Before seeing this movie, you may say to yourself, "Peter Berlin? What's the big deal?" But stay with it, as the story is rewarding. Director Jim Tushinski obviously saw a chance to put the urban gay-lib era of the seventies under a microscope by focusing on one man's story instead of a general documentary--and the man he focused on just happens to be "the" icon of gay sexual life at a certain crossroads. The film's imagery is evocative, the sexuality palpable, and the cameos from Armistead Maupin, Robert W. Richards, and others are witty. But the best moments of this film are during Mr. Berlin's touching recollections about his own life. As Berlin talks candidly about the losses he experienced as the seventies faded into the Reagan years, it's impossible to look away--partly because there are so many men whose experiences are reflected in his story. It's during these revelations that Tushinski knows to keep the camera trained closely on his subject, and these moments are what elevates this film from historical document to riveting cinema.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Bam Bam and Celeste
(2005)
Celeste-ial
29 November 2005
I saw this film at Fusion 2005 in L.A., and I laughed from start to finish, as did the entire screening audience. Cho's turn as her mother is priceless. Jane Lynch as a lesbian survivalist and Danny Hoch as a neo-nazi clerk hopped up on sump'm are both hilarious. And the super-bitch played by Elaine Hendrix made my jaw drop at times with her racist rants...when my jaw was not busy laughing. What is funniest about the movie is its willingness to "go there" with stereotypes, queer or otherwise, and turn them on their respective ears. The plot is sort of like "Priscilla: Queen of the Desert" in reverse, with a trip from nowheresville to NYC in the queerest car you've ever seen. What I have not seen reflected in any of the reviews of this film so far is that, at least at Fusion, EVERYONE WAS LAUGHING! So once it's out in theaters, grab your friends and go see it!
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