Defying Gravity

source: Defying Gravity

I rented the DVD and had high hopes after reading their blurb, but ultimately it was a let down. I have seen my share of gay films over the years, and I thought this one actually had an interesting story to tell, it just didn't tell it very well. Others here have decried the acting and rightly so. I found the whole thing right down to the gay bashing was very predictable and cliche. Even though the film is only about 90 minutes it felt much longer. It needed a better editing job and the script needed work. There just didn't seem to be a whole lot of depth to the characters. But I did like the str8 best friend character who finally gets Griff to do the right thing. But it seems to me that he could have gone to the cops and helped them out even without exposing himself to the the frat. If he really cared about Pete wouldn't he have done that sooner as the detective wondered? On a scale of 1-10 I'd give it a 5. But I liked the idea of the film better than its execution.

The lead character can pretty much hang up any chance in the near future of being cast again. And the casting director would be better off employed as a "go-for" right along with the director. What in the world happened to this movie! Had the script been polished and the director more seasoned this film would not have been such an insult to the gay community. No matter how bad a script a director should still have the ability to bring out the absolute best in each actors character. John Keitel failed miserably as a first time director.

Was anyone involved with this film actually gay? I don't know what annoyed more, the 2D gay (pink jeans?) and black (Denetra Washington?) stereotypes, the stilted dialogue or the nauseatingly earnest very-special-Party-of-Five soundtrack. I demand the whole cast be sent to acting lessons. Fortunately the writer/director went on to great things, like "The Making of 'Big Daddy'".

Wow, I couldn't believe this film. All around bad. Stock characters, contrived situations, stiff acting, horrible script, awful direction and editing, and a very lame attempt at emotional manipulation. Characters change their emotional perspective for no reason and scenes which should have been deleted go on forever. You are also subjected to two very long music video moments where we are supposed to believe the characters are being introspective and metamorphosizing into fuller individuals...they're "growing." What is really happening is that the script doesn't justify their change; so the MTV deus ex machina is brought in. I must say, I applaud any film maker for getting a film done...especially a gay-themed film, but as a gay man I refuse to settle for something this weak or praise something just because it is gay-themed. Spend your time wisely. Go get "Lilies" or "Trick" or "My Beautiful Laundrette" or "Get Real." They may not all be art, but they have soul, a real story, truly dimensionl characters, charm, and a great deal of talent both in front of and behind the cameras.

This movie tried to cover as many subjects as possible. However, it is so unreal. First of all, why did the main character's boy-friend go in a "not through street" after they had an argument late at night? It makes no sense for him to go into that alley. He could have just got into his own car or walked towards his home. Second, this movie is filmed at Southern California. Nevertheless, it did not show any single Asian male in that particular fraternity. Look around all the colleges in southern california, there are always at least one or two Asian members in any fraternity. All the males in that fraternity are whites. That is out of reality. Third, why did this particular fraternity members beat up someone that they all know, even if it happened in a dark area! Forth, one of his fraternity member simply is too nice to be true. His friend actually spent a night with him under the moonlight. That is not a church, we know that they are fraternity brothers. But I don't see that it is possible. At last, if the main character does not want to be considered as gay, then it is just not understandable why he appeared to be distrait all the time. It was supposed to happen in the current time, but this movie just has too many mistakes. It is below average.

There's a gem of a script here. Clearly the filmmaker is working on a ultra low budget. Many of the supporting cast deliver their lines as if they are in a high school play -- they are painfully wooden. However the idea behind the film is an important one and the film will touch you on multiple levels. I somehow wish this script could get fine tuned and remade as a major production. I feel the film as a lot to say about the pressures of college life -- especially that of living in a frat house on a big ten campus and having to lead a double life. Some of the material for the story appears to have been inspired by the Matthew Shepard story and the film feels extremely relevant. In spite of the low budget nature of the film, see this picture!

For the writer/director's first effort at creating a work of fiction, "Defying Gravity" is quite good. While one might quibble about too many plot coincidences, shots of actors held a little too long, or music that attempts to cover up some weaknesses, the film does tell an interesting story and uses good actors to do it. This is better than average film making. Gay coming out films are difficult to bring off for either a gay or a straight audience. This one succeeds very well in holding the interest of both audiences. I look forward to seeing more work by this film maker.

This is perhaps one of the worst gay movies I have ever seen. Think of an afternoon TV movie made by Unitarians for adolescents in Idaho. It has everything. Bad acting, bad shooting, bad lighting, bad music, bad scripting, bad casting. Oh, one thing it doesn't have is any guts. I really found it hard to imagine who could have made this movie and why. The great ethical dilemma of the main character is whether or not he should divulge evidence as a witness to events leading up to his boyfriend's near-fatal gay bashing by fellow yuppoid frat boys in some West Coast Shangri-La college. He really has to struggle with his moral obligation for days while his boyfriend is in a coma in an ICU. Whoa, dude, like what a bummer! The accompanying teenage twink titillation in the form of a shower scene in the frat house is really creepy. It did not surprise me to find that the cast's subsequent filmographies are on the thin side. So, if you run out of everything to watch, you might want to try this one, or not.

If you like cinematic cliches, this is the film for you. Poor acting, worse writing, and juvenile direction make this one of the worst gay-themed films I have ever seen --soft-* included. In fact, it was actually like a porno that failed to deliver any gratifying sex scenes. Griff and Pete, members of a fraternity at USC, are having an secret affair. One of them is closeted, the other isn't...you can guess how the rest of the story unfolds. Films like 'Beautiful Thing' and 'Lillies' helped define the genre of modern gay cinema, while 'Defying Gravity' is like the letch at the bar who won't stop ogling you: it just keeps getting uglier and more annoying. Don't waste your time or your money on this sorry excuse for a movie.