Sugar

Rating:
Summary: Good & Gritty!
Review:
I have to admit that although I knew the name Bruce LaBruce, I really didn't know much about him until after viewing "Sugar" and became intrigued by the film, which is based on several short stories of his from the "JD" series. JD's was a queer punk-zine which thrived between 1985 and 1991 and here director John Palmer has taken these stories, moved it from the skinhead punk world to a more mainstream urban locale of male hustlers, prostitutes and crack addicts and tells the tale of a young man coming of age, in a gritty and unnerving way. This is a great little film with some outstanding performances all around and it's a nice change of pace from the more mainstream, sugar coated (no pun intended) gay films we generally are accustomed to. It's unfortunate that the lead actor, Andre Noble, at the young age of 25, passed away unexpectedly in September 2004. I'm sure he would have had a great career ahead of him.

On the eve of his 18th birthday, Cliff (Andre Noble) has a lame, but rather touching dinner with his mom (Marnie McPhail) and his sister "Cookie" (Haylee Wanstall) at a local watering hole. It's not until they return home that Cliff gets a rather unexpected present from his sister, a joint, a tiny bottle of vodka and a card that instructs him to get SEX. So what's a boy to do? He heads downtown and finds himself drawn to a male hustler named "Butch" (Brendan Fehr). Butch lives in a world of crack addicts, transexuals, and prostitutes and Cliff has no qualms or reservations about any of them or becoming a part of their world. Cliff and Butch strike up a friendship and spend the night together plutonically, with Cliff wanting more and Butch struggling with his intimacy. Butch shows him life on the streets and Cliff shows him the other side by taking him home for dinner. Their friendship continues to blossom. Like a lost little puppy, Cliff stays with Butch through thick and thin and as the story unfolds the dark underside engulfs both of them. From obese tricks and pregnant drug dealers to pedarests and guys who like to be spanked, we're drawn in, much like Cliff, to Butch's way of life and can't seem to pull away. As the film progresses you never know what dark alley, twist, or turn is going to befall them and both of these young actors give some great performances I've seen in quite some time, as do the co-stars. "Sugar" may not be for everyone but I enjoyed this dark, dank, new world.


Rating:
Summary: morbid and loss of potential
Review: When I ordered this film I thought that I would find a story about two people trying ot find their way through life..blah blah blah......nope. The characters are wooden and boring except one of the two main actor's youger sister who deals drugs adding the only humor in the story. The characters just pick up and go on with their lives like nothing happened in the end leaving you to wonder how human can they really be? If you're looking for something with heart and content...wrong movie. If you're looking for something with these qualities and is erotic? Wrong movie. If you're looking for a movie with a let down ending and tons of graphic nauseating sex between Brendan Ferh and a large woman then here's your movie. Go for something like Latter Days or if you're really into sad endings but good movies go for "The Trip."

Rating:
Summary: No Sugar for me, thanks!
Review: I can't admit I really liked this film although I think Brendan Fehr did a great job with the role as a hustler who befriends a young man who is just coming into his own as a gay man. The story is centered around Cliff (Andre Noble) but it is Fehr's acting that really gets the viewers attention. This film is definitely not for the squeamish. From scenes of sex with an unattractive, overweight disabled woman to a scene where Butch basically rapes Cliff for the benefit of a voyeuristic trick, the movie doesn't shy away from uncomfortable material. Most of the movie, however, just didn't work for me. The role of Cliff's mother wasn't very interesting and I found the little sister, Cookie, who pill-popped Ritalin and dispensed joints like candy to be a little creepy. Noble did fairly well with his role but I wasn't impressed with him overall. The main reason to watch this is Brendan Fehr's performance----otherwise, not worth recommending.

Rating:
Summary: It's all about Fehr.
Review: I was lucky enough to be able to catch this one on the big screen before I picked it up on DVD. There's been a lot said about Sugar, both good and bad. It's not an easy movie to watch - nothing is romanticized or sugar-coated (no pun intended). Director John Palmer has a way of prefacing difficult scenarios with scenes full of humor, leaving the audience emotionally off-balance for most of the film, fluctuating between highly amused and a little horrified.

