Title:The Living End Director: Gregg Araki Starring: Mike Dytri, Craig Gilmore, Darcy Marta Rating: 3/4 stars
The Living End is what all movies should be. It is truly HONEST. In Hollywood, AIDS has been presented in many ways. Usually the person with AIDS is a tragic hero (i.e. Philadelphia, It's My Party). That is not really the case here. The two 'heroes' of this movie are neither tragic or heroic. They are just real. In a Thelma and Louise-esque tale, two HIV positive young men, on the run from the law, travel the west coast. It doesn't have the intrigue of Thelma and Louise, you never see the cops chasing them. They simply have a 'fuck the world' attitude. They don't know how much longer they have, so they must enjoy it. I really liked the tone of this movie. It wasn't preachy. It didn't want to change anyone's mind. It just wanted to tell a story. It wanted to show you what two people who love eachother, will go through for one another, and examines what draws one person to another. Like, does having one thing in common, albeit a big thing, make two people work, or does it take more? This movie really got me thinking. It is independent filmmaking at it's best.
Title:The Celluloid Closet Director: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman Starring: Lily Tomlin, Quentin Crisp, Armistead Maupin, Gore Vidal, Arthur Laurents, Harvey Fierstein Rating: 4/4 stars
The Celluloid Closet is a gayssential. This documentary drawn from the work of Vito Russo, is a pretty comprehensive look at homosexuality in the movies. I first saw this one years ago on television. It combines two of my favorite things to research: movies and gay history. I set out to see as many of the movies mentioned in the movie as I could, and I have done pretty well. What this movie does is examine how and where homosexuals have been portrayed in the movies from the early years of Hollywood. It also gives a taste of how these protrayals effect the audience. It uses clips from a wide range of movies, from Wings to Advise and Consent to Philadelphia. Granted, it is somewhat dated now, as it was released in 1995. The 15 years of Hollywood since then have had a huge improvement in the way they portray gay people, thanks to movies like Milk, Angels in America and Brokeback Mountain. Despite it's dated-ness, it is a wonderful look at the history. Not only is this a great movie for its research value, it also has some great things to say about our lives and experiences.
Title:Nighthawks Director: Ron Peck Starring: Ken Robertson, Rachel Nicholas James Rating: 3/4 stars
This is one interesting film. Released in 1978, it depicts a time in gay life when AIDS wasn't even a thought. The story of a London teacher and his escapades in the gay bar scene, Nighthawks could be a documentary. Long shots of men dancing are plentiful. This movie is the definition of 'slice of life'. A couple of times I found myself bored with the lengthy scenes with no dialogue, and weird 70's disco music playing in the background. But it served the purpose of showing what Jims experience was really like, in a way that no other film has done for me. Nothing much happened in this movie, and yet it is pretty brilliant. I say that because at the beginning of the movie, when Jim entered the bar, I felt sorry for him, but, by the end of the movie, he again enters the bar, and I felt somhow empowered. A brutally realistic movie, that portrays the experiences of sleeping with, and getting to know different men, Nighthawks really made me think. When Jim frankly discusses his sexual identity with his students at the end of the film it is such a wonderful moment. This is a Gayssential!!
Gayssential (gey'sěn'shəl) noun. def-A Gay Essential. A movie, book, television show that is essential to gay life either historically, politically or for its entertainment value. ex. You've never seen BEAUTIFUL THING? You must, its a Gayssential.
I plan to start working my way through my Gayssentials, reviewing them. So I am coining the term now!
Rita Moreno is an Oscar winning actress. I remember her most from my early introduction to musical theatre in the movie versions of The King and I and West Side Story. It wasn't until a few years ago, that I came across a fantastic little comedy from the 70's by one of my favorite playwrights, Terrence McNally. The Ritz is most definately Rita at her best. I LOVE this movie for many reasons, but this is not a review, this post is all about Rita. She is the queen of comedy in the movie. As Googie Gomez, the headliner at a gay bath house, she carries this movie on her shoulders, and she is not even the star. Rita makes every moment she is on screen a 'must watch' moment. Her energy is infectious. Her tempermental moods, and loud mouth are comedy gold. The scene that sticks out the most for me is Googie's entrance into the movie. In the first few moments, she comes on the scene, and she stakes her claim on your funny bone. Her accent, her attitude, her facial expressions. Again, I find, with comedy it's hard to say what it is that makes it brilliant. Its something that you need to see to believe. So just go rent The Ritz. You won't be sorry. It is a Gay Essential, or Gayssential as I like to call them!
This column is not always about people who have turned in the best work, consistently, but is also about a singular performance or moment on the screen. As I was re-organizing my DVD collection today, I was making mental notes of performances I wanted to mention here in the future. When I got to the letter 'v' I saw a movie, and thought "I have to talk about Lesley today". Lesley Ann Warren is not the greatest actress ever. She doesn't have a long long list of stellar performances to mention. But she does have at least one performance that has affected me, like in a life changing way. Victor/Victoria is one of those comedies that I feel has taught me something about how to perform comedy. And Lesley Ann Warren is perhaps the highlight of that movie.
She plays what could be your typical 'gangster's moll', but she does it with such panache and style that it is unforgettable. One of the things I love about comedy, is when beautiful women are not afraid to look like fools. This is why I love Lucille Ball, Fran Drescher, Debra Messing and other television commedienne's. Warren has this quality in spades, and her comic timing in Victor/Victoria is impeccable. She really has something special in this movie. It's so hard to explain without actually just showing the whole movie, but there is a commitment. Lesley LOVES Norma, and she plays her without any condescension. And I love how she is loud, and over the top. Yet she has a vulnerability and a reality to her that is awesome.
This is one of those Oscar history things that kind of makes me mad. She lost to Jessica Lange for Tootsie. Now I really think Jessica just won for that, because she was also up for lead actress that year, and they wanted to give her one. She wasn't going to beat Streep in the lead category, so they gave her the supporting statue. Looking at these two performances next to each other, Lesley Ann Warren should have taken the trophy. She is FANTASTIC in this movie. If you haven't seen it, check it out.
Starring: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, Nicholas Hoult
Rating: 4/4 stars
This film is a work of art. It is simply that. I barely have words to describe this film. I could say how great the acting it, but it is pointless. When you look at the Mona Lisa, does it really matter what the life story is of the woman you see in that painting? No, it doesn't. The only thing that matters is how it makes you feel. That's how I feel about the acting in A Single Man. The acting is just another dab of paint on Tom Ford's canvas. In A Single Man I have found a truly singular piece of brilliance. It really should not be measured by film standards. Like most art, it will be loved by some and hated by others. My opinion does not matter. It is simply a work of art!!!!!
I am a movie buff. I love actresses. I go crazy for a costume drama. I avoid science fiction, action and horror as a rule, although there are exceptions to every rule!
