Bathroom Stalls & Parking Lots

By: gayforplay

It seems that Thales Correa sees himself as a sort of triple threat, and decided that he was the best man to fill the jobs of writer, director and star ? as well as other positions -- on his feature film debut, "Bathroom Stalls & Parking Lots." Sad to say, he proves to be inadequate in each of those roles. Theoretically, the film could have overcome the resulting challenges, and still turned into an enjoyable film to watch; However, that is not the case. Its greatest accomplishment may well be its evocation of the gay club and street milieu of San Francisco's Castro district.
The film seems to posit the well-founded idea that our current Grindr/app culture has made it nearly impossible to establish any "real" relationships, and then goes through a nomadic trek through several different "scenes" -- clubs, apartments, sidewalks, sex parties, and, yes, bathrooms and parking lots -- supposedly in an attempt to show that romance can triumph over mere lust. Apart from our two main protagonists, several other characters come and go, but seem to be mostly just plot devices to provide new opportunities to add drinks and into the mix.
I did manage to sit through the entire film (so you don't have to!). If you are wondering if the film reaches any sort of satisfying ending, I can assure you that it does not.

By: Jumble Wold

By: Joe Delistraty

By: Art Lover

By: B Radisek

I thought this look at one man's wild ride through San Francisco looking for his lover was entertaining with many emotional turns. When Leo receives advise from a somewhat straight Hunter it is obvious where that is going. The scenes when Leo thinks he sees Totah was nicely captured and the scenes of the men with their cells phones showed self-absorption. The pace picks up when he finally contacts Totah and has an ironic twist. When Leo and Donny's friendship is put to the test, their confrontation leads to a moving ending. I thought the soundtrack was energetic and the music quite good. There was some nice camerawork in the clubs and on the streets of San Francisco.

By: Amos Lassen

"BATHROOM STALLS & PARKING LOTS"

A Look at Underground Gay Culture

Amos Lassen

I have noticed that Brazilian gay films tend to be a bit more audacious and daring than those from other countries and director Thales Correas even says that he wanted to make a film that was indeed daring and audacious and that is what he has done with "Bathroom Stalls and Parking Lots". It also happens to be a picture of our community as it is in terms of looking for and finding acceptance. We will not find such an authentic film as this any time soon.

Leo (Correa) is a Brazilian who has come to live in America (like the director) and he decides to go to San Francisco to see what he has heard so much about. He is surprised to find Totah (Felix Olmedoz), his American sex buddy also visiting there but that doesn't change his plans for fun. He gets together with his friend, Donnie (Izzy Palazzini) as they go through the clubs in The Castro District and a casual encounter to show Totah that there can be compatibility aside from sex. Donnie's straight friend, Hunter (Oscar Mansky) a hopeless romantic, joins them as they try to teach Leo how to turn a relationship based on casual sex into something more meaningful. As they bar hop and go to seedy places, they find themselves dealing with unexpected obstacles that challenge how they approach relationships and they might even end up risking their own friendship.

As they "run" the streets of San Francisco to follow an American fling that they had begun on Grindr, they do whatever they have to, even if it means going to the seedy club scene where hookups take place in bathroom stalls and parking lots. As they spent time in this milieu, they discover truths about themselves and what modern dating is all about. The film has already won several prizes and is on its way to win even more.

This is an outrageous new comedy with a title that dares to say what so many of us come face to face with. Our players are also immigrants who speak their own language as well as broken English. While the movie is quite funny, it is also a look at the sexy underground gay world and the culture of romantic relationships among gay/bisexual young men in the Castro (Although every town has its version of that district). More important is that we see "how dating apps have turned relationships into disposable and meaningless experiences."

As Leo learns from this experience, we see some fun scenes including an underwear party Leo's relationship with Donnie moves toward a quietly powerful climax. As honest and funny as it is, "Bathroom Stalls and Parking Lots" is also sweet and a look at being young, gay and a bit promiscuous.