Holding Trevor

Trying to plumb beneath the usual emotional shallows of twentysomething L.A. gay life, Holding Trevor sometimes succeeds, but mostly comes off as a vanity project for writer-star Brent Gorski. A lad with limited screen presence, he plays a protagonist caught between a longtime boyfriend-turned-junkie, an improbably perfect Mr. Right and two high-maintenance, brattily annoying best friends. Holding Trevor comes off as Joan Crawford-esquire, star-flattering melodrama on an Amerindie scale. There are several quite well-written, well-observed scenes; director Rosser Goodman delivers a polished product with solid tech values. But a vanity-project air still pervades Holding Trevor, from the scrawny stars frequent shirtlessness to his incessant fawning-over by Kranskis character.

Melissa Searing and Eli Kranski (who is also that hoty that every movie must have or so it seems) gave good roles, Gorski is better as writer, Brannan as musician... Best scenes are sex scenes, that's indeed tastefully simulated sex. Music is grate, especially Brennan's singing (and song writing). Not so bad, G&G will do it better next time!

Brent Gorski is solely responsible for this boring, drawn out piece of Cali based cinematic garbage. Whoever told Gorski he has talent as a writer and actor should have his (their) heads examined. 'Holding Trevor' centers around a few LA knuckleheads who think they're God's gift to everything and everyone. Guess what? Nothing could be further from the truth. Gorski plays the title character, Trevor Holden, a notorious malcontent who flutters around LaLa land looking for something meaningful with whom he can connect. He's already involved in a relationship with a self destructive heroin addict which only serves to make his life that more unhappy. Meanwhile, he's stuck in a meaningless job while trying to make it as an actor. There are no redeeming characters in Gorski's downbeat film. Can Trev change his life when given the opportunity to do so? Does anyone really care? Message to Gorski and other LGBTQ film writer wannabes: Elevate our community and stop with the stereotypical gay characters who represent a small area of our great community. Also, get your butts out of LA. Enough already. Be daring, venue is important to a story, as is character development. Contrary to what Gorski and other writers think, when referencing and critiquing the LGBTQ+ experience, stop with the premise that the sun rises and sets exclusively on Cali, especially LA. It doesn't!

feelings, fears, expectations, decisions, faces of new beginning. and a character who can be every of us. because it is not exactly a gay story. it is only search of best option in a desert of reality. a pledge for friendship virtues and need of the other. an exercise to define reality as drawing of intentions. and demonstration of human relationships. central virtue - the music as morning cigar smoke. and the courage of script to build nuances of a small universe as steps of new level. not a remarkable film. but a good occasion to discover the roots of common life. and to understand it more than part of accident. or part of generally lust.

This starts off with a straight woman masturbating in bed where she's disturbed by a gay male friend phoning her . The gay male friend then has his partner perform fellatio on him and then the partner suffers a drugs OD . Have I mentioned that the opening credits haven't finished at this point ?

Oh dear yet another feature from independent cinema . Maybe there is a market for this type of very limited release . Maybe there isn't . Or maybe the whole film's function is to make a film so the production team can hone their film making skills before moving on to better things . I've got to brutally honest and say the production team on HOLDING TREVOR still have a long way to go

The fundamental problem is that very little of note happens in the film . Characters spout existentialist dialogue in a totally unconvincing pretentious manner . There is not one sympathetic character in the movie and for a film that supposedly is made to appeal to a gay audience the gay characters are acted in a totally camp way which makes for a totally uninvolving film regardless of your sexuality

Young Trevor, played by screenwriter Brent Gorski, is intelligent enough to know that it life is not on track. He is dissatisfied and feels cast adrift. Nothing will 'hold Trevor', until he finds what he wants out of life, but will he find completeness in the love that he craves?

Trevor is entangled in an unhealthy relationship with Darrell, a self-destructive heroin addict. And, Trevor is equally trapped in a boring, telemarketing job--a job which, he sees, as taking him nowhere on a dead-end road. The party scene is vapid, and I can't help but wonder why Trevor would seek comfort from something so empty and lonely?

Trevor's roommate, Andie, and Jake (a singer) are his best friends. Like Trevor, they seem to be pulled apart by boredom and discontent.

Darrell overdoses, once again and, at a hospital, Trevor meets a medical intern by the name of Ephram. Ephram, filled with ambition, gives Trevor hope. Ephram, a man of strikingly good looks, offers Trevor warmth. He also gives Trevor a chance to break out of his entanglement with Darrell, a relationship which is dragging Trevor's life consistently down. But, will Trevor find passion, romance, and security?

Trevor seems poised to make some positive changes, in his life, which includes ending his perilous relationship with Darrell. Trevor makes an attempt to patch up his impaired relationships with Andie and Jake. Trevor's celebration, of a negative HIV test, explodes in rage and sorrow. Darrell shows up, unannounced, and makes quite a scene. Then, at the same time, Ephram suggests that Trevor is not yet ready to make a commitment. When he is down, Andie also verbally attacks Trevor.

While being pulled all over the place, in conflicting directions, will Trevor be able to stand his ground and better his life?

Director Rosser Goodman (That's What I'm Talking' 'Bout, Frameline29) is given ample opportunity to explore fertile territory in Gorski's script, but fails to provide a focus on the required raw emotions. For this reason, I rate the film a 6 out of 10. Yet, with all of its flaws, the film's script shows potential for further development. I would like to see Ephram showing up, at the beginning of the film, rather than towards the end of the film. In this way, tension would increase at the start of the film, instead of midway. Additionally, the love scenes require more work, in order to make them believable. But, the film is a fair attempt, and worth seeing.