I found this quite an enjoyable movie, nicely acted and well-filmed, but it never really caught fire - something is missing.
Ben and George have lived together for more than thirty years but no sooner have they married than they are forced apart. George loses his job as a church choirmaster, gay marriage being a step too far for the church hierarchy (the usual suspects!). Unable to afford to remain in their Manhattan apartment, they separate to live with family (Ben with his nephew) and friends (George with two gay police officers). How will they cope apart and what strains will be placed on their relationship?
These are obvious questions that would appear to be central to the drama. Yet they never seem to drive the film in a clear direction. Instead, we are introduced to some puzzling distractions. In Ben's absence, George seems attracted to a new young acquaintance but nothing happens. Meanwhile, Ben is sharing a bedroom, in bunks, with his nephew's teenage son, Joey. Is there some degree of ambiguity in their relationship? We can't tell. But Joey has a friend, Vlad, with whom he (Joey) shares 'private readings' of certain French books mysteriously stolen from their school. Why? And what are we to infer from this about their relationship? And what about Ben's relationship with Vlad? Again, we can't tell. Ben and George seem to be coping with their life apart pretty well and it is those they are living with who are suffering! Is that the movie's ironic point? We can't tell.
Ben has a fairly minor accident and requires treatment. But the next thing we are learning from George is that Ben is dead and buried! What?! When and where did that happen? Is George now a broken man? No, he seems to be taking it pretty calmly. Why? And so the questions continue but not for much longer as soon it's pretty much over.
I was expecting the movie to build to some kind of climax, however low-key, but it didn't happen. Pity, because the characters are likable, the story has promise and the acting is good, even though the script is wooden in parts and the opening premise is not particularly convincing.
This movie seems to have set out boldly and then got lost along the way. It was frustrating to watch. One can only conclude that this was a wasted opportunity for the director. 6.5/10.
(Viewed at the Cornerhouse, Screen 3,Manchester, UK 22 Feb 2015)
Ben and George have lived together for more than thirty years but no sooner have they married than they are forced apart. George loses his job as a church choirmaster, gay marriage being a step too far for the church hierarchy (the usual suspects!). Unable to afford to remain in their Manhattan apartment, they separate to live with family (Ben with his nephew) and friends (George with two gay police officers). How will they cope apart and what strains will be placed on their relationship?
These are obvious questions that would appear to be central to the drama. Yet they never seem to drive the film in a clear direction. Instead, we are introduced to some puzzling distractions. In Ben's absence, George seems attracted to a new young acquaintance but nothing happens. Meanwhile, Ben is sharing a bedroom, in bunks, with his nephew's teenage son, Joey. Is there some degree of ambiguity in their relationship? We can't tell. But Joey has a friend, Vlad, with whom he (Joey) shares 'private readings' of certain French books mysteriously stolen from their school. Why? And what are we to infer from this about their relationship? And what about Ben's relationship with Vlad? Again, we can't tell. Ben and George seem to be coping with their life apart pretty well and it is those they are living with who are suffering! Is that the movie's ironic point? We can't tell.
Ben has a fairly minor accident and requires treatment. But the next thing we are learning from George is that Ben is dead and buried! What?! When and where did that happen? Is George now a broken man? No, he seems to be taking it pretty calmly. Why? And so the questions continue but not for much longer as soon it's pretty much over.
I was expecting the movie to build to some kind of climax, however low-key, but it didn't happen. Pity, because the characters are likable, the story has promise and the acting is good, even though the script is wooden in parts and the opening premise is not particularly convincing.
This movie seems to have set out boldly and then got lost along the way. It was frustrating to watch. One can only conclude that this was a wasted opportunity for the director. 6.5/10.
(Viewed at the Cornerhouse, Screen 3,Manchester, UK 22 Feb 2015)