The Men Next Door (2012) Poster

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7/10
what happens when we try for an original, gay romantic comedy
kinseydude9 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
This effort was trying its best to be a gay-only romantic comedy and failing. . . interestingly. The pace was leaden, the plot contrived, the dialog iffy, and the fag-hag friend, who never did spontaneity well, never really seemed to add anything to this movie (funny that it's the token straight woman who did the least to move this story along. . . ). We're asked to believe in a threesome, when two of the men are father and son, giving the third man ample time to make up his mind while continuing to date them both. The film never really treated the moment of "ick, you've had sex with my father!" that even the most liberal threesome would have experienced. It never really explained why the son character would keep dating the man who was also seeing his dad--THAT's a degree of devotion we would need to see, more than this film ever shows it, to suspend our disbelief. Once you realize, about half an hour into this film, that real people would never really act this way, you either turn it off or continue to engage with it as farce or light-hearted, not terribly successful comedy.

It deserves some props, though, as a gay effort at film-making. This story just would not translate to the heterosexual milieu (I'm not sure it even works in the gay world). This would only make sense in the male-only world of open relationships and casual sex (a woman couldn't have the sexual history the main character of this film has, without getting called every insult in the book). This makes a concerted effort to be a unique and original sex comedy, with the sexy scenes and the off-color banter a mainstream romantic comedy would have had. That it doesn't work, and that many of us keep watching it anyway, despite its obvious flaws, suggests if we keep trying and keep failing just as interestingly, a uniquely gay romantic comedy genre might one-day be at hand.
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1/10
Dreadful
Spectator8821 March 2013
I watched this film based on several positive comments elsewhere. Gads!! This film is insipid, inane, juvenile, full of caricatures, etc. The premise is creepy and preposterous. The plot is totally implausible and everything is moved along by happenstance and hackneyed devices - you know the sort of thing when one character walks in the front door just as another character walks out the back door. Even as a supposed light comedy it lacks depth. It is mostly one liners from superficially drawn characters many of whom are quite disagreeable all the way to annoying. The acting is mostly poor but forgivable to some extent given the mostly contrived and empty (meant to be funny I guess) dialogue that has been written for these witless characters.

Stay away!!
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2/10
not as funny as it thinks it is
sugarfreepeppermint13 February 2013
This is the type of comedy that might appeal to Will and Grace fans. It also is very much like a gazillion of youtube videos out there, where groups of bad amateur actors put together little comical gay themed vignettes. As in those, in this film they have literally copied the mildly bitchy West Hollywood repartee straight from their dinner parties, bar chat, office banter and pasted it into this story about a professional Quadragenarious gay man and his professional gay friends, an annoying fag hag, and two lovers: "the men next door."

The main actor seems to think that his every acting effort should be followed by curving his lips in an pouting way (no sweetie, it's just not cute, you're not a 13 year old teenage girl). He has zero charisma and no sex appeal. Every joke cracked, I couldn't as much as raise a smile, it merely instilled irritation. And believe me, I do know how to appreciate a well delivered camp performance; this simply is not. The other actors carry no humour with them, except for the "straight" brother character.

I could only bear watching this for about 20 minutes before I gave up. The best thing about the film is the HD quality. But perhaps that would have been of better use if the interiors were less Ikea showroom, and a bit more more lush. I prefer to go to a gay bar on Santa Monica Boulevard myself, and eavesdrop into people's conversations; that will provide me with a whole lot more entertainment than this not so terribly funny flick.
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9/10
Gay Rom Com
enojones10 May 2013
Best film, ever! to borrow a phrase. Certainly a film for the steadfast romantic who believes true love conquers all, the premise is outrageous then unfolds with a series of farcical scenes climaxing with "the moment of knowing." For those who can look beyond the necessary nudity and witty dialog, the story makes a poignant social statement on romance, age-factor and age-range. It doesn't matter. Find someone that contents you, and hang on. Mr. Williams has been influenced by the key influential founders of the Gay Romance Awakening--Mssrs. Archer, Montgomery and others--who spearheaded the journey of gay cinema from dismal stories of HIV/AIDS, bleak hustler, addled substance-abuse, self- loathing and abusive coming out to celebration of being gay and being loved. Kudos on borrowing a tried-and-tested Hollywood formula and adapting it to the gay experience.

