Thursday, February 09, 2012
UNREQUITED LOVE
Today's gay favorite film was Gus Van Sant's
now in a Criterion restoration.
I have seen this several times and still have a bit of trouble tracking the ups and downs of River Phoenix and Keanu Reeve's relationship.
Street hustlers with a difference (Keanu is rich and doesn't have to be there, rebelling against his Dad), these two guys, mostly Keanu, have each others' backs.
There is a search for River's mother, Keanu's rebellion against his father, the life on the streets and a lot of stuff which all hooks in but I can't explain.
It is Van Sant's first film. Many others have followed.
It is number 30 in the Gay Favorites list even though it does not have a lot of hope for gay romance but there is so much going on here that romance has no chance.
I love the film though. It is brilliantly transgressive for its time and still causes a man's head to turn up to today.
It is also, observed properly, a comedy. Great characters abound.
A five out of Netflix5.
NOTE
Need I review the rating system?
5=I want to see it again and will, 4=I could watch it again if it came up but I am not going to pursue it, 3=a good solid film. I liked it and that is enough, 2=I didn't like it much but I didn't skip and saw it to the end, and 1=it was so bad that I FF a lot and maybe even quit before it was over.
There is another rating which you never see which is that I rented it but on second thoughts and a look at the review, I sent it back without opening the package. I just did this with a wonderful old film Wings because it has the first and perhaps only male to male kiss at the end. Too much for too little. And Clara Bow is all over them so they don't do much else and the one of them is dying.
And the first minutes are blessed by Eddy Arnold's Cattle Call.
I still get a chill thrill and teary when it plays. This is a bit symphonic but they don't have the middle of the road version.
Labels: gay films
