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Review

Playwright Robert Sandrich (Sarsgaard) is down on his luck. He's flat broke and deeply saddened after losing his lover to AIDS. His future hinges on an autobiographical screenplay that has gotten the attention of bisexual self-absorbed married studio development honcho Jeffrey (Scott). After his first studio appointment, Jeffrey comes on to Robert with no equivication. When Jeffrey offers to purchase the screenplay for a million dollars, he gives Robert one clear demand in order to make the film more marketable: the "boyfriend" must be turned into a "girlfriend". Should Robert sell his soul to the devil and take the cash? Should he have an affair with this movie shark? While grappling with what to do, Robert gets increasingly close to Jeffrey and his unfulfilled and overly curious wife, Elaine (played by the magnificent Patricia Clarkson). To divulge more would spoil all the fun. Let's just say that there's enough jealousy, plot twists and smutty cyber chat to satiate the purient imagination of our customers.

With plot holes like swiss cheese and a serious lack of credibility on the part of Campbell Scott, The Dying Gaul is a problmatic film. We want to like the film, but have trouble wholeheartedly recommending it. Craig Lucas adapted his own play and also directed. The screenplay appears to be autobiographical as Lucas lost his lover Norman René to AIDS and sold his heterosexualized screenplay for Prelude to a Kiss to a major studio. This part of the film rings true (as it probably is true) but it's downhill from there. The highlight of the film was Patricia Clarkson's performance of perfection. Whenever she appears on screen the film changes for the better. Peter Sarsgaard, who excells in playing audacious roles (Boys Don't Cry, Kinsey), is thoroughly convincing and yummy in his heavy-lidded way. The Malibu beach home in which much of the action takes place is also stunning. And then there's the hard-to-believe finale...enough said.