Unlike a night of bar-hopping, this movie will leave you feeling-good about yourself and without a hangover headache adding a ton of wrinkles and gray hairs to cover those sagging pectorals.
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1/10
Why do American Gay Comedies have to be so "precious"
mrfabulous10251 May 2013
I was hoping maybe this movie was going to be watchable, but noooooooh. The insipid dialog was written with no inkling of what truly funny repartee is. This pretentious bar babble made me cringe. Within the first ten minutes I started fast forwarding through most of it. I stopped only to find the later scenes did not improve. The actors were almost passable in the looks department, but the absence of physical chemistry and credibility strained the imagination. Stereotypes were too present, or maybe it was the sight of gay actors playing gay so poorly that upset me. These kind of "cute" comedies have always aggravated me. I hated Will and Grace and I hate this pathetic attempt at a Gay Romantic Comedy. Lets hope someone can eventually make a gay romantic comedy with the quality of a You've Got Mail or a classic like Charade. Is it asking too much? Films like Plan B, Patrik 1.5 or the fantasy Bad Boy Street seem to point the way.
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9/10
It's just a comedy... relax
melvinrovelo12 May 2020
Ok, you shouldn't watch this movie an critic as it is think to be a masterpiece, just don't. The idea is to watch and relax.

The basic idea it is what would happend if a guy dates two men at the same time, one ten years older, the other one 10 years younger.
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4/10
An Affair to Forget
Suradit5 October 2013
If you're looking for gritty reality, social significance or thought-provoking dialogue, this movie definitely should be avoided.

The story is improbable and ridiculous, but I'd say the first 80% of the movie is mildly amusing ... not because of the situations, but because the actors are fairly engaging at the amateur level. The central character grimaces a little too often and the supposed romantic attractions are definitely credulity stretchers, but it is just a fluff sitcom and decidedly low budget so you'll have to be in the mood to be mildly amused and/or slightly inebriated.

Unfortunately towards the end of the movie the ménage à trois disintegrates and we are expected to feel some sympathy for the predicament our hero faces and to be concerned about how it will be eventually resolved. That's when the disturbing realization hits you that the writer and director are actually laboring under the impression that anyone takes the story seriously or cares how it ends. When the cute, somewhat amusing repartee stops and everyone starts waxing philosophic, you'll start hitting the fast forward button ... if not sooner.
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1/10
trash---try-- Nobody Else But You---for a non gay/gay movie....
peru1-595-63010622 June 2013
I was trying to show my roommate how Netflix streaming works and unfortunately picked this movie. The synopsis seemed like it might be entertaining. After about 10 minutes into the thing I realized it was going to be unwatchable...actually 1 minute into the movie when the protagonist cuts his birthday cake and it made some loud fart like sound---that was intended to be funny...I had a very bad premonition.

Leaden stereotyped semi-bitchy West Hollywood gay dialog as other reviewers have commented yes yes yes it is queenie that sure doesn't help; but what killed it for me was being boring and trite and decidedly unfunny. What is so funny about having his brother send a stripper? That is more of a trauma to watch for most gays. Add on the bad acting and you have a real lemon.

I have been out for 20 years and queen humor is like a drag show entertaining for about 3 minutes and then a complete bore.

I agreed with the reviewer that most of the characters were downright disagreeable or grating. One of the promiscuous friends found a trick with a large phallus we were forced to look at etc etc.... That explained why he couldn't come to the birthday party. Someone less than intelligent wrote and directed this thing--

I unplugged it after about 15 minutes...it brings up the hardest part about using Netflix streaming: There is so much garbage on it...in fact the hardest and most time consuming part of using it is trying to find something watchable. If I am short on time I will pick some 50s B movie at least it will be coherent unlike this thing.

I so wish they would arrive at the stage where movies are not "gay" but just happen to have a sympathetic character or two who happen to be gay. A gay James Bond---hopefully in my lifetime.

AVOID AVOID AVOID

Try: Nobody Else But You ==== witty funny with incidental gay characters.
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1/10
Another assault to gay cinema
Coralknight22 May 2020
Rob Williams is to film as Jeffrey Dahmer was to cuisine. In nearly EVERY film of his, the dialogue is completely campy, contrived and BORING. Regardless of the actors and delivery the "jokes" just fall flat. In fact every character's lines sound like they were written for the drunk, clueless guest at a gay party that believes he is the witty center of attention, when in reality no one even knows who invited him and gives him courtesy smiles in sympathy. Well, no courtesy smile for this garbage heap.
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9/10
It's a light hearted romance, not comedy
codygdietrich27 May 2020
I hate the fact that people think just because it is a light hearted romance that isn't super serious that it is supposed to be a comedy. I don't think it was meant as a comedy but even if it was it is far better than anything Will Ferrell has ever been in.

I didn't take it super serious as to how possible the plot line is, and I've heard stranger real life stories. I didn't take it as a comedy either. I took it as a romance among non-dramatic people. If you let the movie be vs trying to force it into some stereotypical genre you'll probably enjoy it. I will say I didn't think the ending was the best or true to the characters, but overall a fun movie.
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4/10
Cheesy
alvo-5404021 August 2022
Great idea. But... The script and acting left a lot to be desired. The interaction between the two brothers seemed to be the only "real acting" in the movie who had chemistry. The interaction between the other characters seemed forced and contrived.
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