One thing that's constant, however, is the collective opinion of Brendan Fehr's mind-blowing performance.

Most people know him from "Roswell", or from the bit parts and ensemble roles he's had in would-be blockbusters ("Biker Boyz") and forgettable thrillers and horror flicks ("The Forsaken", "Christina's House"). Clearly, not the best vehicles to showcase any hidden chops. His work on Roswell often overshadowed leading man Jason Behr, and he has done some little-seen projects that really hinted at a bright future - "Edge of Madness," while not a great movie by any means, made you sit up and watch him.

"Sugar" makes it impossible for you to ignore him.

It's well-casted in general. The late Andre Noble is charming, convincingly wide-eyed and earnest. Maury Chaykin and Sarah Polley have memorable cameos. Haylee Wanstall is a natural. But it's Fehr's film, from beginning to end.

The movie isn't dialogue-heavy. It lets pointed looks and charged silences do a lot of the talking. And it takes an actor with a certain strength, a tangible presence, to pull off, without crossing the line into smarmy or just plain ridiculous. It's one of those roles that teeters on a razor's edge - the balance is so delicate, any wrong move could make the whole thing crash and burn.

What's impressive, and ultimately heart-breaking to watch, is that he's able to portray such a flawed character so flawlessly. Every note is pitch-perfect. The easy, cocky control Butch exudes in the beginning, that morphs into a downward spiral of self-destruction, could have been easily mishandled in the hands of another actor. But Fehr slides from one end of the spectrum to the other, seemingly effortlessly, grabbing the audience and yanking them along for the painful ride. The tenderness in his scenes with Noble, the determination in his encounters with clients, the easy comic timing, even the genuine kinship in his onscreen moments with Wanstall... none of that can be taught. By the time the film reaches its conclusion, he's taken you from Butch's early, confident smirk to a lost soul's broken tears and haunted eyes, and you're not watching Brendan Fehr, actor. He's become this character, and given us a glimpse at this kid's tragic life.

Perhaps therein lies the flaw in "Sugar." Once Butch fades to black, you're no longer engrossed. While I'm sure the ending was meant to illustrate how he'd influenced this suburban teenager's life, perhaps changed it for the better... Butch is one of those characters, and performances, that lingers, and stays with you long after the running time is over. And as the ending unfolded, all it did was anger me on behalf of the character I'd spent the entire movie watching, discarded and forgotten too soon.

Rating:
Summary: Everything horrible about gay films all roled into one
Review: One positive thing about this movie, the only positive thing: Fehr did a great job acting. Other than that, there is no redeeming quality to this movie. I am not sure how anyone could confuse this with a love story. All the characters are selfish, irresponsible, miserable, depraved, and sad excuses for human beings. If you want to experience the depths of how low a man can go and still be alive, then this will satisfy. However, unless you want a movie that will leave you depressed over how gay men are portrayed in cinema and in the world and feel like beating yourself up for no good cause-----stay away. I am very sorry Fehr chose to make this film; I am more sorry that part of my life went to viewing it. As a gay man, I feel it is high time to create gay cinema that has positive characters and an uplifting, hopeful message. Not every gay man is miserable, suicidal, and drug addicted!

Rating:
Summary: A Much Maligned Film That Has Many Merits
Review: SUGAR is one of those films that polarizes audiences: there are those who loathe the 'bad rap' it presents of the gay underground life and there are those that are in the Bravo camps of the stars. Based on short stories by Bruce La Bruce, SUGAR takes a look at the dark side of male prostitution in Toronto, hustlers on drugs, warpy families (and lack of family), and the idiosyncrasies of johns. And if these topics present a problem to viewers, then this is probably not a film to recommend.

However, for those who want a ground-level view of the world of male hustlers in Canada (and everywhere in the big cities around the world), then this script by Todd Klinck as directed by John Palmer rolls like a kaleidoscope of constantly changing aspects of this corner of society.

Cliff (Andre Noble) is celebrating his 18th birthday watching and acting out on his sexual confusion. His family consists of a mother (Marnie McPhail) who at least tries to be a supportive contemporary mom, and a bizarre sister Cookie (Haylee Wanstall) who requires Ritalin to maintain some semblance of normalcy while being very in tune with the 'world' Cliff is attempting to enter.

