Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fresh and funny, January 18, 2004
I bought this DVD on the advice of friends, and it was incredible. Very funny and a very accurate look at gay life in the big city, from the gyms and bars to the dinner parties and first dates. I could recognize so many of my friends in the characters of this film, and I really got caught up in seeing how their lives would turn out. Plus, there are some gorgeous guys in the film, and there are a lot of freeze-worthy shots of them.
|
|
|
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Lots of Promise, But No Delivery, January 2, 2006
I wanted to like this movie. I ordered the DVD hoping it was a controversial satire on the superficiality of the gay ghetto, as promised. What I got was a mildly amusing comedy, with nowhere near as much punch as I expected from the premise.
There were problems immediately. Although he has a perfect body, John-Michael Lander as Christopher portrays a character so unlikable, it's not possible to warm to him at all, let alone develop an interest in what happens to him as the plot progresses. Some may find him irresistibly attractive, but frankly I wouldn't have given him a second glance no matter how much he masked what a creep he is - perfect abs and all. A bigger problem to me was the character played by David Vincent. The film's premise - the brunt of the "hard-hitting satire" - is the fact that Christopher's boyfriend is supposed to be the opposite of what we've been "conditioned" to find attractive because (gasp!) he doesn't work out in a gym and actually has love handles (horrors!). He also doesn't have a glamorous job (I mean, really, who knows any gay men like that?) and - now here's the most shocking thing I could imagine in a satire on gay values - he sleeps in PAJAMAS! Now I know a few guys in Chelsea who might find this impossible to believe, but despite the love handles and the pajamas, the "out-of-shape, chunky, under-employed geek" turns out to be the most attractive man in the whole film. Somehow I think that some of the people this film was intended for won't quite get that.
I liked what this picture was trying to say - Christopher is shallow, superficial, vain and annoying, and more or less gets what he deserves in the end. It's not his promiscuity that bothers us, but the way he treats his conquests, refusing to ever have a second date, and finding the most ridiculous faults imaginable in each potential suitor. But the telling of the tale just isn't very interesting, or very funny, and if they really wanted to make it a satire, it should have been far more merciless to maintain my interest.
Maybe I'm just old enough to remember when gay men didn't spend all their time in a gym, staring at the mirror to confirm their own beauty. I seem to recall that when I first came out in the early 70's, gym bunnies were few and far between in the gay male community. In those days, you were either skinny, fat or average, and if people judged you by your looks, it was solely on the basis of whether or not you had a pretty face. The main things we used back then to attract people were wit, charm, personality and intelligence, along with keeping ourselves reasonably well groomed. Now all I hear and see everywhere is stats, stats and more stats - numbers for waists, chests, arms, and thighs, together with demands that everyone have a perfect body, perfect clothes and a perfect career, or forget it. I was hoping that this film might raise some serious objections to such values, but when the final credits were rolling I felt I hadn't really seen or heard very much to either provoke meaningful discussion or challenge these attitudes, which is what I expect a good satire to do. Some may find it quite enjoyable, and feel it delivers on its promises, but I was less than satisfied when it was over.
|
|
|
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
High Production Value-Great Film, February 8, 2004
This film looks like a high-budget film-not low-budget independent film. The characters are very believable and the story strikes a nerve with me and many of my gay male friends. I think we have all met people like the folks in this film. We often ARE the people in this film, although we may not want to admit it. I guess the most important thing to consider when buying a film is whether or not it is entertaining enough to keep on the shelf. "All The Rage" is definitely a good time and will also stimulate some great conversation. I'm glad I own it. It's a keeper.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
Video On Demand ~ Brian Shepp
Video On Demand ~ Dominick Brascia
Video On Demand ~ Carlos Portugal
Video On Demand ~ Alluvial Filmworks
Video On Demand ~ Alluvial Filmworks
