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4.0 out of 5 stars
A trip for everyone under one roof, February 6, 2008
This review is from: Boys in Love Collection, Vol. 1 (DVD)
This eclectic trio of films in one package has a little bit of something for everyone: one's a politically-tinged time capsule, one's a sweet coming-of-age story, and the other is a tangled web of love, commitment and troubled lives.
"The Trip" is probably the best of the bunch, with two appealing lead actors who can really act, and are not just pretty faces. Spanning an 11-year relationship set against the backdrops of emerging gay rights movements, changing presidents, AIDS and Anita Bryant, Tommy and Alan survive their own personal "trip". Alan is the "closeted" Republican who finds himself in a relationship with openly gay liberal activist Tommy. Politics, an unpublished book brought into the light and heated controversy & portrayal succeed in breaking the blissful couple up until the 80's. Now, Alan is trapped in an unhappy relationship (with the very man who secretly published his controversial book which unraveled Tommy & Alan's relationship, no less!), hears of Tommy's whereabouts in Mexico (Tommy is now AIDS-infected), and leaves to be reunited with his old lover. There begins a touching & funny journey as Alan struggles to get his object of affection to a hospital, with a bittersweet revelation of a climax. The satirical humor in the film is hilarious enough while not being too obvious (it could've easily gotten out of control). Another treat is seeing the wonderful Jill St. John again as Alan's spiritually-liberated mother, who has some very amusing moments.
"Under One Roof" is, and looks, shot on a modest budget (directly to video). Telling a San Francisco tale of a closeted young Asian-American living (by tradition) with his mother & grandmother, issues of his true identity is brought to surface by a new tenant, who is revealed to be gay too. Thus begins a playful & flirtatious courtship until circumstances finally draw them together to share more than just "one roof". Included is a sexy-funny seduction scene in which Robert (the white boy) begins making love to Daniel (the Asian boy) while he's talking to his mother on the phone! The problem with this film is much of the acting is stilted & cliched; aside from the sex & nudity, it feels like a T.V. movie of the week. Still, UOR is what it is: A sweetly funny & sexy small-scale film about finding love in your own home, keeping it, and seeking acceptance.
"Everyone" is a Canadian-made film that doesn't have to deal with "coming-out" issues; the main characters are already out & committed to a long-term relationship. The film spans one day, but an important one---the two are getting married in their backyard. But the wedding is already under seige: They're already fighting about what it should be called. Add to that the parade of friends & family arriving with emotional baggage to complicate things: An alcoholic doctor & wife (who's having an affair), a couple who's trying to have a baby, a mourning couple who lost their baby, one of the groom's moms who insists upon decorating the wedding ( and who wants a baby from one of her sons), and a scruffy 17-year old urchin who insinuates himself into the wedding party, with intentions to seduce one of the grooms. The film's final images are curiously wordless but speak volumes: You can love another enough to forgive, forget & just be together. Actor turned writer-director Bill Marchant does a nice job of juggling the various storylines drifting through the film, whether serious or comical. Sometimes, there's a melancholy feel to the whole tableau as each character deals with some problem or another, whether it's pre-wedding jitters or bulimia. Not a completely uplifting film but rather, one which tells us that life is a mess, but we still have to deal with it, gay or straight.
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