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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 2003)
Selected reviews of the seventh annual Portland Lesbian & G ay Film Festival contingents within the gay community. Many ques **•■* his haunting tions are posed exam ination of, by Hogarth’s shall we say, rather interviewees. challenging mindsets Should we stop leads us from harehacking worrying about sex houses to intimate offending HIV- personal portraits where positive people the idea of being HIV- in order to positive is romanticized accurately hy those attem pting to depict the virus contract the vims and and the meds? those more than happy to Is there a give it (known in the sub healthy, gay culture as “hug-chasers" 45-plus-year- and “gift-givers"). old who will W ithin one hour, step forward Academy Award winner Academy Award-winning director Louise Hogarth and be the new Louise Hogarth’s survey of directs The Qift, a timely and provocative look at poster boy for this controversial subject men w ho eroticize deliberate H IV infection how great scans the community map. being negative is? C an you put yourself in these HIV-negative Dr. Walt Odets, who lost his poz hoys’ shtx:s and imagine feeling sexually liberated partner to the vims and authored a bixik about by being diagnosed positive? his experience, shares his story of grief and loss. Doug, a Midwesterner turned San Francisco party H ogarth’s camera work and technique, though elementary at times, do offer a captivat boy at age 19, contracted the disease as a bug- ing glimpse into the roulette that these bug- chaser and found that it didn’t quite meet his expectations. KenBoy maintains a Web site that chasers play, as well as intriguing commentary from those who couldn’t wait, wish they hadn’t caters to those looking to infect or be infected via “conversion parties.” The Gift also hears from a or wouldn’t in a million years. — Mane Fleischrrumn support group, drag queen barflies, gay rodeo attendees and the random pedestrian passersby. Intermingled with diary cams and visits to sex dungeons are harrowing statistics. For You'll G et Over It example, half of San Francisco’s HIV-positive population will be resistant to their current ow more than ever, we’ve gotta give meds by 2005, one in three gay African A m eri major props to the French. Politics can men is positive, and 50 to 60 bug-chasers notwithstanding, could a nonjudgmen- are online actively seeking what has become tal, sexually explicit film about a gay high KenBoys “relief’ and Doug’s “terrible mistake.” schooler even get made in the increasingly The exacting insight into this hardly imagin pmde post-9/11 U nited States? able world shows us a range of belief systems. O ne says: “I had the wrong idea about AIDS. All So much skin is on display in You'll Get the posters for meds show guys who are buff and Over It, I initially found myself wondering whether director Fabrice Cazeneuve crossed gorgeous. The ads are not accurate at depicting HIV-positive people or lifestyles.” A nother says, "Who wants to talk about AIDS meds at a sex party T Even tatuxis range from biohazard sym bols denoting already positive to the minus sign that many hope one day will become a plus. W hile it is difficult to imagine that there would be individuals who not only beckon but directly market a vims that has the world reel ing in its hostile takeover, Hogarth is successful in her attem pt to tell the whole truth and noth ing but the tm th in regard to the HIV-buyer’s market. The glamorization and successful mar keting campaigns of AIDS drugs is discussed, as Life changes for Vincent, a high school hero who is the split between the positive and negative befriends another boy, in You’ll Qet Over It The Gift Queen, a self-consumed, hatchet-faced hag who that fine line separating the TixJd Hayneses presides over a collapsed acting career arid a from the Larry Clarks. But when you consider candy-colored apartment the size of a fix it Hi 11 that Tom Cruise and Lea Thompson were field. Evie's in a perpetual drug/sex dreamworld, baring all 20 years ago in Ail the Right Moves, from which she emerges to skewer her earnest it’s about time we had some equal exposure. lawyer son (a hunk with a micropenis) or her Julien Baumgartner—sporting big, expres beleaguered riximmate Coco Peru (Clinton sive eyes reminiscent of Donnie Darko hottie Leupp). Into thus dysfunctional little world Jake Gyllenhaal— plays Vincent, a swimming comes Varla (Jeffrey Roberson, aka Varla Jean champ whose life is ruined when he is outed to Merman), a younger roommate who’s also the the entire student Kxly after being spotted with daughter of Evie’s late rival, an equally cheesy new boy in town Benjamin. Making matters actress named Marla. worse, his despicable brother spills the beans to The film’s fearless, vehemently un-PC script their parents. makes mincemeat of every target. W hen Evie sets Benjamin is played with intriguing confidence up a phony accident for her son to litigate, she by Jérémie Elkaim, who starred in Sensory Per romances the guy who hit her: “You rammed me ceptions 2001 fave Come Undone, another entry tixiay and 1 want seconds!" W hen she gets the in the emerging subgenre of queer cinema about guy in bed, he sticks a pom magazine over her y (King men in love and lust. (For lack of a better face and starts kissing it while he’s screwing her. name, let’s call them “cumming-of-age films.”) Peeved at his lack of interest, she inquires, W hat elevates this above similar stories are “W hat’s wrong, did my glass eye roll back ?" the well-rounded, complex characters affected (Kudos to what must have been a shivstnng spe by Vincent’s sudden revelation: the girlfriend, cial effects budget for convincing us that Plotnick who is somewhat self-absorbed but rightfully heartbroken; the has a glass eye.) Equally strong is best friend, who is Coco, as rendered by hurt that Vincent Clinton Leupp, who didn’t think he turned Tnck into would approve; something watchable the closeted as the “acid queen” teacher, who in the celebrated begrudgingly offers bathrixim scene. a helping hand; Here she’s a hopeless the coach, who romantic who falls in gives a stem but love with her abor supportive pep Three actors play actresses in Qirls Will Be Qirls, a talk; and th e quirky, campy, over-the-top romp through Hollywood tion doctor, then continues to get father, who strug pregnant in order to have more abortions so she gles with acceptance but admits that he was can date him. Coco is the main target of Evie, raised to believe men must hide their feelings. who does everything but set her on fire. When The end result is marvelous— brutally realistic Coco tearfully inquires whether Evie has ever had and devastating but ultimately triumphant. an abortion, Evie replies, “I’ve had more children T he dialogue sometimes veers into after pulled exit of me than a burning orphanage." school special territory (“W hen you’re living a Varla is a camped-up Eve Harrington to lie, you’re trapped," Vincent sighs), but so Evie’s Margo Channing. She comes to Holly what? I wish I had a film like You’ll Get Over It wood to “make it” and ends up literally doing when I was growing up; instead, my generation so when a sleazy pimp puts her on the street. had to make do with The Blue Lagoon. But Varla finds success in infomercials hawking — Jim Radosta a space-age toxic frozen dinner. Her appear ance at La Casa de Evie is not coincidental, but we won’t spoil that for you here. Girls Will B e Girls W hile some of the momentum fades during the middle, Girls picks up speed and moves in a surprisingly poignant direction by the end. Yes, rag comedies can be as much of a drag as in this world there’s hope even for the most the tired queens who usually populate evil of queens. It’s a tribute to director Richard them. But this stone-funny drag sendup Day’s imagination and his seemingly endless of Valley of the DoUs and All About Eve outstrips gift for aphorism (Coco: “Happy people always the competition thanks to a snappy, imaginative make such a racket”) that this brittle comedy script, pop-art playhouse sets and commanding also has satisfying moments of pathos. performances by the three principals. — Gary Moms J H Evie (Jack Plotnick) is the archetypal Evil Dignity in Safe Schools i cy EQUITY Investing fri Dignity Your gift to Equity is an investment in dignity. A Gay-Straight Alliance can make all the difference. 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