User Reviews

The movie poster for this short film is much better than the film itself.

An awkward college student (Latino?) has a crush on some White male clerk who works at Barnes & Noble. We know it's B&N, because it's mentioned and named several times. The college student basically stalks the clerk guy, but doesn't have the courage to talk to him. He's encouraged by his supposedly straight Black best friend to go after the White guy. Is it possible that a straight Black man, outgoing, handsome, with personality plus, would be spending his time at night helping his weak, indecisive, scared little gay friend to make a connection with another guy? I guess. But more importantly: who cares?

The awkward college student has to be cajoled by Black friend Ari (who likes to be called that because he has a crush on Ariana Grande... ??) for about two-thirds of the film to get up the courage to talk to the clerk. The college student has limited acting ability, kept jumping on the Black guy's lines, and wasn't engaging enough to care about -- even though his fear of rejection was very, very real -- and on that level alone, I gave it one more star than it really deserves.

Finally college student approaches clerk. The clerk recognizes him as someone he was in class with a semester ago. Not only does the clerk recognize him, he remembers his name and tells him he couldn't forget someone with such nice eyes. Having heard that, college student is now convinced that he and clerk are fated to be together for all time. He manages to eke out an invitation to "hang out" together -- but not like a date thing, although it could be a date. Clerk says, "No." Not "no thank you," but "no." And then very matter-of-factly says, "You're not my type."

College student is both shocked and relieved. He relays this to "Ari," who encourages him and says that since he finally had to courage to ask someone out on a date, the next step will be a gay bar. While saying the words "gay bar," he makes a very feminine movement with his hands. I thought, "I'm sorry, but, what are you doing?" Until that moment, I actually liked him.

Then college student goes to buy his book, and he and the (male) cashier lock eyes. Now the tables are turned and the cashier clearly has the hots for the college student and is trying to figure out how to ask him out and make a connection in the 20-second transaction. It was a sweet, awkward moment.

Then college student leaves with Ari, who discovers a note from the cashier inside college student's new book--asking him to hang out sometime. There is "hope" for the future. That is the story. It's not riveting or entertaining, but there were a few moments of truth in it.

There is one borderline funny moment when a hot woman of color stumbles into Clerk and College Boy's "You're not my type" scene. She's not wearing a bra and she's basically spilling out of her top. She's also working a lollipop. She asks Clerk: "Where are your magazines?" There is an entire aisle of them directly behind her. But instead of taking advantage of the joke, the clerk just casually points them out to her, then escorts her to where there are more magazines, relieving college boy of his shame. The entire joke was lost and any other attempt at humor in the entire film didn't land.

The idea that someone could be frozen with fear at asking someone out (especially not knowing if they're gay or not) is very, very real. I knew that feeling well when I was young, and in fact, without my best friend intervening on my behalf, it's highly unlikely that I would have ever gone out with anyone. So, yes, the film touches upon certain realities, and I could sense the filmmaker's heart was in the right place, but the screenplay didn't have the punch it should have and could have had.

But the film poster was awesome.