Idefix-7

It is indeed funny, but in a languid and quiet way. Kind of like watching a bird trying to fish unsuccessfully. It is SO damn refreshing to watch a film about young people that doesn't push to show decadence and drugs and sex and self deprecation and alcohol and oh-my-good-we're-so-f**cked-up as the only interesting reality. This film is beautiful because it is about moments and not about plot and beats and resolutions. It is about how complex simplicity is(or so it felt to me). While some script-writers and film-makers try hard to find "alternative" structures to aid their grandeur, this movie just follows and listens. Very carefully. And takes us by the hand as a friendly companion and not a rigid guide. We need more people like this guy making movies in this side of the world.

Basics of bad European gay cinema:

1) mediocre directorial abilities. 2) mediocre performances by a good looking cast. 3) horrible cinematography and tasteless framing. 4) anodyne art direction. 5) formulaic scripts that also attempt to be sordid and insightful. An unhappy contemplative ending is required.

I could go on but it doesn't deserve it. This film is a piece of trash. If you want to experience its big brother try Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho. The Danish behind Pretty Boy obviously admires it.

Whatever the producers might say, this IS a gay film. And what I mean by it being a gay film is that it revolves around the gay scene, the gay-being inside that gay scene and how does it feel to be gay amongst gays who expect you to perform your own gay stereotype. Gays complain about the stereotyping, I personally could recognize every single one of the characters in people I've known through the years and people I see on the streets all the time act like that, call themselves bitches and do appear to have a certain need to act effeminate while in each other's company. To me, it was a very keen portrayal of how lots of gay groups interact specially in big cities(not only West Hollywood, this could be London, Madrid or Buenos Aires). Instead of complaining about how bad this looks, all of the members of gay communities (I'm talking about places where there are large concentrations of gays and we all know what I mean) should be trying to expand what the community means and offers and not nurture those stereotypes that are so blatantly exposed in films(and of course sometimes exploited).

We could obviously transfer the group of friends into a heterosexual lecture and we'll end up with the same conclusion. This group of gay friends do behave extremely gay and they accept it and some of them even mourn it. Straight groups that act extremely straight(say for example groups of high school cheerleaders or football players) or any group for that matter that asks you to follow a certain pattern of behaviour up to the dangers of depersonalization(think Philosophy students) can only be bad to your mental health and will leave you astray in a world where you are either strong, authentic and in touch with yourself or you'll end up(again) trying to hang on to a group of people for security and acceptance. This film is certainly about that, not about what it feels like to be gay regardless of your geographic situation(you should see Fucking Amal for that). But the director has taken the chance to comprise every aspect of the gay society and make a statement about it in a witty way.

He obviously feels strongly about many issues and he's obviously tired of it too. But then he also relaxes a bit and indicates that it's not really what you do or don't do, it's why you do it. A good example; John Mahoney in drag telling this other guy that he doesn't care whatever statement he's supposed to be making by dressing in drag badly, with armpits unshaved and a dreadful wig; he does it because it is great fun to him and his audience. Period. I'm glad this film was shot, it is certainly one of the few good gay films I've seen. Good gay characters in films whose thematic is not primarily gay are left unnoticed. You want to see a good gay character who is not in a gay film? Think Wes Bentley's father(Chris Cooper) in American Beauty. His character should reflect where you will find majority of gay men still.