Brandt Sponseller A technical quibble first: my hearing is less than perfect, and Poster Boy has a lot of mumbled dialogue with no subtitles on the DVD. New films without subtitles are just inexcusable in my opinion--what is someone who is deaf supposed to do? Just not watch that film? The best aspect of the film is the acting. The core cast are all fantastic. What didn't work so well for me was the cinematography, editing and the general low budget approach. The cinematography is mostly (or maybe all) hand-held, with a lot of shaky cam shots and a lot of blurriness. The film is loaded with overexposed shots and a dominance of white. While that may have been so for metaphorical reasons, it's not the most pleasant thing to watch aesthetically if it's relentless--and that's also not the best way to get the metaphorical aspects across. The editing is frequently frenetic. In combination with the locations, sets and general lack of music, Poster Boy has the feel of a 100-thousand dollar art house drama made by a director who is way too obsessed with The Blair Witch Project.Fortunately, the story is better than that would suggest, although it's not perfect. This would have been far more on-target and controversial 15 years ago (given our present knowledge and overall lack of reaction to the sexuality of some political offspring), but it's still engaging enough, especially given the performances, and at any rate, it deals with important issues that are still far from resolved in our culture.

ace-150 I started out disliking this, but ended up rather enjoying it. The cinema verite style was very hard for me to get past. It seems really contrived, particularly because several of the characters were absolute caricatures. The senator and his wife were cartoonishly unambiguous and the bitter friend seemed like unnecessary set dressing. Comedically evil right wing conservative and hand-held cam make for strange bedfellows. I came around during the Palm Springs hooker scene, just because it didn't go for the obvious gambit. That did cut the potential smarminess of the whole coming out agenda. The narrative convention of the reporter and protagonist is also absurdly contrived. Having said those things, Jack Noseworthy really puts the thing over. If he smiled at me, I'd probably throw my whole life away, too. Ultimately, the movie isn't really about gayness or politics. It's about grown children allowing, or not allowing, their parents to control them.

arizona-philm-phan The overall theme of this film provides a passably good take on the Republican party's dislike of things gay and the damaging effects such causes and thinking can have on someone's emerging life and persona. Well, I should point out here that the preceding statement has "let a cat out of the bag" about this movie---despite DVD cover notes indicating people falling for one another, this is in no way a romantic movie. Sorry, no falling involved.A newer, younger actor, Matt Newton (playing Henry Kray, a US Senator's damaged gay son), acts the socks off an 8 or 9 years more experienced Jack Noseworthy----who truth be told isn't given much to work with in the way of a script (a most inactive activist). Example: During Senator Kray's campus speech, when Henry unleashes the big G-Incendiary in the form of a K-Bomb, Noseworthy, as Anthony, just stands there open-mouthed (only figuratively, most certainly not literally). It's a mouth position that Noseworthy could have put to much better use in the more sexually oriented scenes of this movie---but didn't (and Noseworthy does have wonderfully sexy lips).Speaking just a bit more on the topic of osculation, the best kiss in entire movie is one Noseworthy's character gives his fag-hag (which doesn't provide much enjoyment for gay movie-goers). And more specifically on the guy-to-guy bussing in this film, one is tempted to comment: how about opening your mouths some time........yer not kissing your grandmothers, for Pete's sake; ya probably won't give each other a disease.And let me again highlight a specific acting performance in this film: If a possibly gay actor (Noseworthy) is gonna take on a gay role, you'd think he, of all of them, could do it realistically and give us gay sex scenes that actually come across as sex scenes (hey, Jack, take a tip from young newbie, Daniel Letterle, as **Ethan Green, will ya.....he doesn't stint at kissing and making out). You know, I'm beginning to think we get more realistic gay sex when straight men play the roles.Some disjointed here + there thoughts:Oh, if you're looking for even a little sex, you'll find more on the hetero-side than the homo-side.What kind of scene shooting finds us guys laying around naked in the afterglow of sex......while actually in our boxer shorts. Yikes! Such a scene reminded me of the all too frequent hetero love scenes we see on prime-time TV, complete with the requisite undergarments and wraparound sheets.Something really enjoyed--the further opening up and growth in Newton's acting skills. With a little directorial help, he could maybe play a truly believable gay character in some future project.What sort of writer/director thinking is it that gives us lead character, Anthony, who chases his romantic(?) interest throughout the movie til he catches him........then sez: "Well, see ya." And what's with the fast-cut, extreme close-ups "over-liberally" sprinkled throughout this film.......this director must really like to highlight pores + blackheads.---------------------------------------------The End---------------------------------PS--So......have you by now found out whether what they say about sex & politics is true? No?!?!---well, then, just ask Mark Foley.**"The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green"

gradyharp POSTER BOY is a film with a lot of potential: the story premise is solid (though a bit tired), the cast of both young and experienced actors is quite fine, and there are some worthwhile statements about our political system, about tolerance and acceptance and family, and about being true to yourself. Despite all of these aspects that should have made a fine little film the whole thing bogs down with some of the worst editing and camera work on record. That, and the writers' (Lecia Rosenthal and Ryan Shiraki) need to place platitudes into normal conversation is most distracting. Zak Tucker as director just didn't seem to have control of this piece.The story itself is rather simple. Through the gimmick of a confession to a reporter we meet handsome young Henry Kray (the talented Matt Newton), gay since early teens but electing to keep his private life a secret, who is the son of Senator Jack Kray (Michael Lerner) and his lovely but docile wife Eunice (the fine Karen Allen). It seems that six months prior to the time we are invited into the conversation Henry met Anthony (hunky Jack Noseworthy) whose roommate is HIV positive Izzie (Valerie Geffner). Henry and Anthony have a one-night stand the day before Jack Kray is to give a speech for re-election at Henry's college. The Senator accidentally hits Izzie with his car and Eunice insists Izzie stay with them in their suite where the two women bond. Meanwhile Henry's night with Anthony makes him late for the speech, but a talk to Henry from Jack before the speech telling him what to say (Jack is the best father, loves family values, etc) sticks in Henry's throat and soon after he obeys his father's wishes for the speech introduction, Henry turns to his table partner Anthony and the two kiss openly as the Senator is addressing the crowd - all caught by the media of course.How this moment of honesty alters the lives of everyone around is the crux of the ending. Not a bad tale, but the camera work is so patchy and disconcertingly disconnected that it defies the viewer to keep the storyline straight. But if the viewer can keep up visually, the performances by the cast are well worth attention. There is some very fine talent on the screen of this B movie! Grady Harp