Friday, June 27, 2014
What it was like
Today's film, set in 1985 San Francisco, evokes its time and place beautifully.
A young dancer finds himself surrounded by the AIDS crisis. Friends and lovers are running. Out of town, away from each other.
What to do?
His friend, another dancer, and his roommate hear him out and stand by him as he gets the AIDS test. He is the first of his acquaintances to do so.
The movie lets us wait it out with him. The two weeks that were standard at the time. The young man goes about his life as he moves through the fear and anticipation of waiting.
There is a lot of dance footage in this film. Beautifully done. Mostly men. Modern. It is the real thing. No stand ins.
Eventually, the results come in. For others. For a friend. For him. This is a kind of suspense film.
I do not think you have to remember this time or have been in the middle of it to "get" it. It will speak universally.
But for anyone who remembers and was there it is all very real and brings back the feelings of the time. Waiting with friends. Waiting with your lover. Waiting for one's own results.
I will not tell you how it comes out. No spoilers. You will have to see and feel it for yourself.
I already bought this film and will see it again. A 5 out of Netflix5.
Labels: films, gay history, gay life
