The Velocity of Gary

Rating:
Summary: Love in All Shapes and Sexes
Review: A film of unusual teanderness that explores human love and fragility in all forms is The Velocity of Gary. The complex menage of Valentino (Vincent D'Onofrio), Gary2 (Thomas Jane), and Salma Hayek are a complex trio whose devotion to one another is never a smooth relationship. Valentino is dying of AIDS and his lovers fight over how he should be cared for is a lesson in life and letting go. This is a complex little film which stages its story against the backdrop of gay subculture and NYC porn. It's not a film for everyone, but it is a wonderful love story that presents the tenderness and longing for love and companionship with respect.

Thomas Jane is superb as a young man whose emotions are bottled up until he meets and loves Valentino, a gay porn star. Salma Hayek is the volitile lover of Valentino, a spontaneous beauty whose lusty attack on life scares and irritates Gary. How these three come to terms with death and life is a wonderful story for viewers with open minds.

... This is a touching film for anyone who enjoys love stories and fabulous acting. The physical beauty of this cast is stunning and the performances top notch.

Rating:
Summary: Love in All Shapes and Sexes
Review: A film of unusual teanderness that explores human love and fragility in all forms is The Velocity of Gary. The complex menage of Valentino (Vincent D'Onofrio), Gary2 (Thomas Jane), and Salma Hayek are a complex trio whose devotion to one another is never a smooth relationship. Valentino is dying of AIDS and his lovers fight over how he should be cared for is a lesson in life and letting go. This is a complex little film which stages its story against the backdrop of gay subculture and NYC porn. It's not a film for everyone, but it is a wonderful love story that presents the tenderness and longing for love and companionship with respect.

Thomas Jane is superb as a young man whose emotions are bottled up until he meets and loves Valentino, a gay porn star. Salma Hayek is the volitile lover of Valentino, a spontaneous beauty whose lusty attack on life scares and irritates Gary. How these three come to terms with death and life is a wonderful story for viewers with open minds.

... This is a touching film for anyone who enjoys love stories and fabulous acting. The physical beauty of this cast is stunning and the performances top notch.

Rating:
Summary: Velocity of Gary Hits The Heart
Review: A sweet little movie that's easily missed if your eyes aren't peeled. The message being basically: If you really love someone, as Gary and Mary Carmen love Valentino, you walk their road with them until it ends, good or bad, come what may. Even death isn't necessarily the end--sometimes, as it is here for Mary Carmen and Gary--it's a new beginning, as well. Salma Hayek is fabulous as Mary Carmen, possessive of Valentino and jealous of Gary, a beautiful newcomer into their relationship who is her polar opposite, and not just physically. She is fiery and spontaneous; he is gentle and shy. But we soon discover that Gary and Mary Carmen aren't all that different, after all: Valentino teaches Gary passion to match that of himself and Mary Carmen--and that passion lives on after Valentino is gone because they have his child--and each other--to care for. Hayek and Jane are simply lovely to look at, and already masters of their craft at their young ages. The viewer can easily understand Valentino's love for both of them. More time could have been spent on showing why Gary and Mary Carmen cared so much for Valentino--all we had of that were small glimpses into his personality that made me wish this film had emphasized Valentino's life more than his death (which dragged on too long). Likewise, I don't see the point of all the footage of Mary Carmen, Gary, and Valentino dressed up like the Supremes--it would be very refreshing to see a movie in which men who are attracted to each other AREN'T forced to deck out in drag. It would also have been nice to see more development in the relationship between Gary and the helpless, hopeless "Dorothy"--but there is a very telling moment nonetheless: Dorothy witnesses Gary being picked up by someone whom Gary doesn't even SEE before taking him up on his proposition, someone who doesn't care for him as she does, someone with a heart far meaner than her own. As she waits for Gary to emerge from his tryst with the stranger, she passes the time attempting to play a video game, which only chants LoserLoserLoser at her--and since Dorothy is deaf and relies on lip-reading to understand others--she can't hear the machine calling her a loser, and continues to dogmatically hope for a crumb of Gary's attention. But even Dorothy can be a winner--in the moment of her death, she is permitted to hold Gary in her arms and gaze upon his handsome face as the last sight she sees in this existence. Valentino wins by having Gary and Mary Carmen to love him until the bitter end. The two survivors win by having learned to love each other, as well as the man who held them together. This movie has humor, tragedy, heart, and promise. Easily the best love story I have seen in years.

Rating:
Summary: Really bad
Review: Godawful film that tells the story of a bisexual former porn star (Vincent D'Onfrio) in NYC slum who's s-l-o-w-l-y dying of AIDS while his unemployed girlfriend (Salma Hayek) and boyfriend (Thomas Jane) watch. D'Onfrio and Hayek are Obnoxious, unsympathetic, and annoying. The movie as a whole is totally unlikeable and at times boring. For those interested, Ethan Hawke appears very briefly in a few scattered scenes as a tattoo artist.

