Confusion of Genders

Rating:
Summary: One of the funniest comedies in years
Review: A giant custard pie smack in the kisser of anyone who has ever claimed "but I'm really bisexual," when that's not the case at all "La Confusion des Genres" is miles ahead of the formulaic likes of "Le Placard" when it comes to making a comedy about gay life today. As he's shown in films as diverse as "Pauline at the Beach" and "Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train," Pascal Greggory is a master of guilty sexual sneakiness. Worth seeing for the wedding scene alone.

Rating:
Summary: The Title Says It All!
Review: CONFUSION OF GENDERS is one of those odd Gallic films that mixes angst with social comment, a generous dollop of both heterosexual and homosexual trysts, Gallic humor, and bizarre philosophy - and it does so with considerable panache. While some would categorize this as a cerebral sexual romp, the quality of the film as directed by Ilan Duran Cohen is indeed fast paced but covers more comment about contemporary sexual mores than most.

Alain (Pascal Greggory) is a lawyer working for Laurence (Nathalie Richard), is frankly bisexual, and the two volley the concept of a marriage of convenience. Though Alain is frank with Laurence that he prefers men sexually, he does want a normal life and family. Enter Christophe (Cyrille Thouvenin) a very young lad who prefers older men and within moments Alain is bedding Christophe. Yet he also has a physical liaison with Laurence. Alain is assigned a case of a prisoner up for murder and in visiting Marc (Vincent Martinez) in the prison, Alain is asked to contact Marc's girlfriend Babette (Julie Guyet) to transmit his messages of love - in return for proposed sexual favors for Alain! Alain's interplay with Babette is yet another excursion into exploring relationships.

How these disparate characters intertwine both in and out of bed and the consequences of the acting out the spectrum of sexuality is comical yet also with a tinge of reality that results in life changes for most of the people involved. Each of the actors is excellent and there is enough eye candy for viewers in search of same! And though some may react as though this were a French soap opera for the big screen, there is a lot more food for thought that develops after the final closing scenes. Recommended for those who enjoy double entendres. In French with English subtitles. Grady Harp, November 2004

Rating:
Summary: Pretentious French Nonsense
Review: Now I know why so many people who travel, say that they are sick of the French. I did not care what happened to any of these self-serving, self-aggrandizing, self-centered, and annoyingly selfish characters. Hmmm, I wonder if a pattern is developing here? They all seem to have confused rudeness with sophistication.

The direction was haphazard and the acting entirely too "precious." These people wouldn't know love if it presented itself naked, prone and ready to be mounted.

Rating:
Summary: Pretentious French Nonsense
Review: Now I know why so many people who travel, say that they are sick of the French. I did not care what happened to any of these self-serving, self-aggrandizing, self-centered, and annoyingly selfish characters. Hmmm, I wonder if a pattern is developing here? They all seem to have confused rudeness with sophistication.

The direction was haphazard and the acting entirely too "precious." These people wouldn't know love if it presented itself naked, prone and ready to be mounted.

Rating:
Summary: Finally a movie with gay characters and no one dies!
Review: Recently I've been renting a lot of gay movies because I was buying them and sadly disappointed by the unhappy endings so many of them have! This was a great movie with interesting characters, a plot line that was followable and attractive people, both gay, straight, bi and well just about everything. Purchased the movie right after watching it. Following a story of a man who loves. Doesn't matter what the sex is, just loves. There are women, there are men. It's a good movie. I recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Finally a movie with gay characters and no one dies!
Review: Recently I've been renting a lot of gay movies because I was buying them and sadly disappointed by the unhappy endings so many of them have! This was a great movie with interesting characters, a plot line that was followable and attractive people, both gay, straight, bi and well just about everything. Purchased the movie right after watching it. Following a story of a man who loves. Doesn't matter what the sex is, just loves. There are women, there are men. It's a good movie. I recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: charming, sexy, witty and wise
Review: This delicious little concoction is an imaginative and romantic cinematic pastry from France. It is fast-paced, with a enchanting cast, great story, and a witty, satyrical, decidedly Gallic slant on life. Pascal Greggory is perfect as Alain, the confused, seductive, fortyish lawyer who loves self-doubting Laurence, his law partner (pregnant with his child) as well as beautiful and determined Christoph, the younger brother of a former lover. Their ambidextrous loves scenes are hedonistic, hilarious, and delightful. This erotic stew (to mix my culinary metaphors) is made even more tasty by the addition of a few other spices: Alain's beautiful, doomed client, Marc, and his erstwhile girlfriend. A multi-faceted gem which stands up to multiple viewings and gives much whimsy and satisfaction. Alain finds that he can indeed, as Christoph promises, have it all.

Rating:
Summary: Confusion of intent
Review: What was the intent of this film? Oh, yes, some call this a comedy. And I suppose it is, in a very dry way. Don't expect the obvious, slapstick-based French humor of a Francis Veber movie.

But this movie pretends to be more than a comedy. I have to agree with the other reviewer who called this "pretentious French nonsense." That's pretty much what this is -- take it from a foreign film fan who has several French movies on his all-time favorites list.

This is the sort of film where the characters almost always say the opposite of what they feel -- just for effect. Rarely is there any real dialogue. All the characters (unlikable, for the most part) tend to make pronouncements that have nothing to do with what the other character just said.

The main character, in particular, is unbearable. In this movie, he is irresistibly attractive to men and women alike, but the source of his allure remains a mystery throughout. We see him as selfish, uninteresting, depressed, confused and entirely unaware of his internal thoughts and feelings.

I'd recommend giving this a pass.