ohlabtechguy Being trapped in Ohio, feel like I'm missing out on so much good gay drama. This movie is a prime example. Loved the two masculine, normal acting gay characters. Both characters seemed real and was glad to see they didn't hop in bed at first sight. The Italian character was simply lovable...and his "missing a dick" comment was hilarious, despite being said in a serious context. Of course, wasn't everyone hoping they'd finally take an interest in each other. At the end, in the airport, there was a glimmer of hope that the Italian would be asked to stay for a few more weeks....but that didn't happen. Still, there was a strong possibility they would see each other again. Acting was good...pace sometimes too slow...but loved the whole concept.

Ed Uyeshima Made on the cheap with a no-name cast, this intentionally intimate 2008 drama focuses on the aftermath of an auto accident which killed a young man named Mark, in particular, the impact of his unexpected death on two men – one is his best friend and roommate Jeff, and the other is Andrea, a Genoese Italian with whom Mark has been corresponding online. Mark is shown in a brief silent bit at the very beginning and later in flashback episodes and videotape. Director Yen Tan keeps the story economical by then segueing into a series of e-mails between Jeff and Andrea, at which point we find out Mark died just as Andrea was coming to visit him. Touched by Andrea's sincerity, Jeff invites him to come anyway.What occurs from that point is not a predictable romance in typical queer cinema fashion but more the escalation of an unwieldy relationship that forms between the two survivors, neither of whom can quite accept Mark's death. It becomes clear that Jeff, a genuine mensch leading an unremarkable life, has unresolved feelings for Mark, and although he's out (thanks to Mark's influence), Jeff cannot liberate himself from the unrequited love he appears to covet. As you would expect, Andrea is serious eye candy with a conscience, a catch by most cinematic conventions, yet the filmmaker focuses on the tentative nature of their burgeoning relationship as an expression of both men's grief.The only other character in the movie is Jeff's acerbic Asian-American stepsister Lauren, played efficiently by Ethel Lung, but she seems to enter and exit merely to comment on the obvious. The pacing is absurdly slow with lots of close-ups and long takes with little action. As Jeff, Adam Neal Smith is sincere but overly bland, just not compelling enough to maintain the film's emotional pivot point. On the other hand, Alessandro Calza brings sensitivity to the somewhat idealized role of Andrea, perhaps not a coincidence since he is the co-screenwriter (with Tan). The movie slips by unobtrusively in a subdued, almost hushed tone, but despite some awkward moments, including an inevitable scene late in the film, the emotional honesty makes this worth seeing. The 2010 DVD includes a comprehensive if not altogether informative commentary track from Tan and Calza plus the original theatrical trailer.

Jay Harris Alessandro Catza both co-wrote & portrays one of the two leads. He did both well. The director Yen Tan is the other co-writer & he shows much skill in his direction. I wish him well & hope to see other films he has directed.Adam Neal Smith is the other lead actor. He and Alessandro portray, Jeff & Andrea, two men in their twenties who meet on line, this occurs because of the untimely death of a mutual friend, Mark.These three men just happen to be gay, the story is so universal one or two of them could have been female.This is a love story about friendships & about the meanings of love & friendship. As in all love stories there is some sadness.Thankfully there is none of the silly nonsense we usually see in films about Gay persons, BOTH come across as real flesh & blood human/ ALSO there is no nudity or needless sex scenes, There is one very beautiful romantic interlude towards the end. (the way they used to make love stories & show sex scenes) beings.We only see Mark towards the end, he sings a song that does fully explain what love is & or should be.The director purposely & to great effect has a few silent moments, we the audience need not be privy to everything, this allows us to use our own imagination.This fine film had next to no theatrical showings, It is a far better film than many of the major movies this past year.Rent this ASAP & you will be glad you did.Ratings: ***1/2 (out of 4),93 points (out of 100), IMDb 9 (out of 10)

Josh Wang "Ciao" has gotten some pretty polarizing reviews, while I can see why (the slow pacing especially can be very off-putting to the average viewer who is not used to watching foreign art-house cinema that doesn't spoon feed you every detail in a hyper kinetic, more-is-more fashion. This is a film that really takes it time to unveil itself, much like a blooming flower), I must also admit that watching this alone on a rainy afternoon in a movie theater was one of my most memorable filmgoing experience. The cinematography is very stylized, consisting of beautifully composed close ups and single-take wide shots, but the mood conveyed is somber, melancholy and ultimately very human and touching. There were several moments that struck my emotional chord, and I don't recall being this moved by a love scene that is presented in a way that I have never seen in cinema before. To the naysayers, I say: I'm sorry you didn't get to experience "Ciao" the way I did, and as evident by the other audience members who were at the screening I attended, I'd think most of them would agree with me. I've seldom watched a film where a majority of the viewers stayed through the entire credit roll and slowly exited the theater like they've all experienced something hypnotic and profound. Such is the effect of "Ciao." It had a lingering power that stayed with me for days after.