69 of 74 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
More substance than you'd expect; less skin than you hope, August 7, 2001
This DVD is an anomoly in so many ways that it may be worthy of attention from folks who would be interested in more than its softcore porn-y aspects.
While from a production standpoint, this DVD belongs to the family of British-originated (or British-market targeted) erotica, meaning that there are significant restrictions on what can be shown on-screen (i.e., no penetration, etc.), a fact that cute blonde model Kris alludes to during a scene featuring him in the shower.
However, this particular video is more than the watered-down "Bel Ami" video or "naked sports" fare that one traditionally expects due to its unusual genesis. This DVD is in fact an extension on the hugely popular "coffe table" book of photographs of the same name ("Three") by Howard Roffman. The original book of photographs purportedly documents moments in the life of an all-male "permanent menage a trois," in a fashion that largely idealizes the relationship among the participants. Both the book and the video therefore trade not only on the attractiveness of the stars, but also on the voyeuristic tendencies that makes "reality TV" so intruiging to viewers.
Unlike most of the DVDs in this genre that present fictional or highly fictionalized plots, "Three" the DVD is a modestly insightful documentary, connecting the dots for viewers (somewhat predictably, alas) and shedding additional light on the nature of the relationship shared by the film's subjects that was first presented in the book.
Roffman himself becomes a fourth chracter in this drama, acting as the cameraman and interviewer. Unlike most documentarians, Roffman is not an uninvolved third party; indeed, the origin of the relationship being documented is credited to the photographer, who actually introduced the three guys to each other.
Fans with romantic attachment to this exotic relationship as somewhat idealistically portrayed in the original book may come away disappointed. While Kris comes off as playful as you'd want and far more smart and level-headed than you might expect, the "original couple" don't come off as well in living color. Some of the rougher edges that were muted by subtleties of form and shadow in Roffman's black and white images come into sharper focus in a way that may reveal too much if you seek to retain the original story's "romantic" charm.
In this way, the documentary itself may actually succeed more than had been anticipated. There are interpersonal tensions and real-life concerns that are exposed by the documentary format which the still camera can not capture.
When taken in combination, the book and the video provide more than aesthetically pleasing, erotically charged images (though there's plenty of these to go around...) Fans of Rofman's style of artistic/erotic photography are offered in this video the extremely rare opportunity to contrast the live reality with the still artistic impression of reality, at the same time presenting a unique insight into the interplay between the photographic artist and his subjects.
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42 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Truly the gay equivalent of "Three's Company", March 19, 2003
By A Customer
Howard Ruffman's best-selling novel of the same title makes an effective transition to film, and this 55-minute feature is less an entertainment piece and more a documentary about the emotional tie that binds three men to one another. And it's that element that lifts this DVD above most others that generally offer softcore porn sex and foreplay. What those lack is prominent in "Three:" a sense of love, respect, friendship and romance that tie the three principles to each other. Largely through dialogue, each man recalls his first meeting with the other two and how the trio eventually banded together to form a unique love triangle. At some point, each man - of course, drop-dead gorgeous and with a body that drool is made of - is featured fully nude, but their nudity comes off (no pun) as integral to their emotional bond and less gratuitous. The viewer needing a break from carnalism and looking to reinforce their belief in love and romance won't be disappointed with this one, and don't be surprised if you're left feeling a twang of jealousy for the loving and being loved that these "Three" truly intrinsicly beautiful guys share.
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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Save Your Money - Buy the Book, April 5, 2004
By A Customer
I never thought I'd say this about a movie starring three gorgeous men, but the book far surpasses the movie in this instance. This is a tedious profile full of obviously staged and ridiculously pointless "candid" moments and interviews, wherein the boys act like the subjects of some gossipy telespecial. Worse yet, it's artlessly videotaped, with clever (and juvenile) editing tricks filling far too much time. (Must we be subjected to a female member of the crew going backwards and forwards over and over in time to the soundtrack for far too long?) This could have been edited down to maybe 5-10 minutes, a quick segment on an entertainment TV show. As it is, it takes away when it should be adding to the story of this interesting trio. A huge disappointment, even when I wasn't expecting that much to begin with...
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