Rating: Summary: It has everything; yhe title says it all Baby Review: John Glover does himsel proud as twins of widely divergent personalities. Justin Kirk is particularly affecting as a blind gay man pursued by a seual addict in full view of his lover, with remaqrkably revealing results. Terence Mc Nally is in fine form, writing with insightful wit and grace: His work is well served in this Filmed play.Life is hard ; hearts are soft, Thank God! Leslie Trumbulll
Rating: Summary: An excellent motion picture. Review: Love! Valour! Compassion! is one of those movies that you want to watch over and over again. The performances are brilliant especially by Stephen Spinella and John Benjamin Hickey who play a gay couple celebrating their 14 years together. Jason Alexander does a wonderful job as Buzz who is AIDS-stricken and always quoting Broadway musicals. John Glover is also incredible playing twins. I laughed and cried watching this movie. This movie does an excellent job as it deals with honesty, loyalty, and the ability to love one another.
Rating: Summary: Human Compassion Review: Love! Valour! Compassion! It's what the human race is all about. Gay and straight issues aside, this film is about being a human being. Set amongst a group of gay men, each dealing with their own life issues, the film takes us down the road of miserable and content relationships. What shone through for me (aside from a great script and good acting) was the beauty of the relationships the men had with each other--human realtionships. Let's face it folks, it doesn't matter the color of your skin, or who you go to bed with at night....being a human being is what counts, and this is what the film is all about.
Rating: Summary: Wonderful Review: Often it is very tricky to adapt a play, especially one of a rather long length, to the screen and keep the story and characters intact. Though I have not had the pleasure of seeing a theatrical production of this film, I do own the play and have read it numerous times. Although the film did suffer a tiny bit from some things being edited out, characters speaking directly to the audience, further character insight etc., it is still a wonderful film, full of superb acting and characters that you fall in love with.
The characters are brought to life with superb accuracy, due to the fact that all the actors, except Nathan Lane, reprise their roles that they held on the stage for about all of two years. And it shows that they have bonded as artists with both each other and their characters.
As with almost all films there were performances that personally stood out to me. John Glover shows the audience why he won the Tony Award for his performance. Playing twin brothers, 'John the Foul and James the Fair' showing the defination of range. The other actor that really stood out was the always brilliant Justin Kirk, playing the young, blind Bobby Brahms, showing why he won the OBIE Award for his spectacular performance. The cast also includes Stephen Spinella, two time Tony award winner for Tony Kushner's masterpiece "Angels in America", Jason Alexander, and many other actors that deserve much more recognition and fame than they currently have.
This is a beautiful film with precious characters that you will love.
Rating: Summary: Schwanentanz Review: one of the greatest movies i have ever seen... simply about love, valour, and compassion... wonderfull performance,great director,great music... can not compare it to anything else that i have ever seen... a very complex tale of human nature... interesting conversation about life, love and death... watch it, don`t miss a scene,every single moment of this movie is worth it, specially the dance of the cygnets scene... one word- extraordinary!
Rating: Summary: Atrocious Review: One of the worst movies in recent years. The actors try their best, but can't overcome the phoney, pretentious and mawkish screenplay. If the play is ANYTHING like this stereotype-laden, melodramatic misfire, than I'm amazed at the acclaim and honor that has been bestowed upon it. Atrocious.
Rating: Summary: Dish! Nudity! and more Dish! Review: Some people may find this movie to be a gay version of a summer flick. It does the job quite well despite the use of clicheed stereotypes and language which is often, well, fluff. The acting is lighthearted and often good especially by John Glover and John Benjamin Hickey. The nudity is refreshingly real and in good taste [a tad like a men's locker room]. The story line is simple: 8 gay men meet for a few weekends during the summer at a beautiful Victorian home in upstate New York. They leave behind their swimming trunks but not their frustrations with relationships, their jobs, each other, a world which doesn't understand gay men and ultimately, AIDS.
Rating: Summary: Boys In The Band meets On Golden Pond Review: Terrance McNally's LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION! was a Tony-winning powerhouse on the New York stage--but the same cannot be said of the play's screen adaptation, which plays like a yuppie version of BOYS IN THE BAND that has unexpectedly collided with ON GOLDEN POND... but without much benefit to either.The story itself concerns a group of eight gay men who meet at an isolated but lavish country house for summer weekends and who thrash out their various hopes, desires, and relationships in the process. In this sort of ensemble piece, where the story is more about people than plot, the cast is key--and in truth the cast is quite fine, with John Glover a particular standout in the dual role of John and James Jeckyll. Trouble is, the gifts of the cast are repeatedly undercut by some of the most uninspired direction and cinematography going, and after a while it all begins to acquire a strangely superficial quality. I laughed now and then, I felt moved now and then, and I was occasionally impressed with some of the dramatic ideas involved. But when the final credits rolled I felt the film as a whole lacked any significant impact. The cast, however, makes it worth the effort. GFT, Amazon Reviewer
Rating: Summary: A great movie Review: The conversations, interactions and situations are all very representitive within circles of gay male friends. Dinner parties, group outtings, the fun, the pain and the challenges they face are the story behind this group - and are wonderful. The viewer gets an intimate look into the intermingled lives of these men. Great movie! If you don't buy it - rent it!
Rating: Summary: Okay adaptation of Broadway Hit Review: This film adaptation of McNally's play loses much of the poignancy it had in its Broadway incarnation. It also dispenses with most of the narration, which is a shame as much of the "framing" information about the characters was contained in the play's narration. The performances are adequate, if uninspired. Another case where casting a film with the stage actors was perhaps not the best idea. A similar theme was explored in the dated but still dynamic "The Boys In The Band". And a more exciting, offbeat variation on the same idea can be found in the British film "Boyfriends". But when, oh when, will "gay cinema" move beyond these cliche-ridden characters and explore the vast range of gay life experiences?
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