FILM REVIEW // NewFest ‘09 opened on Thursday with Jacqui Morris’ directorial debut, ‘Mr. Right’ — an ensemble piece following the lives of several gay Londoners.
Actor, Benjamin Hart: Is he Mr. Right? Or Mr. Wrong?
The film starts off rough with a narration from jilted fag hag, Louise. Her role is mainly to drop sassy one liners much like you’d expect from a gay character in a straight film.
And perhaps that’s the film’s strength. Morris explains she wanted to make a gay movie for the “mainstream.”
Despite the familiar gay characters (Alex is an aspiring actor/waiter, Lawrence is a soap-star, Tom is the self-deprecating artist, and Lars is the narcissistic muscle boy), ‘Mr. Right’ depicts these men with intellect and wit — minus the campiness and lisps you might expect.
Most interesting is the emergence of a new gay character archetype: the single dad, William. We watch him struggle to raise a “normal” 9-year old child, while he fights fears of being alone. William is both an ex-Rugby player and antique collector, which makes for a refreshing and unexpected combination.
The film was made on a shoe string budget, but the quality doesn’t suffer. For example, the soundtrack features The Gossip and Rufus Wainright, courtesy of a very generous Universal Music. And even more impressive is the discovery that the entire movie was shot hand held and on tape (which is cheaper than digital). All this combined with the help of the local community in London’s gay SoHo district (many shops, bars, and clubs donated locations and support) turn what might have been a low budget mess into a solid, rarely-seen portrayal of modern gay life.
It’s no ‘Brokeback Mountain’ (and it doesn’t pretend to be), but Mr. Right is definitely worth checking out. In the least, it’s an excellent cure for a Saturday morning hang-over.
