RELAX. . . deals with real people in real and extraordinary circumstances. You see people of all colors, men and women, straight and queer dealing with love, life, hopes, dreams, disillusionments, brutality, and ultimately friendship. The dialog is witty and the people are very 3-D.
It's hard to summarize this movie without giving too much away. Highlights include a dinner party where the meaning of AIDS is debated -- after one in the group announces his HIV+ status; a breakfast with a lesbian, her new boyfriend and her parents, where the parents are aghast that she's dating men now, after breaking up with her lover of 9 years whom they adored; a meeting between one of the main characters and Aunt Mahalia, played wonderfully by Paul Winfield; and a rape scene which leaves the viewer to answer very uncomfortable questions about violence and retribution. Wisely, the film does not answer any of the weighty questions it presents. It only presents them in a sometimes funny, often poignant way.
If the folks at Queer as Folk had any sense, they would hurry up and hire writer/director PJ Castellaneta as one of their principle writers, to bring some life and meaning back to that show. In lieu of that, just rent this and sit back and relax for a fun ride.
It's hard to summarize this movie without giving too much away. Highlights include a dinner party where the meaning of AIDS is debated -- after one in the group announces his HIV+ status; a breakfast with a lesbian, her new boyfriend and her parents, where the parents are aghast that she's dating men now, after breaking up with her lover of 9 years whom they adored; a meeting between one of the main characters and Aunt Mahalia, played wonderfully by Paul Winfield; and a rape scene which leaves the viewer to answer very uncomfortable questions about violence and retribution. Wisely, the film does not answer any of the weighty questions it presents. It only presents them in a sometimes funny, often poignant way.
If the folks at Queer as Folk had any sense, they would hurry up and hire writer/director PJ Castellaneta as one of their principle writers, to bring some life and meaning back to that show. In lieu of that, just rent this and sit back and relax for a fun ride.