This title appears under "gay" - which could be considered accurate if you would consider the Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION to be a gay film. The box cover for the film is also inaccurate, in describing which character is the martial artist (and karate instructor would actually be far more accurate) and which was the observer; additional, it was a street pickpocketing, discovered in mid-theft, which turned physical in one brief blow, not a "violent mugging." For gay audience, this film is also problematic as others have pointed out, in that the heterosexual sex scenes are very nude and graphic (and in clear view taking place between two partners), while the gay sex scenes are brief, either very hidden or only partially unclothed and suggested. Personally, I don't have a problem - the forced, put upon full frontal nudity that some gay films feature -- particularly in this day and age when so much full on hard core nudity is so readily available for free, just feels strained at best. If they had shown only one of the graphic scenes between Bruno and Carla (probably the one after he came from the country, where it was integral to pushing the story where it was at that moment) would have sufficed, if they two male actors (or the director, and crew) were uncomfortable being more equitable - otherwise, this is a position that many similar movies have taken and it's equally annoying and a good reason to rate a movie as a pass.
Technically, the movie is reasonably proficient and uses it's low budget well, with the camera work being the best thing about it. The actress who plays Carla comes across as annoying and underwritten or, in her own words, written as pathetic, to know if her acting is any good. Being the mermaid in a large summer tent-pole movie (which was likely shot after THIS, not the other way around as some people have written based purely on festival and other distribution patterns) is not at all a recommendation for future roles.
The guy who plays the RAI role has a certain charisma but come across more as a user than anything else; the line where his friend says he is a seducer and more into the hunt than anything else is probably more telling, and that he didn't realize what getting involved with Carla would do - other than as another pelt on his belt, also speaks poorly for the character. He does gets off a few interesting lines, but these are the 2 am, sitting around in a dorm room, bullshitting with your friends, thinking you are brilliant to have discovered what the real world is and what it is like revelations. If you are young, immature and unworldly, yes, he's the character to get some pearls of wisdom from.
The movie has far too many 'fridge logic' moments (such as the lack of response in four days, listening to the toxic friend, throwing all the ex's stuff in garbage bags, ex shows up and garbage trucks are rolling away scene, as just one example) to make you engaged in the film. The leads are attractive enough, but they are actors - in a film, you don't expect any less from a scripted show on a lesser channel like the CW, yet you aren't necessarily going to give up an hour of life (including commercials) on it, are you. The story doesn't really tell us anything too, the situation it presents may have happened as laid out to the writer/director, but in addition to being far from universal, there's nothing there for most people to really feel entertained or informed after viewing.
The idea of fluid sexuality has been handled better in other projects. A movie about someone who has felt one thing for most of his life (in this case heterosexuality and a companionable affection and loving relationship with someone for numerous years) can suddenly feel something different and unusual for someone else - yet still desire the known quantity and wish for that companion and relationship - might have, with far better writing, made a mildly interesting character study, even if nothing new.
Bisexuality is not really dealt well as a topic - and many gay men are highly uncomfortable with true bisexuality so it would need to be marketed in a distinct and overboard manner, not as this was, but this is neither an accurate portrayal of bisexuality nor was it really meant to be.
Technically, the movie is reasonably proficient and uses it's low budget well, with the camera work being the best thing about it. The actress who plays Carla comes across as annoying and underwritten or, in her own words, written as pathetic, to know if her acting is any good. Being the mermaid in a large summer tent-pole movie (which was likely shot after THIS, not the other way around as some people have written based purely on festival and other distribution patterns) is not at all a recommendation for future roles.
The guy who plays the RAI role has a certain charisma but come across more as a user than anything else; the line where his friend says he is a seducer and more into the hunt than anything else is probably more telling, and that he didn't realize what getting involved with Carla would do - other than as another pelt on his belt, also speaks poorly for the character. He does gets off a few interesting lines, but these are the 2 am, sitting around in a dorm room, bullshitting with your friends, thinking you are brilliant to have discovered what the real world is and what it is like revelations. If you are young, immature and unworldly, yes, he's the character to get some pearls of wisdom from.
The movie has far too many 'fridge logic' moments (such as the lack of response in four days, listening to the toxic friend, throwing all the ex's stuff in garbage bags, ex shows up and garbage trucks are rolling away scene, as just one example) to make you engaged in the film. The leads are attractive enough, but they are actors - in a film, you don't expect any less from a scripted show on a lesser channel like the CW, yet you aren't necessarily going to give up an hour of life (including commercials) on it, are you. The story doesn't really tell us anything too, the situation it presents may have happened as laid out to the writer/director, but in addition to being far from universal, there's nothing there for most people to really feel entertained or informed after viewing.
The idea of fluid sexuality has been handled better in other projects. A movie about someone who has felt one thing for most of his life (in this case heterosexuality and a companionable affection and loving relationship with someone for numerous years) can suddenly feel something different and unusual for someone else - yet still desire the known quantity and wish for that companion and relationship - might have, with far better writing, made a mildly interesting character study, even if nothing new.
Bisexuality is not really dealt well as a topic - and many gay men are highly uncomfortable with true bisexuality so it would need to be marketed in a distinct and overboard manner, not as this was, but this is neither an accurate portrayal of bisexuality nor was it really meant to be.