After a birthday at home, Cliff wanders the streets of Toronto and accidentally (?) encounters a cruising site for gay hustlers, trannies, and prostitutes. His flat affect is suddenly changed and the world that embraces his closeted gay bent opens up to him. His eyes fall on one Butch (Brendan Fehr) and for the first time in his life he has physical contact with another person! Butch is stunningly handsome, has a warm heart, flirts with Cliff yet warns him they cannot be anything but friends. Cliff falls in love, follows Butch through his various johns, partakes in Butch's always expanding drug habit, and eventually is used in an encounter for one of Butch's tricks - an encounter that breaks Cliff's idealistic infatuation with a moment of reality.

From that moment the film winds down with some tragic events permanently altering Cliff's view of the world and his place in it. Yes, the story has been used before, but this time along with the expected drug use extremes and deterioration of character, Palmer stalls at significant moments to share some of the sad pathology of various johns in an understanding light. There is a lot of sensitivity with the collection of characters in this film and that is a breath of fresh air.

The acting is generally high quality, especially from Brendan Fehr, Andre Noble, Haylee Wanstall, Marnie McPhail, and Sarah Polley. Roles such as Butch and Cliff call for a great deal of courage on the part of actors. While there is considerable frontal nudity on the part of the background hustlers, the 'stars' are allowed to show passion and activity without the focus being on nudity.

Though this is a dark film about a dark subject, there is enough 'light' to warrant the attention of a larger public. You just have to really look for it! Grady Harp, November 2004

Rating:
Summary: Andre Noble= gorgeous and talented. Very good film.
Review: The recent tragic death of actor Andre Noble leaves a void that cannot be replaced. But thankfully he has left his mark in this beautifully directed film. Sugar reminds me of "My private Idaho" in terms of directing and mood. While the former film had River Phoenix, who made the film so sexy, this film has Andre Noble. Noble had an acting style that revealed passion and emotion with a sexual edge. Playing an 18 year old gay teen who is anxious to have his first sexual encounter, he falls for Butch, a gay street hustler(played well by Brendan Fehr). But this is clearly Noble's film. His heart breaking performance is so real and gripping, and he seemed so destined for super stardom. Beautiful eyes, gorgeous hair and a smile that would break a million hearts, his death leaves the film industry without his raw talent and that is a shame. I would rate this film as an indie classic. It really hit home for me. I hope straight viewers keep an open mind while viewing as Andre truly gives a performance worth seeing again and again.

Rating:
Summary: Boring and Empty
Review: This movie is all style and no substance. It relies on visual hurly burly alternating with visual stasis to make it seem as if something's happening. There's no story, or not enough. It plunges the main character into this world of hustlers and drugs and trannies without having really established who he is or why he's drawn to these people. Someone praised the script and the acting, but it felt like weak improv to me, and there's not much script to speak of. I watched Latter Days last week and that was much better--story, rich characterizations and real acting, not this posing and strutting and pouting.

Rating:
Summary: Sugar
Review: This was an interesting movie to watch about a young man named Cliff who turns 18 and wants to have his first sexual experience. He meets Butch, who is a street hustler. Suddenly he is introduced into a world of sex and drugs, and the two friends wind up falling for each other, until drugs push them apart. It's a gritty movie that is sometimes disturbing, but worth watching. Coming of age is a good way to describe it, to see how Cliff is at the start of the movie, then to see the kind of person he is at the end. I thought it was a nice movie, well written and well acted.

Rating:
Summary: More Like Artificial Sweetener...
Review: This was supposed to be a love story, but really it wasn't. A coming of age tale, no more of a morality play on the evils of drug use. Newly 18, a boy goes out from suburbia to the destitute areas of downtown, immediately hooks up with a hustler who doesn't do "the gay thing" falls madly in love anyway, starts taking drugs and turning tricks as well. For someone inexperienced he sure caught on quickly. I was very disappointed with "Sugar." I didn't like the overall feel of the movie. It was dark and unfriendly, a poor man's version of "Kids." The performances were good, and it was nice to see a gay story told without flinching, and the male nudity kept peeking my interest. Not grat entertainment, but worth viewing.