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yawnmower wrote on 04/23/2010:

This is surely one of the nastiest, most misleading, films ever made.

The only redeeming factor is handsome John Shepherd who plays David, a very closeted London construction worker. Secretly in love with his life-long mate Theo, David's problems escalate when Theo announces he is moving in with his girlfriend. Unable to share Theo's time and attention, David will do anything to undermine Theo's relationship.

With a misguided fantasy of 'sharing', David gets the bright idea to come out of the closet on a national talk show. An unwitting Theo joins him and is surprised and embarrassed when he is told, in front of a national audience, that David is in love with him.

That the plan backfires goes without saying, and any pretense of light comedy ends abruptly. David's ghastly father pronounces him sick and summarily tosses him out of the house. Theo hates him and, to show him just how much, beats David senseless with a lead pipe. I kid you not.

It seems that Theo and his girlfriend are a perfect match after all: they are equally smug and hateful. Looking back with pity and loathing at the wretched, bleeding David, they walk off into the sunset together. A perfect ending for a mean-spirited film that gay-friendly TLA should be ashamed to have produced.

Half-closeted gay chap wrote on 06/12/2009:

The film is a shame for gay people. It promotes gay bashing, degrades coming out and gives homosexuals a dated persecuted life style. I could have sworn when I saw this trite work, it must have been done in 1960. For certainly gay issues deserve better than this dribble. The fault lies in the writing and directing. Mark Burt writes a trivial and lack-less script with absolutely no compassion for any of the major characters. Aisling Walsh, a woman, directs with no understanding of how to bring any hope to her leading players. She certainly has no understanding of gay life. If she herself is gay, than shame on her. If not, she needs to go to a gay bar or march in a gay pride day parade and surround herself with today's gay people.

The actors do what they can to give believability to this nonsense. Steve John Shepherd plays the young man tortured over his homosexuality. Afraid to come out to his best friend and to his parents. Why he chooses to do so in such a public way, beats me. But he does. I'll say no more as to the outcome and let you see for yourself. Believe me, you won't be surprised. John Simm, hardly, in my eyes, worth all the suffering, is the attraction to Shepherd as his best friend. Simm has his own demons to deal with. And again, you really don't care. He earns his oats. As the unsympathetic and sometimes just down right annoying girl-friend to Simm, Laura Fraser is a real possessive bitch (can I say that word?) A control freak, she deserves losing any guy who would put up with her antics and games. I was hoping she'd lose the guy in the end. Again, see what happens yourself. Again, no surprise.

Then there are the parents that contradict themselves all over the place. An overbearing dad, played by Maurice Roeves, knows nothing but anger and screams through most of the film. What's with this guy? Sometimes overacting, he suddenly has all this tear jerking at the end? And you don't believe it anyway. "Let him go", says he. I would have been gone from this dad a long time ago. And the mother, played by Ger Ryan, sits and bakes pies. Probes her son most of the time to see what's wrong and when she discovers the truth, over public TV, completely disowns him. She begs him to be honest and then slaps him in the face. Give me a break.

I liked Shepherd's work in this and wish he could have had a decent venue to work with. For he gave the most convincing performance. Simm was one level, Fraser was just awful as were the parents.

sahughes wrote on 02/08/2009:

While the acting is well done, the ending is very unsatisfactory. You end up with no idea of what happens to David after his best friend and secret love of 14 years takes a pipe and beats him for confessing his love. If I want to see gay bashing, I'll read the newspaper or watch TV. Theo is not ver "forgiving" and the parents just want to "forget" they have a son until he gets counselling to get straight. I realize many gay people (including myself) go through similar situations with family, but it would have been better with a more gay friendly story line.

Musss7 wrote on 05/11/2008:

It was the ending part that make this film become one of my favourite collection. At first, it all just seem like ordinary gay film which the lead character fall in love with his best friend. Then, suddenly it seem like a tv series or a sitcom where the transition part fly in and out. But then, it become more interesting when David set up his plan to get back Theo from the girl. What had happen to him at the ending of the film had similarity to my life story. I know that it was really stupid thing for a gay man to fall in love with his best friend which he already know a straight man (just like Texas Custumer said) but it was normal when someone love the people they close to. For a gay man, telling the person who he fall in love with maybe the hardest part especially if the person is straight. However, I still want to be honest and confessed to him. At last, I lost my best friend although I felt relief confessing to him. I don't blame him for avoiding me after that because he doesn't understand my feeling but I do sometime felt regret confessing to him. At least, if I don't confess to him, he may still stand beside me at this time. I cried at the ending of the film because I do understand the feeling to be avoided by the person you love. So people out there, please think wisely and be prepared 99% before you tell your best friend (whether straight or not) that you love him/her... sometimes, reality is cruel...

Janorm wrote on 03/12/2008:

This story has to be considered to be one of the most dramatic , yet socially conscious and startlying realistic, of the Gay Cinematic Films. The audience is given a grand Tour De Force in the lives of the main characters. The whole movie with the tragic ending would make Shakespear very proud, indeed! A worthy addition to your Collection. Very Impressive!!