Customer Reviews

The New Twenty

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Looking in on a group of close friends since college, seven years after graduation, things aren't quite what they expected, even considering thirty is "The New Twenty" (2009).

There's the "jock" of the group, Andrew (hunky former model Ryan Locke), who is looking for financing for an internet startup he believes will make him rich. He's engaged to Asian-American Julie (Nicole Bilderback, who deserves the critical kudos she got for this role), who finds herself in the uncomfortable position of having to downplay the fact that she makes more money than her fiance'. Julie's brother, advertising whiz-kid Tony (Andrew Wei Lin) is gay and dating an older man who is HIV+. In college, Felix (Thomas Sadoski) seemed most likely to succeed, but his inability to give up his drug use have turned him into an insecure addict. Then there's the resident slacker, Ben (Colin Fickes), the other gay character, who wastes his days searching for online hookups and watching old TV shows.

The dynamics of the relationships between the five friends changes significantly, when Louie (Tony Serpico, a regular on "Army Wives"), a man in his 40's whom Andrew meets playing cricket, enters into a business arrangement with Andrew, as well as a flirtation with Julie, with the other friends tagging along as they socialize. This comes to a head at Andrew's bachelor bash, resulting in new resolutions by all, in order to get on with their lives.

A well-written, acted and directed film, and I love the way the gay and straight characters mesh comfortably. However, I thought it to be a bit predictable in parts, and somewhat negative in that it concentrated on everyone's failures. DVD includes commentary (labeled as "documentary"), deleted scenes and a music video. Overall, it's worth a look, and I give it four stars out of five.

Very good movie! Much more sophisticated and nuanced than you might think from the cover art. It's not a "gay movie" at all, in fact, in the niche sense; it simply has a couple gay characters in it. It's a group friends movie (St. Elmo's Fire, The Big Chill, Diner, etc.) - which is a subgenre I enjoy - and what's nice about THE NEW TWENTY in terms of that is the ending. Won't give it away - just will say that it's not the usual cringe-worthy happily-ever-after thing - "we'll all be friends forever" - but something much smarter and more complex. And there's actually a sense of SOCIAL REALITY in the movie that's believable and true. Also really enjoyed depiction of gay and straight male friends that was simply presented as: NOT A BIG DEAL. Like it is in life. ALL the acting is really excellent. I don't know these actors except the guy from the Hal Hartley movies (Bill Sage) - but they all do a great job. Lots of subtle, quiet moments where you really get a feel for the characters and their inner lives. And all-in-all there's a nice pace to it also. It has a dynamic, entertaining feel. A very good American indie that's much smarter and more stylish than the usual!

The New Twenty is an example of how you can do a drama movie without being overtly angst. I will not spoil it, enough to say that, it's far from being happily ever after, but at least there is a bit of hope, there is at least one story that has a romantic "happy" ending, and for the "ever after", well, it's let to the spectator to decide.

The movie is also a mix of situations, gay and straight; of the 5 friends, 3 are straight, and 2 in a relationship between them, and 2 are gay. Of the two gay, 1 is the classic example of cute boy that you don't understand why it's still single, and 1 is a coach potato (not my words, but of another reviewer); true be told, Ben is far from being attractive if you look him without attention, but if you pay a bit more attention, those cute blue eyes have a reason ;-)

In the end there is the habitat; midlle wealth, not extremely poor but not even filthy rich. Again, probably in the average, perfect for the message the movie wanted to convey.

***1/2

Seven years after graduation, five buddies from college - four men and a woman, all living in New York City - face the grim prospect of turning thirty. Andrew (Ryan Locke) is an investment banker who's just gotten engaged to his long time girlfriend, Julie (Nicole Bilderback), who works for a rival firm (he's Morgan, she's Merrill); Felix (Thomas Sadoski) is a drug addict who`s struggling to hide his condition from his friends as well as maintain a relationship with a fellow user; Ben (Colin Fickes) is an unattractive, overweight gay man who can't get anyone to go out with him; and Tony (Andrew Wei Lin) is an attractive, fit gay man who falls for a college professor with HIV. All five have reached that critical point where's it's time to start taking stock of their lives - to find out where they are and, more importantly, where they're headed.

"The New Twenty" is the debut feature for writer/director Chris Mason Johnson and, while the hand of the novice is evident in certain aspects of the movie, Johnson also reveals some real potential as a filmmaker. The relationships among the various characters are, for the most part, unusual and interesting, regardless of whether they are personal or business-related in nature. The storytelling can be a bit choppy at times and the acting occasionally uneven, but there are enough moments of genuine insight and emotional force to make the movie worth checking out. The fact that it feels more like a still-rough-around-the-edges first draft than a fully polished and completed work in its own right is actually what gives the movie its greatest authenticity and appeal.

What we're given in this trying-to-be trendy film is a "frat-pack" of college friends, now approaching age 30 (which we all know, of course, their generation thinks of as the "new 20"). Consisting of four guys and a gal, we have thrust at us the following types: seemingly "unemployeds" and frequent drug users, along with one individual who is job successful and one who is trying-to-be. They are all, in their own way, drifting while trying to find both a future and emotional happiness. With one, possibly two exceptions, these are people this reviewer would definitely never care to come close to modeling myself after. There is disappointment after disappointment after disappointment in almost all their lives. Except in the instance of one individual (who appears on the way to finding it), none appears headed toward emotional satisfaction in his/her life. And so, about the only sincere moment in this film is when a knock at the door brings to the person answering it an unexpected and heartfelt "I love you."

With only the exceptions mentioned, these people are the kind hardly deserving or worthy of several hundred thousands of dollars being thrown away in presenting their stories.

PS--Writer/director, Johnson, definitely appears to have a problem with showing gay sexual scenes----with no such problems in presenting more prolonged and revealing heterosexual ones. Why might that be?

****

A group of friends. Very PC group of people. There is a gay, there is an asian girl and boy, there is somebody handsome and there is also somebody less handsome. So we have this mixture but does it "taste" good?
Well, it doesn't :(
The plot is average. The director apparently was too afraid to present the whole spectrum of gay relationship including sexlife (although, he shot several scenes of straight sex...).
Are the characters likeable? To some degree. Unfortunately, I couldn't neither associate myself with any of 'em nor I give a damn about their problems.
And the cover! Was it supposed to be a candy for gay viewers? Don't let them trick you.
Rent before buying.

To me, the characters of this film were more "type" than genuine---created simply for a trendy variety. None of them seemed fully developed and all were dysfunctional to the point of annoyance. Their respective maladies appeared to be the movie's grounding. How long would any real person put up with them as friends? One "happy" couple finally emerged but their joinder felt merely pro forma---there was little plot developemnt of their relationship or chemistry between them. Less than a must see.

Not a Movie worth the money or your time. It falls under the catagory of stupid.

Length:: 0:32 Mins