a film by Julie Davis 2001 | 95 mins | US ›› All Over the Guy a spirited look at the search for love This is the story of Eli and Tom, opposites in every sense of the word who meet on a blind date and end up sharing the night together for some horizontal relaxation. Trouble is, they soon discover that their initial attraction to each other, is all they have in common. Or is it? Well not quite, as life's a lot more complicated than this, given Eli's best friend Brett finds himself falling in love with the beautiful Jackie, whose best friend just happens to be none other than chain-smoking and hard drinking object of desire Tom. Question is, can this pair of straight lovers make gay lovers of our boys? Written, co-produced and starring Dan Bucatinsky, this spirited look at the search for love began as the one-act play 'I Know What You Are, But What Am I?,' only to be expanded upon by Bucatinsky into feature length proportions. To his credit, the net product shows no signs of padding. Then again, this is more than your standard 'getting to know you' piece, given the narrative pays specific attention to the 'on-again / off-again' relationship blues, when the emotional baggage of life arrives to complicate things, whether you want it or not! Performance wise, Bucatinsky is on fine form as the ever tense Eli struggling to come to terms with the desperate state of his love life. And yet whilst Sasha Alexander as Jackie and Adam Goldberg as Brett create a vibrant cinematic pairing, it is Richard Ruccolo as Tom who steals the show, brilliantly showcasing the emotions of a man who must come to terms with his own problems, before he can accept another; this inspite of a sparkling comical cameo from Lisa Kudrow of FRIENDS and Happy Endings fame as aspiring singer Marie. Yet in charting the ups and downs of the relationship roller coaster, Bucatinsky takes time out to make a biting attack on Hollywood, one that includes the now classic reference to In & Out courtesy of the line questioning whether it was "fun to see Kevin Kline get down on his sorry arsed middle aged knees and give us a big old Hollywood blow job, by catering to every clichéd homophobic stereotypical idea of what it means to be gay." Needless to say, this work does not cater to such, being clearly out and proud for the onset. Yet and unlike Hollywood, here both gay and straight affection is in the spotlight for all to see, in equal measure. Then again, this is but a good old-fashioned love story; albeit one that details the universal quest of looking for Mr Right, only to not recognise him when he is standing next to you! Filled with wit and charm that give way to moments of dramatic tension, Bucatinsky has crafted a delightful contribution to gay cinema, only one that seemingly did not receive the full cinematic distribution to the degree that it so rightly deserved. available on DVD as part of the Lions Gate Home Entertainment catalogue starring: Dan Bucatinsky, Richard Ruccolo, Sasha Alexander, Adam Goldberg, Andrea Martin, Tony Abatemarco, Joanna Kerns, Christina Ricci, Lisa Kudrow, Doris Roberts Copyright 2004 David Hall - www.gaycelluloid.com. archive reference #031 ›› previous page | back to top | print me ‹‹