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Keb-brand
Reviews
The Art of Being Straight (2008)
Won me over with the performances
This is a very "slice of life" film. I normally prefer movies with a stronger plot. However, the quality of the performances completely won me over, and I wound up enjoying it a lot.
Basically, the movie is about a young guy who moves to LA and has a gay experience with his boss. He's not sure what it means, and it's never really clear whether he is gay or not. The rest of the movie involves the repercussions for him and his relationship with his straight friends.
In a parallel plot line, his lesbian friend is having trouble in her relationship, and is considering sleeping with a guy.
The plot is pretty thin, and the movie was clearly shot on a very slight budget. But the performances are completely engrossing. Also, the sexually ambiguous nature of the two leading characters is something that I haven't seen depicted in film before. It feels very fresh and contemporary.
G.A.D.A.R. (2003)
Like a good Saturday Night Live sketch
I saw a bootleg DVD of this at a party recently, and laughed my head off.
Basically, the film is about a young gay guy who can't figure out how to pick up men, and his two straight friends who decide to help him out. Being type "A" personalities, they hold a workshop for him, complete with visual aids and exercises.
The film was clearly shot dirt cheap, and the visuals are nothing to write home about. However, the script is great, and the performances are wonderful.
All in all, this feels like a good Saturday Night Live sketch-- from back when Saturday Night Live was actually funny.