I have to say that I am a little puzzled that some of the reviewers can't see the depth of the story here. While it is true that the script needed a bit of work, and that the actors were at times confined by that script, there were some redeeming qualities about the film. First, I viewed it at home on Netflix, so the issues some have raised about the sound and lighting might not have been as noticeable in the venue I used to view it. With that being said, I do feel that there was evidence of a solid movie here.
First, the actors were somewhat well-suited for their roles. Denny, played by Dale Dymkoski, was supposed to come off as an addict that was driven to his addiction by traveling a bumpy road growing up. For the most part, people who are victims of such a life tend to come off as crass and smug. Dymkoski did this well, and he even looked the part. The director did well in picking that actor, as he is not only a good-looking young man (that had to be because who could be pulled in by an ugly hustler)but he has a tough exterior and the look of a hard-nosed jerk. I am sure he is not that way in life, but he can surely put on that face in front of the camera. Good selection there. I also believe that the script makes him out to be a realistic character. He is not a truly bad guy at heart, but his life-experience has hardened him. He is the kind of guy looking for someone to take care of him. He finds that in Rusty, but Rusty is also the kind of guy Denny might want to be with long-term. That is what made it so difficult to take advantage of him, although he did at times. Denny comes off as a recalcitrant person, yet one that needs to be taken care of, and Dymkoski pulled that off quite well.
As for Rusty, Patrick Tatten fell somewhat short, but tried. I also thought the director did quite well in having him live in the environment he did. He restores houses but lives in a motel. This makes sense, for as the story moves on, we get the impression that Rusty detaches himself from what he loves. Otherwise, he would live in an old home he had restored, as would be expected of an architect in his field. This detachment plays a role in his love life as well. While he seems to love and care for Daniel, he has detached himself from him to a certain extent. He fails to understand the need to make a home with Daniel outside of a motel. Daniel tells him he is tired of living in a motel, to which Rusty responds that this is the Tropical, the place where Janis Joplin died. Everyone wants to stay there. He even has only one chair in the motel room, although there are two people living in it. So Rusty comes off as a character that has love and deep emotions but detaches himself from them. This is also true in his dealings with Denny. He realizes that he just wants Denny for sex, but he chooses to portray a relationship built on lust as love. He even goes so far as to say he loved Denny, but it really wasn't love. Rusty has a deep attraction to Denny and loves his sex appeal, a fact not lost on Denny who plays it to the hill and uses it to manipulate Rusty. However, on occasion, Denny lets his fondness for Rusty show by asking him not to leave him or let him go. Denny wants to stay with Rusty, but in order to do it, he will have to make sure Rusty understands that he will need financial support for his habit and lifestyle. It isn't until the situation is almost out of hand that Rusty snaps back to reality and makes the move he needed to make; however, as is painfully obvious when he stops and stares at Denny in the rear-view mirror, it was a gut-ripping decision, one he almost could not go through with.
So are these characters shallow and unbelievable? Certainly not. There are millions of Dennys out there. He is a young gay man who tried to leave his hellish life behind only to be trapped in a world of drugs, pornography and fast-talking hustlers. He blended in to this lifestyle, but there was a shred of decency in him, and he truly wanted to be loved. He just could not shake the dirty habits to which he had grown accustomed. There are also millions of Rustys out there-gay men who love the aesthetics of gay life, namely the hot, young attractive guys who seem so plentiful in Los Angeles. His visual desire overshadowed his spiritual desire for Daniel. The beauty of Denny clouded his view of the wonderful life he could have with Daniel. Denny served as a wake-up call, and thankfully, the alarm clock went off before he overslept. So yes, they are believable. There are many who have insatiable desires for sex, drugs, and the night life. Even those who have it together yearn for the cut-loose moments where they can let their hair down and be wild. It was through this episode with one hot hustler that Rusty realizes that good times can be enjoyed, but life is serious. Love needs to be deep, permanent and not based on sex. In the end, he realizes he is one lucky bastard. The script makes that clear at the end. While other things could have put the film in a coma, the script revived it.
First, the actors were somewhat well-suited for their roles. Denny, played by Dale Dymkoski, was supposed to come off as an addict that was driven to his addiction by traveling a bumpy road growing up. For the most part, people who are victims of such a life tend to come off as crass and smug. Dymkoski did this well, and he even looked the part. The director did well in picking that actor, as he is not only a good-looking young man (that had to be because who could be pulled in by an ugly hustler)but he has a tough exterior and the look of a hard-nosed jerk. I am sure he is not that way in life, but he can surely put on that face in front of the camera. Good selection there. I also believe that the script makes him out to be a realistic character. He is not a truly bad guy at heart, but his life-experience has hardened him. He is the kind of guy looking for someone to take care of him. He finds that in Rusty, but Rusty is also the kind of guy Denny might want to be with long-term. That is what made it so difficult to take advantage of him, although he did at times. Denny comes off as a recalcitrant person, yet one that needs to be taken care of, and Dymkoski pulled that off quite well.
As for Rusty, Patrick Tatten fell somewhat short, but tried. I also thought the director did quite well in having him live in the environment he did. He restores houses but lives in a motel. This makes sense, for as the story moves on, we get the impression that Rusty detaches himself from what he loves. Otherwise, he would live in an old home he had restored, as would be expected of an architect in his field. This detachment plays a role in his love life as well. While he seems to love and care for Daniel, he has detached himself from him to a certain extent. He fails to understand the need to make a home with Daniel outside of a motel. Daniel tells him he is tired of living in a motel, to which Rusty responds that this is the Tropical, the place where Janis Joplin died. Everyone wants to stay there. He even has only one chair in the motel room, although there are two people living in it. So Rusty comes off as a character that has love and deep emotions but detaches himself from them. This is also true in his dealings with Denny. He realizes that he just wants Denny for sex, but he chooses to portray a relationship built on lust as love. He even goes so far as to say he loved Denny, but it really wasn't love. Rusty has a deep attraction to Denny and loves his sex appeal, a fact not lost on Denny who plays it to the hill and uses it to manipulate Rusty. However, on occasion, Denny lets his fondness for Rusty show by asking him not to leave him or let him go. Denny wants to stay with Rusty, but in order to do it, he will have to make sure Rusty understands that he will need financial support for his habit and lifestyle. It isn't until the situation is almost out of hand that Rusty snaps back to reality and makes the move he needed to make; however, as is painfully obvious when he stops and stares at Denny in the rear-view mirror, it was a gut-ripping decision, one he almost could not go through with.
So are these characters shallow and unbelievable? Certainly not. There are millions of Dennys out there. He is a young gay man who tried to leave his hellish life behind only to be trapped in a world of drugs, pornography and fast-talking hustlers. He blended in to this lifestyle, but there was a shred of decency in him, and he truly wanted to be loved. He just could not shake the dirty habits to which he had grown accustomed. There are also millions of Rustys out there-gay men who love the aesthetics of gay life, namely the hot, young attractive guys who seem so plentiful in Los Angeles. His visual desire overshadowed his spiritual desire for Daniel. The beauty of Denny clouded his view of the wonderful life he could have with Daniel. Denny served as a wake-up call, and thankfully, the alarm clock went off before he overslept. So yes, they are believable. There are many who have insatiable desires for sex, drugs, and the night life. Even those who have it together yearn for the cut-loose moments where they can let their hair down and be wild. It was through this episode with one hot hustler that Rusty realizes that good times can be enjoyed, but life is serious. Love needs to be deep, permanent and not based on sex. In the end, he realizes he is one lucky bastard. The script makes that clear at the end. While other things could have put the film in a coma, the script revived it.