By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 1.5 cats
Director: Craig Chester
Starring: Chris Kattan | Craig Chester | Malcolm Gets | Parker Posey
Country: united_states
Year: 2006
Running time: 99
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0372122/
Michael says: “Actor Craig Chester (GRIEF, SWOON, I SHOT ANDY WARHOL) wrote and directed his first feature film, a broad romantic comedy where the two protagonists are both men. What could have been sweet, and comfortably mainstream like the films starring the actresses our two heroes ape (Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts) instead chooses to marry the romance not with witty-if-cliched dialogue, but gross-out and juvenile humor. By setting out to make a mainstream American comedy, Chester ends up with a schizophrenic mess.
‘Mid-80’s Adam (Chester) and his overweight friend Rhonda (Parker Posey in a bad fat suit – appearing here obviously as a favor to her friend Chester) a pair of Goths in The Cure’s Robert Smith-drag, end up in a disco, dance club where Adam is transfixed by Steve (Malcolm Gets) the lead dancer of a cheesy troupe. The two indulge in a painfully embarrassing (to view, as well as participate in, I am sure) one-nigh stand. Jump to the present, neurotic Adam meets control-freak Steve, the two fall head-over-heels in love. The catch? They don’t remember each other. When Steve finally recalls the moment of his acute embarrassment, can he handle it? Well, since we’re talking romantic/comedy formula, the answer, of course, is no… then yes, and the two live happily ever after.
‘Oddly enough, the romantic part of this film is perfectly enjoyable. Chester and Gets behave realistically and the issues they grapple with are those that many gay couples deal with. It’s when the film ventures into comedy territory that things fall apart. Offensive humor is fine, and can be very funny, but not if it’s just bad, as is the case here. Supporting turns by Posey and Chris Kattan as the couples’ best-friends respectively, keep the painful humor present even as the romance advances.
“It was admirable of Chester to try and create a mainstream, gay, romantic/comedy; unfortunately, it apes the poorer selections of the mainstream genre rather than the brighter. 1 ½ cats.”