a film by Q Allan Brocka 2004 | 90 mins | US ›› Eating Out an oh so enjoyable take on 'playing it gay' to get the girl Cue the tried and tested Hollywood scenario of a straight guy 'playing it gay' to get the girl. Only sprinkle it with some indie dust and here the Mr Straight of the piece looks more like one of the boys, than his genuine gay best friend does! For Caleb is cute, muscled and in spite of what you may otherwise think, 100 percent, grade A, US male - and straight male at that too. Only this straight boy fails to make the grade when it comes to servicing the sexual needs of his man-hungry girlfriend Tiffani. But not to worry, as Caleb is soon to cast his eyes on Gwen; a gay boy-loving and gay boy-dating girl. And guess what, she just happens to share a flat with the object of desire of Caleb's flatmate Kyle, namely gay boy-kissing Marc Everhard - and yes you read the surname right! Confused? Don't be. For Kyle knows the score, or at least he thinks he does, given that somewhere along the way he figures that the fastest way for Caleb to gain the affection of Gwen, is to court the attention of her gay best friend. So cue Caleb playing gay to get the girl, a cunning if somewhat ludicrous plan that somehow appears to be going well. Until that is, he finds himself alone with Marc, whereupon a spot of manly neck massage and some arousing 'phone sex take him to parts hitherto untouched! Synonymous with many a Hollywood feature including the noted Rock Hudson and Doris Day comedies of the '60s, here writer and director Q Allan Brocka has finally placed the 'playing it gay' scenario where it has long screamed out to be; namely in a gay film. The result is a work in which star of the show Emily Brooke Hands aka Emily Stiles seemingly has all but the best lines in the script, leaving an underused Rebekah Kochan making the most of her few Tiffani moments. Then again, the contribution from Scott Lunsford as Caleb and Ryan Carnes as Marc is all but reduced to mere eye-candy, not that they do not make the most of their parts, no pun intended, just as Jim Verraros as Kyle proves himself to be more than just An American Idol. Then again, this is hardly Shakespeare. But then neither it is a dissertation on whether gay men can be 'turned straight' upon meeting the right girl; nor whether straight men can be 'turned gay' upon meeting the right man. Rather this is an outrageous gay romantic comedy, complete with hunky lead actors not opposed to doing the full monty and a script packed with a series of bawdy one-liners. Sure it's lightweight, at times farcical, often vulgar, but it is also one of the funniest gay films to be made in the USA in a long time. And if all this appeals to your cinematic taste, then be on the lookout for some Sloppy Seconds. screened as part of the 18th London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival 2004 available on DVD as part of the TLA Releasing UK catalogue starring: Emily Stiles, Scott Lunsford, Jim Verraros, Ryan Carnes, Rebekah Kochan, William Shepard, Jillian Nusbaum, Natalie Burge, Adrienne Pearson Copyright 2006 David Hall - www.gaycelluloid.com. archive reference #025 ›› previous page | back to top | print me ‹‹