A film from 1992 where (some) gay folks are treated with some level of respect by the director. A rarity, in those days. This one was written and directed by edgar bravo, his first film. Couples from los angeles spend time in palm springs, and it all hits the fan. It's complicated. Jealousy. New boyfriends. Old boyfriends. A hustler. It was good to see the familiar mountains and palm trees as the backdrop; too bad we didn't see which resort they stayed at. Or maybe they never left LA to film. One of the characters had a horrible childhood, and wants to discuss it with his father, but we're not told exactly what happened. No discussion of hiv/aids, which were so prevalent in the early 1990s. But on the plus side, none of the gay characters were knocked off simply for being gay. Filmed in black and white, to give it the extra gritty feel. The new, white, seven digit california license plates start with a 2! It really was made in the 1990s. It's mostly good. Script needed souping up...it felt like they were trying to recreate the carefree, footloose days of the 1970s,1980s. Not bad for a first effort.
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ksf-217 November 2022
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reeves200213 June 2007I just saw this movie for the 2nd time.I forgot I already saw it before after I rented it.Unfortunately I could only find it on VHS.I'm not sure if it's been released on DVD but if not i'm not sure why.I liked how it was done in black and white.I agree with what another person said about this movie,that it is realistic.I agree and even though it was slow at times,may be boring to some,I thought it was a nice and fun film.The conversation between Ethan(the photographer) and his estranged father was well acted.You could really hear and feel how awkward it was for the two of them.The strong language and confrontations later in it while they were all supposed to enjoy themselves at Palm Springs was a nice twist.This movie reminded me of older gay cinema.It was a simple drama that didn't involve another story about aids. I hope this movie does get released to DVD one day!
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bkoganbing18 January 2015If this is a picture of gay life in Los Angeles of the 80s there would be a lot that would say this isn't what I want. Not just the negativity of the story, but the negativity of the characters themselves. They're just not that engaging for me.
I'll Love You Forever...Tonight casts Paul Marius and Ash Adams as a pair of 20 something gay men in Los Angeles and they've gotten into a rut with the relationship. It's just a round after round of meaningless sex.
When it looks like it's going better Adams invites Marius on a weekend with some others of their peers. But it's all some elaborate romantic chess game that Adams is playing and Marius is a pawn.
I have to say I was just not all that interested in these people, not their fault, the story just was not any kind of engrossing. -
mickmcg116 September 2001Perhaps in 1992, to be a "gay" movie AND in black and white was a sign of cutting edge. Sorry, this movie went nowhere very slowly with a protagonist who barely talked throughout the movie and annoying tertiary characters who hardly related to each other. Yes, the main character is sympathetic by being disregarded by the public at large, but have something HAPPEN to him, please.
Thomas Jane in an unrecognizable walk-on is not worth the price of admission, and it took forever to realize that this was one of those movies that wasn't going to "end" - no resolution, just walking down the street. It wasn't ATROCIOUS, so I gave it a 3 -
At some point during this meandering trek from point A to point B, you will wonder 1) did we actually get to a point B at all 2) is there a point to any of this 3) would I hang out with ANY of these characters for a hour much less three days --duh, NO and 4) does this filmmaker really know ANY gay guys in real life at all or does he just surmises that all gay folk are as joyless and vapid as his characters?
VERY derivative of Friedken and Crowly's BOYS IN THE BAND some twenty years its predecessor, and even back then, there was harsh critisism that the story and treatment focused to much on the unhappy and tormented gay, but at least those boys might have been tortured souls in one way or another, but at least they also had humor and were able to to wring out some joy amidst the garbage and the flowers, and there were indeed some lovely flowers. Unfortunately, in this voyeuristic peek to see what it's like for those queer guys, there's not a flower to be found. If you are watching just for any homoerotic elements...don't hold your breath....even a bit of Bulge and Ass would have at least brought some human quality to the proceedings.
And the above critisism can be blamed squarely on Edgar Bravo's lack of any sort of focus on what we wants to say. The actors seem to do well enough, but at time I sound myself yelling at the screen, "Hey director...give your wooden soldiers some damn DIRCTION! Other than have them give each other "knowing glances" and tension that seems to be just under the surface for which there is no clear explanation. There are only short bursts of anything that resembles authentic.
Then there are the technical horrors. IMDB Tech Specs say this was shot in 35mm, well that might be true, but what is available on the streaming channels where you can see this definitely is not from an original 35mm negative; what we have to look at is most definitely scanned from a 16mm positive release print, with all the dirt and scratch lines clearely visible from the first frame to the last. So along with all the distracting artifacts of a scratched 16mm print with the ridiculously high contrast and practically non-existent grayscale with no detail and the inherent soft focus from whatever 16mm print and how many generations away from the O-Neg THAT was, you had to endure those multiple scratch lines and groups of lines constantly weaving and dance across the screen like a Norman McLaren handpainted film. There's enough dirt to tell me the print wasn't even cleaned before the transfer.
Then there's the sound equally which, without exaggeration, almost unbearable as listening to fingernails scratching across a blackboard. Every "s" is distorted and super sibilant; the Foley effects for some reason are mix much louder than the dialogue so water splashing, doors closing, paper crackling -- they are all startling and distracting in the same way objects being thrown at you in a 3D movie are disconcerting.
I don't know if this were a normal, decent transfer from a pristine 35mm negative and the sound were a normal sounding decent track, would it have made the overall impression better? Probably not; what the filmmaker wants to let us in on the lives of these individuals is pretty uninteresting and quite frankly, they just don't ring true. -
johnpaulrice23 April 2014Saw this film (the director's cut) about 14 years ago in a theater and was impressed with the performances and story. It is a story about bittersweet redemption and the journey one takes to resolve their past while dealing with their present.
Gay or straight, man or woman, you are drawn to these flawed characters as their needs for love are like everyone else. The story and characters have a haunting ring of truth about the patterns we repeat over and over in our own relationships.
Highly recommend for anyone who wants to see great performances and a realistic story. -
seekman424 November 2001Glad I found it. This movie is realistic. There are so many things going in other people's lives (heads) that you don't always know what their intents are. Sometimes you can't have who you want and the people you put off might be good for you. Plenty happens to Ethan in this weekend episode of his life. He gets screwed in more than one way. He's mild mannered, hurting underneath, but he has a brain. A keeper.
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Ripshin24 April 2024This film pleasantly surprised me. Fortunately, I didn't read these other reviews, prior to watching.
The performances are honest, and much better than the usual graduate thesis film (UCLA, in this case).
Paul Marius as "Ethan" is a truly effective lead. In many ways, beyond the plot revolving around him, he is also standing in for the film audience, closely observing what is going on with a group of gay men around him. He is also coming to terms with his past.
Victims of child abuse can often suffer an inability to become emotionally involved in relationships as an adult. I do not believe that this film is implying that the sexual molestation by his father, when he was quite young, is the "cause" of him being gay.
The other performers feel quite natural. As a former film school student myself, I can definitely say that director Bravo crafted a professional independent feature.
I love the black and white photography, and the often Brian Eno-esque score.
I am surprised that Marius does not have many acting credits. I really love his performance here.
I recommend this film.