I loved this film. It was different, unique, and held my interest for all 75 minutes. Filming in black and white always adds that independent touch. I may be a bit bias (since I live in St Paul MN), as the film was set in New Ulm Minnesota, and is filmed on location in Minneapolis - scenes on and around Hennepin Avenue, including one outside the Gay 90's, once but no longer an institution in the gay clubs of the Twin Cities.
The Story: We follow the plight of 3 young (and likely gay) teens coming of age in a small rural Minnesota town. Dieter, Phillip and Udo (who arrives from Ulm Germany to live with his Aunt, who soon dies) become pals in the most unusual of ways. Eventually, Phillips ends up on the streets of Minneapolis, and Dieter and Udo are left to contend with family conflict in New Ulm. Suffice to say, I'll need to visit New Ulm one day. The film eventually leads us to Minneapolis where Dieter and Phillip reunite, and passions flare as the two deal with lust, love, hustling and survival. Udo is pretty much out of the storyline at this point. I can't say much more without leading you towards the ending.
What I Liked: I don't think the film ever developed a "time period", so one must judge based on cars, and other factors. I would say the film, originally released in Theaters in 1997, is set in the early to mid 80's. Though the word AIDS is never uttered, we are left to wonder what will become of our boys from New Ulm, outcast from their families. Hustling for sex in the 80's was not a good thing (is it ever actually). The film is mostly serious, with some humor (mostly thanks to Udo) and is primarily in English, though several scenes, especially early, are in German with English subtitles, which for me, just adds to the film. A nice collection of DVD extras too.
What I Didn't Like: Nothing really, I thoroughly enjoyed this film and will keep it on my collection. It is a solid 9 and since I cannot think of any negatives, I am going to give it a 10.
Final Word: I loved the West St Paul tow truck, the Minneapolis night street scenes at dusk in black and white - and the German humor of Udo. The storyline is tender and heartfelt, and the young actors are stunning in all regards. A great film, go see it.
