Review of Touch of Pink

Within the glut of "coming out comedies" I've purchased in the past few years, I've noticed that they all seem to have similar plot devices. They usually present a young gay couple, consisting of one partner who is out and comfortable with his family, job and friends and a partner who is not out to any of these people. Almost always, the happy couple is suddenly confronted by the visit of a parent or other relative (usually from another country or culture) from whom they must conceal the truth of their relationship, or come out once and for all. Many of these films mean well, but frequently (especially when other cultures are involved) the movie is trite, offensive or dated. I was prepared for Touch of Pink to be all of these things, and half-wondered to myself as I purchased it why I bothered. I was in for a pleasant surprise. The characters were real, engaging and likable. The two actors who played the couple were not drop-dead gorgeous hunks, just pleasant looking enough to have the average gay viewer identify with them. The gimmick of having Cary Grant as the imaginary friend of the main character worked better than I expected it to. All too often imitations of celebrities come off as just that – imitations, and pale ones to boot. Kyle MacLachlan has Cary Grant's vocal mannerisms down pat, without being overly exaggerated or silly. Alim's mother is pretty, bitchy and quite a lot of fun, and her character has most of the really funny lines in the picture, which are many. And I was also impressed not only by the production values and acting, which were first rate, but by the first class treatment given to the DVD release. All too often, DVD's of films with gay subject matter come at very high prices with no extras whatsoever. This disc offered subtitles in several languages (including English for the hearing impaired) a trailer and a short documentary on the making of the film. These are extras that people who purchase mainstream films take for granted, and I am always delighted when they're included in a gay title. All in all this film was quite enjoyable.