there is class friction which may go over the heads of Americans who are not attuned to the differences between posh and non-posh accents. And there's the usual clichéd urban gay men problems, lust, jealousy, money, jobs, etc. They ARE clichés, but let's face it, they're clichés for a reason--the problems exist.
Ultimately the movie fails, because, if it's primarily about a straight man becoming gay when exposed to gay life, that's the weakest part of the movie. Like I said, hardly sketched in. It's just an excuse to show gay life. I think the movie might have been better, in fact, if that flimsy framework had been abandoned.
All in all, I found this an easy watch, and it held my interest, despite the clichés, despite some unlikeable characters. If you approach this with lowered expectations you might actually like it. Faint praise, I know. But I have to give it, because the movie is a lot better than the other review would have you think. (And at this writing, there's only one other review.)
