Have you ever had this dilemma? You’ve charmed the most beautiful hottie in dreamland and he’s ready for a night of some of the best sex you’ll ever have. The problem is, you cannot find a private place to get it on. Jim Fall, director of the romantic comedy Trick, has built a feature length film on this very premise.
Gabriel (played by Neve Campbell’s brother, Christian) writes musicals. He’s sweet, nerdy and shy around cute boys like John, the muscle-titted, G-string wearing, go-go boy who picks Gabriel up in the subway with the nonchalance and grace of a pro.
Their mission – to find a suitable place to have sex – leads them throughout the gay geography of downtown New York, running up against many sex obstacles like Katherine, Gabriel’s actress/best friend(TV iconess, Tori Spelling).
Trick has already been touted as a welcome departure from the darkness of the early ’90s queer cinema. It is refreshing to see a film about gay life that does not revolve around the troubled, homosexual soul. Trick moves into a new territory, using gayness as a suitable setting (and not as a device) to explore the turbulent gay experience.
Despite its forays into new and welcomed frontiers, the film runs dangerously close to being dull. There are some funny moments, but at times, the script isn’t strong enough to carry the film. It’s a funny story; not a clever one.
Though the gay characters are multidimensional and fresh, the rest of the cast is a collection of the usual suspects plaguing gay films: the needy fag hag, the old lounge queen, the nasty drag queen and the unbearably straight couple who are “cool” with their fag friends but so unbearably straight, few heterosexuals could stand being around them. Trick fails to provide a refreshing take on these stock characters.
Trick is one of those films to enjoy because it reflects images of gay life that are joyful, matter-of-fact and untortured. On the other hand, Trick may not stack up well against this summer’s gay films that involve characters who must face adversity because of their queerness.
Trick opens Fri, Aug 6 at the Carlton (20 Carlton St; 416-598-2309) and Canada Square (2200 Yonge St; 416-483-9428).
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