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Amos Lassen wrote on 02/21/2011:

“SEX, POLITICS & COCKTAILS”
Nice Try
Amos Lassen
“Sex, Politics & Cocktails” could have been a great movie but somewhere along the way to the box-office and in the editing room. There are some good performances but for some reason the movie seemed to go on and on and on.
Sebastian Cortez, a filmmaker suddenly finds himself too old and incapable of love. He embarks on a quest to find the right person for him and asks his friend Darla, a tour guide to help him. She, in turn, introduces him to several of her gay friends and Sebastian goes on the ride of his life. Sebastian is a willing student and learns all kinds of new things—how to have the most powerful climax, how-to have a three way what is a penis makeover. He is forced to navigate through a Hollywood e does not know and becomes involved in sexual politics, Is he gay or is he bi or is he a straight guy experimenting? Can a girl turn a straight guy into a gay guy? Is this his true behavior or are the margaritas he drinks doing the talking for him? These are the very important questions that will be answered in the film. It is funny, it is acerbic and it is about the universal search for finding a mate. Thus is a comedy for all regardless of sexual identity.
Did I contradict myself? No I don’t think I did. All the good stuff is there and some parts of the movie are very good but what is bad should have been cut. Unfortunately if that had happened we would have only had a half hour film. What is bad is awful and what is good is brilliant.
Julian Hernandez as Sebastian is attractive and a likeable enough character. He carries the whole film but that is because with the exception of two other characters no one in this movie can really act. When he gets involved in making a gay documentary, he begins to come out which takes way too long. He could have done it in 15 minutes instead of a little more than 85. This is the main problem—there is so much padding and because of that we miss the love story Yet when he does find hi partner, all the bad parts of the movie seem to fade away. When they kiss, we forget all of the minor useless characters and their bad lots in life.
I really wanted to like this film, I saw such potential here but the sum of its parts just did not make a whole. “S, P & C” is just another of those movies about 30 year olds who avoid relationships. There is not a whole lot new—some of the gags are funny but we have seen the al before under different guises. There were too many camera tricks that did not work, too many flashbacks. A genius could have made something of the film but an amateur like Hernandez seemed lost.
Now one of the good points is that you will laugh and laugh some more. It does give some insight into gay life and the film is light. But lightness and a few good jokes do not make a good film necessarily. Yet I do see great promise and when Hernandez settles down and decides to find a real script, I think we will all have a treat.

yawnmower wrote on 01/27/2007:

Julien Hernandez is a young writer/editor/actor/director to watch. Talented and bright, cute, sexy, and just plain funny, he has concocted a rather stylish coming-of-age film about 30-ish (he's a late-bloomer), straight-ish Sebastian, an aspiring LA film-maker. He has never had a serious relationship but longs to wake up with someone special and hear an affectionate sweet nothing whispered over breakfast.

When he gets a job making a documentary on gay relationships, Sebastian asks his soap-star friend Daria (beautiful Marisa Petroro) to introduce him to 'the boys'. It seems he doesn't know any gay men which, as he lives in Silver Lake, qualifies as a bona fide miracle. In any case, Sebastian becomes friends with a veritable pot-pourri of gay types, all well-played, quirky, and familiar. Devon Michael Jones is hilarious as bitter therapist Blaire Edgewood (or Blaire St. John, depending on what part of the film you're watching), seriously in need of help himself. Gingerly welcoming his new experiences, which come fast and furious, Sebastian reacts by mugging adorably throughout his journey.

At his first 'swanky' Hollywood film party, where he hopes to meet and impress influential people in his best thrift-store duds, a self-conscious (and drunk) Sebastian becomes ornery, perverse, and ever more comical. His encounter with Billy is pure gold: their alchemy is both genuinely sexy and profoundly funny. These last 20 minutes of the film reveal Mr. Hernandez' deft -- even inspired -- touch in all his capacities.

There are questions of continuity, semantics, and production choices, to be sure. But chalk them up to guerilla film-making where virtually all expense, of necessity, has been spared. Mr. Hernandez' story and purpose over-ride any such quibbles. The message -- free yourself from preconceived expectations and notions of love and where to find it -- earns his ever-surprising, multi-faceted little gem a well-deserved 4th star.

nightpagan (Earthcaress@yahoo.com) wrote on 09/26/2005:

This film delivers. With new-comer Julien Hernandez' directorial debut, (also the lead & writer), I simply found myself floored. This movie was hot, well-written, and constructed with a great cast. The editing was a great first effort. The story was very hopeful and insightful. While personally, Hernandez himself is easily attractive enough to keep my attention all by himself, this film is all the more reason to keep an eye out for his second offering. I will now give a big supportive "Hooray!" to the cast and director.

jderise wrote on 07/05/2005:

Really enjoyed myself with this one. Very sexy, very funny and very clever. The Sebastian character was so fun to watch. He had this charisma that engage me and his comedic timing was on the money. The chemistry between he and the Billy character was hot, hot, hot. You can hear the theatre peeps rooting for them. My friends and I felt good after watching "Sex, Politics & Cocktails." Or cheeks were sore from smiling and laughing. It had an inspiring touching ending.

mikenclive (mikenclive@aol.com) wrote on 06/29/2005:

Both, my boyfriend and I found this film enormously funny,and heartfelt. The cast was solid (great acting), and it had some funky editing. We saw the feature, and missed a lot of the jokes because the audience was laughing so much. Very witty - only the feable would dislike - like the annoying queens who sat behind us who must of been suffering from herpes. With a laugh every minute - the comedy ends with the optmistic note, that there is still hope in finding "the one" when you are single and 30.