According to the Plot Summary:
"Two popular teen boys, best friends since childhood, discover their lives, families, and girlfriends dramatically upended after an unexpected incident occurs on the night of a 17th birthday party"
It was on this basis that I purchased this movie. Fully expecting a story revolving around some form of Gay romance. I feel having watched the movie this is misleading to say the least.
I can see a lot of reviewers love this movie but I have to say I'm torn. Probably because what I was expecting and what I got were two different things. And on the same token everything I liked about the film was countered by something I hated.
I was really hoping that the story would focus more on the relationship between the two male friends Franky and Ballas (why the hell the writer thought this name was a good idea is beyond me - I'm not the first person to say I found it incredibly distracting). I found that it was anything but that as after the "incident" they shared very little screen time together other than to argue and fight, while Franky pursues some sort of relationship/friendship with Ballas's sister who carries her own emotional baggage, while also trying to re-connect with his estranged father who left Franky's mom to have a relationship with another man, and sharing a few scenes which provide nothing more than attempted comic relief as he helps/gets help from his wannabe transgender friend Mouse who is so stereotypical its actually quite offensive and not in the least bit amusing.
The positive notes are certainly in the performances. I really thought the cast did a commendable job for the most part and another thing the film did was accurately portray what an incredibly blurred and confusing line "sexuality" is among young people today. Hardly surprising when Facebook offers something like 71 gender choices. We've certainly come a long way from the days when the question of "Sex?" on any questionnaire was usually answered with "Yes Please".
Well today I am identifying as someone who is annoyed and somewhat let down by a film which could have offered so much more. Its become a common gripe of mine that film makers who make movies which lean towards the LGBT+ audience can never seem to give them a conclusive ending except when it ends on a negative (which it often does), instead going for either the usual cop out of the "you decide" open ending which resolves nothing (like this film does) or hinting at a happy ending but never quite going far enough to conclusively say "Yes, its love, they end up together".
I don't know where they seem to get the preconceived notion that's what the audience want to see. I for one certainly don't. I can't think of how long it is since a gay themed movie actually delivered a happy conclusive ending. John Wayne rode off into the sunset many times during his long and distinguished career. Is that option really too much to ask for?
"Two popular teen boys, best friends since childhood, discover their lives, families, and girlfriends dramatically upended after an unexpected incident occurs on the night of a 17th birthday party"
It was on this basis that I purchased this movie. Fully expecting a story revolving around some form of Gay romance. I feel having watched the movie this is misleading to say the least.
I can see a lot of reviewers love this movie but I have to say I'm torn. Probably because what I was expecting and what I got were two different things. And on the same token everything I liked about the film was countered by something I hated.
I was really hoping that the story would focus more on the relationship between the two male friends Franky and Ballas (why the hell the writer thought this name was a good idea is beyond me - I'm not the first person to say I found it incredibly distracting). I found that it was anything but that as after the "incident" they shared very little screen time together other than to argue and fight, while Franky pursues some sort of relationship/friendship with Ballas's sister who carries her own emotional baggage, while also trying to re-connect with his estranged father who left Franky's mom to have a relationship with another man, and sharing a few scenes which provide nothing more than attempted comic relief as he helps/gets help from his wannabe transgender friend Mouse who is so stereotypical its actually quite offensive and not in the least bit amusing.
The positive notes are certainly in the performances. I really thought the cast did a commendable job for the most part and another thing the film did was accurately portray what an incredibly blurred and confusing line "sexuality" is among young people today. Hardly surprising when Facebook offers something like 71 gender choices. We've certainly come a long way from the days when the question of "Sex?" on any questionnaire was usually answered with "Yes Please".
Well today I am identifying as someone who is annoyed and somewhat let down by a film which could have offered so much more. Its become a common gripe of mine that film makers who make movies which lean towards the LGBT+ audience can never seem to give them a conclusive ending except when it ends on a negative (which it often does), instead going for either the usual cop out of the "you decide" open ending which resolves nothing (like this film does) or hinting at a happy ending but never quite going far enough to conclusively say "Yes, its love, they end up together".
I don't know where they seem to get the preconceived notion that's what the audience want to see. I for one certainly don't. I can't think of how long it is since a gay themed movie actually delivered a happy conclusive ending. John Wayne rode off into the sunset many times during his long and distinguished career. Is that option really too much to ask for?