Kenneth Nelson is throwing a birthday party for Leonard Frey and all of their friends are invited. Peter White, Nelson's college roommate, is not, but he shows up unexpectedly distraught about something. White doesn't know that Nelson is gay, so the situation is unstable and only gets more so when Nelson starts drinking and everyone's demons are unleashed.
I'm of two minds about this film. Mart Crowley's play is an important one, and it's good to see it preserved with a screenplay by Crowley and all of it's original cast. I also think there's something oppressively about the way Friedkin films it, and many of the performances are not bad, but are bad film acting. Nelson, in particular, is very mannered and much too big. This isn't helped by the way Friedkin shoots everything in tight close-ups.
It's a film I admired, but didn't really like.
I'm of two minds about this film. Mart Crowley's play is an important one, and it's good to see it preserved with a screenplay by Crowley and all of it's original cast. I also think there's something oppressively about the way Friedkin films it, and many of the performances are not bad, but are bad film acting. Nelson, in particular, is very mannered and much too big. This isn't helped by the way Friedkin shoots everything in tight close-ups.
It's a film I admired, but didn't really like.