Rating: Summary: A Powerful Piece Review: "An endearing and sincere drama that chronicles the ten-year life of a gay relationship. Back in 1978, everything seemed possible for several young men. For Philip and Guy, there was the thrill and exhilaration of first love. For their friends Devon, Jerry and Todd, life was still an open book with so many pages yet to be filled. But ten years later, all are gone except for Philip who is left alone, wondering what the hell happened. He tries to make sense of the joys and the sorrows as well as to chart a new direction for the future. Writer/director Natale's feature film debut depicts the lives of five friends in conflict with themselves and each other yet ultimately, the insightful tale is about love and survival. The title is drawn from events around the sale of a shirt which brought each of them together. "A totally refreshing and romantic (even sexy) drama, true to the crises many have endured without being pedantic, mature without losing its vitality. A powerful piece about the force that tear people apart and ultimately keeps them together." Outfest
Rating: Summary: A Powerful Piece Review: "An endearing and sincere drama that chronicles the ten-year life of a gay relationship. Back in 1978, everything seemed possible for several young men. For Philip and Guy, there was the thrill and exhilaration of first love. For their friends Devon, Jerry and Todd, life was still an open book with so many pages yet to be filled. But ten years later, all are gone except for Philip who is left alone, wondering what the hell happened. He tries to make sense of the joys and the sorrows as well as to chart a new direction for the future. Writer/director Natale's feature film debut depicts the lives of five friends in conflict with themselves and each other yet ultimately, the insightful tale is about love and survival. The title is drawn from events around the sale of a shirt which brought each of them together. "A totally refreshing and romantic (even sexy) drama, true to the crises many have endured without being pedantic, mature without losing its vitality. A powerful piece about the force that tear people apart and ultimately keeps them together." Outfest
Rating: Summary: Synopsis Review: "An endearing and sincere drama that depicts the lives of five friends in conflict with themselves and each other but ultimately it is about love and survival. Back in 1978 everything seemed possible. For Phillip and Guy there was the thrill and exhilaration of first love. For their friends Devon, Jerry and Todd, life was still an open book with so many pages yet to be filled. Ten years later, they are all gone and Phillip is left alone, wondering what happened, trying to make sense of the joys, sorrows and what made everything possible - all the while looking hopefully to the future. 90 min." - From Wolfevideo
Rating: Summary: Good intentions, but.... Review: A friend recommended this film so I started to view it but had to stop after 30 minutes. I usually give films more of a chance but the sound quality of the DVD was so poor that I was either straining to hear what was being said or turning the volume down. (I tried it on a second DVD player with the same results.) The two main actors (Gregory Phelan and Victor Spirtas) were not too bad, but the script -- what I was able to make out of it -- left little to be desired. A bit too confusing and not conversational and realistic. The supporting characters were too clichéd and made the one scene of the introduction dinner difficult to sit through.The film's creators seemed to have made this film with good intentions: showing the effects of AIDS on the gay community by focusing on one relationship in particular. But, the script and the sound problems make it difficult to watch.
Rating: Summary: Good intentions, but.... Review: A friend recommended this film so I started to view it but had to stop after 30 minutes. I usually give films more of a chance but the sound quality of the DVD was so poor that I was either straining to hear what was being said or turning the volume down. (I tried it on a second DVD player with the same results.) The two main actors (Gregory Phelan and Victor Spirtas) were not too bad, but the script -- what I was able to make out of it -- left little to be desired. A bit too confusing and not conversational and realistic. The supporting characters were too clichéd and made the one scene of the introduction dinner difficult to sit through. The film's creators seemed to have made this film with good intentions: showing the effects of AIDS on the gay community by focusing on one relationship in particular. But, the script and the sound problems make it difficult to watch.
Rating: Summary: Boring! Review: A gay man recalls his relationships with past lovers and friends, most of whom have died from AIDS (or in one case, suicide). This might have made an interesting film fifteen years ago, but Green Plaid Shirt was made in 1996. By then everyone knew what spreads HIV infection and how to prevent it, so we don't feel much sympathy for the film's characters who chose to have "open" relationships (and, obviously, unprotected sex). On top of this, the film's audio is virtually unintelligible.
Rating: Summary: Bummer!! Review: Don't go watching this movie with any sharp objects around you. Geez, this was a downer of a film! I am sorry maybe I should have a little more respect for the AIDS epidemic, but I really did not know that this movie was all about people dropping like flies. I guess I try to pick movies that are a little more upbeat. It was a decent movie, but just not for me. If you are into drama and death and sickness and all the lovely things that go along with it then by all means dive into this flick! You will not be disappointed.
Rating: Summary: Good film... Review: I bought this movie upon the recommendation of a friend. Glad I did. Have shared the story with several frinds over time. I see something different each time I watch it. I lost a lover 5 years ago. It is a moving story of friends and lovers and the good and not so good in us we don't let anyone but our closest of friends experience. It is an accurate take on relationships, both in and out of bed. It's great to see a movie where the gay character(s) aren't psycho or totally flaming (although, there are a couple of guys who do spontaneously combust.) The people here are more like people I know. The film was very well done and the characters engaging; some more likeable than others... like in life. The sound was disappointing; otherwise I would have given it 5 stars. I would have purchased it on DVD if available.
Rating: Summary: Good movie, terrible sound Review: I enjoy Green Plaid Shirt very much, but it has two critical problems. The most critical issue is the sound. There are substantial passages that are impossible to hear. A less critical but annoying issue is the film editing. For some reason, the director apparently felt a need to tell the story with flashbacks and flashforwards. The effect here is not good cinema or storytelling. It merely seems trendy. The story of the lover who dies from AIDS would actually seem more tender, loving and meaningful if it had simply been told in a straight-forward manner. Indeed, the jumping about seems to diminish the tragedy of his death. The acting is very good and the premise of building a story around a plaid shirt is both effective and appealing. The romance of the two lead characters is tender and caring and is definitely worth experiencing by watching this slightly flawed gem of a movie. We need more gay love stories and this is one to put on your video shelf and watch with someone you care about very much.
Rating: Summary: Good movie, terrible sound Review: I enjoy Green Plaid Shirt very much, but it has two critical problems. The most critical issue is the sound. There are substantial passages that are impossible to hear. A less critical but annoying issue is the film editing. For some reason, the director apparently felt a need to tell the story with flashbacks and flashforwards. The effect here is not good cinema or storytelling. It merely seems trendy. The story of the lover who dies from AIDS would actually seem more tender, loving and meaningful if it had simply been told in a straight-forward manner. Indeed, the jumping about seems to diminish the tragedy of his death. The acting is very good and the premise of building a story around a plaid shirt is both effective and appealing. The romance of the two lead characters is tender and caring and is definitely worth experiencing by watching this slightly flawed gem of a movie. We need more gay love stories and this is one to put on your video shelf and watch with someone you care about very much.
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