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Boys Life 4: Four Play

2002, Movie, NR, 87 mins

Boys Life 4: Four Play: Review

BOYS LIFE 4: FOUR PLAY
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Far less concerned with coming out and homophobia than previous entries in this series of gay-themed shorts, the best films in this collection offer fresh takes on a universal subject: the vagaries of modern romance. Philip J. Bartell kicks things off with the sharp "L.T.R.," in which a documentary filmmaker sets out to prove his theory that new love trumps common sense by tracking a young and obviously incompatible couple (Cole Williams, Weston Mueller) who, rosy with amour's first blush, think they're a match made in heaven. When the glow begins to fade and the filmmaker gets a little too close to his subject, he's forced to revise his thesis: If love didn't make us all a little dopey, we'd never mess with it at all. In Alan Brown's dark and dramatic "O beautiful," a high-school student (Jay Gillespie) is assaulted and left half-naked in a cornfield by a gang of gay bashers. One of the posse (David Rogers) returns to help, and over the course of an emotional evening tries to make amends while coming to terms with his own confused feelings. With its obvious allusion to the murder of Matthew Shepherd, Brown's film is the most serious of the group. But it's a little too familiar, and split-screen seems an obvious way to give a stagy, two-actor piece a little visual panache. Brian Sloan lightens the mood with "Bumping Heads," a cute, unrequited romance in which newfound friends have different expectations of their evolving relationship. Craig (Craig Chester), 35, and the younger Gary (Andersen Gabrych) meet at a party and hit it off despite their differences. But Craig wants more than friendship, while Gary has a boyfriend back home. Though sweet and funny, the film's busy structure works against it; the flashbacks are disruptive and the similar-sounding voice-over narrations are confusing. In the charming and inventive "This Car Up," director Eric Mueller puts split-screen to great use. The story of a straight-looking lawyer (Michael Booth) and a pierced 'n' tattooed bike messenger (Brent Doyle) who share a casual encounter on the street that leaves both pondering the possibilities unfolds simultaneously in two frames. Sitting above them like thought bubbles are two smaller frames cut into whirring, slot machine-like segments that pause every few seconds to reveal images pulled from the characters' imaginations. This ingenious formal device also resonates thematically — hooking up can be as random, and as rewarding, as hitting the jackpot — and helps makes "This Car Up" the best of a pretty good bunch. leave a comment --Ken Fox
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