Rating:
Summary: A mesmerizing and brilliant film!
Review: I had been reading mixed reviews on this film so I was pleasantly surprised after I watched it. This is now one of my favorite movies of all time! The characters and story drew me in so deeply that I re-watched it a couple of days later. The story of the charismatic, dying Valentino and his two lovers really moved me. These were people who loved each other in their own way. Even though Gary and Mary Carmen fought all the time, their love for Valentino was enough to keep them together. I found the story to be touching, the dialogue interesting and the actors perfect in their roles.

This is a film that is more understandable if you have known a lot of people who live alternative lifestyles. I've been friends with people in relationships like this and its a very complicated situation. I also enjoyed the strange characters like Kid Joey, the drag queen obsessed with Patsy Cline and Gary. He was so desperate and sad and I wish his character would have been in the movie longer. All these people were different and bizarre yet they all seemed to care about each other. Not to mention there is a really hot kiss between two gorgeous men! The ending was moving to me in that it gave you a sense of optimism for their future. It doesn't necessarily have a happy ending but its a real ending with heart.

Obviously this is a movie that is not for everyone but for those with an open mind, you can become absorbed in this story. This is a rare and beautiful film that will make you stop and think long after its over. I would give it more than five stars if I could!

Rating:
Summary: A mesmerizing and brilliant film!
Review: I had been reading mixed reviews on this film so I was pleasantly surprised after I watched it. This is now one of my favorite movies of all time! The characters and story drew me in so deeply that I re-watched it a couple of days later. The story of the charismatic, dying Valentino and his two lovers really moved me. These were people who loved each other in their own way. Even though Gary and Mary Carmen fought all the time, their love for Valentino was enough to keep them together. I found the story to be touching, the dialogue interesting and the actors perfect in their roles.

This is a film that is more understandable if you have known a lot of people who live alternative lifestyles. I've been friends with people in relationships like this and its a very complicated situation. I also enjoyed the strange characters like Kid Joey, the drag queen obsessed with Patsy Cline and Gary. He was so desperate and sad and I wish his character would have been in the movie longer. All these people were different and bizarre yet they all seemed to care about each other. Not to mention there is a really hot kiss between two gorgeous men! The ending was moving to me in that it gave you a sense of optimism for their future. It doesn't necessarily have a happy ending but its a real ending with heart.

Obviously this is a movie that is not for everyone but for those with an open mind, you can become absorbed in this story. This is a rare and beautiful film that will make you stop and think long after its over. I would give it more than five stars if I could!

Rating:
Summary: Poor storytelling
Review: I love movies that make you think, but I also would appreciate it if it wasn't dragging and so damn dull! Although the actors were great in their roles,I felt that the story should have been told in a much better fashion. I didn't see any reason why Selma and Gary loved Valentino that much. All I saw was a bunch of spontaneous make-out sessions, no love at all! I was checking my watch every fifteen minutes wondering when Valentino was going to kick over! I cared nothing about the situation between those three. If only the filmakers would place in meaningful scenes that would convince the viewers that the relationships with Valentino actually ment something! I saw a better story between Gary and the deaf man in drag! At least the movie explained why the drag queen was so infatuated with Gary and I was saddened to see him die. Bottom line.. I was thoroughly disappointed in this one.

Rating:
Summary: Stupid and Pointless
Review: I saw this film on the new release shelf. Vincent D'Onofrio, Salma Hayek. Looks quirky and fun. It's not. First of all, the most interesting character is killed off in one of the first scenes. Then, we are left with the other characters moping around and making out. I found it hard to distinguish any story at all, and by the last reel, the film made me wanting to take a shower, badly.

Rating:
Summary: SEE THIS MOVIE TO REMIND YOU WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT!
Review: I started this movie with a bit of erotic curiostiy, I admit it. But what it turned out to be was a movie that taught you that love and living are gifts not to be taken for granted. It also taught me that just because people have been dealt hard blows in life,and they dont live in fancy neighborhoods and have ivy league upbringings,( not that it helps in this day and age, anyway.) Being a human being on this planet through the grace of God grants you the ability to love and be loved no matter what the circumstances if you are only willing. No one in this film was perfect. But guess what? No one watching the film is perfect either! Look at this film and learn from it. LIFE IS A GIFT.

Rating:
Summary: Deeply Moving Slice of City Life
Review: I was taken by surprise by this unusually provocative story of three urban misfits. Sexy, emotionally resonant and at times very funny, the film also has a terrific lead performance by Vincent D'Onofrio as a former porn actor desperate to start a new life, and a touching performance by Selma Hyack, who's never been better. Overall, this is a gorgeously directed film. My only complaint is that it's not yet on DVD.