Eight stereotypical gay men from a hustler to a nerd to a daddy-bear - one of each type and age group - gather for... a three-day weekend at the country house owned by one half of a couple to sling clichés at each other for 83 minutes. The awkward stage-to-film transfer of "Love! Valour! Compassion!" with its similar plot fares much better.
I made it through about 40 minutes of "3-Day Weekend" and the DVD is now literally in the trash bin. Someone gave it to me a while ago; I ran across it recently and wondered why I couldn't remember it. It's quite simply because there is nothing to remember.
It epitomises everything wrong with America's attempt at gay movies. I live in Central Europe and have amassed a huge collection of New Queer Cinema from Germany; Hungary; Sweden; Iceland; Denmark; Peru, Poland; Finland; Italy; France; the UK; Spain; Canada; Australia; Israel; Mexico; Brazil; most recently and amazingly the government-sanctioned homophobic country of Georgia (an award-worthy film called, in English, "And Then We Danced" - seek it out!); and what seems to be the world's capital of the genre: Argentina (the films of Marco Berger are masterworks, not just of Queer Cinema, but of cinema in general; "Hawaii" may be my favourite film of all time).
I cannot think of one America gay movie that comes anywhere near to the stories, screenplays, level of acting and directing, and production values that permeate the films from these countries. Just think of the wonders of "Do Começo ao Fim," "God's Own Country," "L'inconnu du lac," another Argentine masterwork "Plata quemada;" "Walk on Water," "A escondidas," "Praia do Futuro," "Juste une question d'amour," the astounding "Teus olhos meus," "Broderskab," "Ciao," "Esteros," "Plan B" (also from Marco Berger), "Quatro lunas," or "Out in the Dark" (what happens when an Israeli law student falls in love with a Palestinian?)."Man in an Orange Shirt," and the radiant, sexual, and spiritual "Contracorriente."
What does America give us? "Adam & Steve," "Boy Culture," "Strapped," "Is it Just Me?," "Bear City," and "Touch of Pink?"
"Shelter" from 2007 remains my one and only great favourite among American queer films.
Yes, sure: you have "Brokeback Mountain" and "Call Me By Your Name," but I consider those aberrations: they are Hollywood's adaptations of two great pieces of literature that happen to be queer, and top-notch talent to star and direct were brought in to beg for Oscar nominations.
The films from the countries I've mentioned are all of greater depth and take greater risks than anything America has done. And by the way: there is very little adherence to the American formula of depression, self-loathing, jealousy, gratuitous simulated sex (some of it painful to watch), awkward-and-predictable coming-of-age, and either a break-up, return to one of the guy's wives and kids, or suicide.
Even as merry as thing are on Brokeback Mountain, if Jack Twist got Ennis del Mar to call him by his name, he's still be dead.
Go watch something with subtitles!
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