a short film by Jean-François Monette 2000 | 38 mins | Canada ›› Take-out a cinematic take-out of the coming out variety When is a short film not a short film, is a point that has often been raised and one that clearly applies to this 'mini-feature' from director, co-writer and producer Jean-François Monette. For this is the story of Rory; your typical American high school student who alternates his devotion to the field of athletics with an evening job, one that sees him delivering fast-food to those in need of a culinary fix. Yet things are not quite what they appear, as rampant hetero and fellow delivery boy Enzo is soon to pickup on, sensing in Rory gay tendencies that the man to be is struggling to come to terms with, issues that see him turn to a repeat customer for words of support. Only does Rory see their friendship for what it is? Or is his obsession with a client big on tips, his way of dealing with his burgeoning sexuality. Based on a short story by Derek Brown, this intricately crafted work hits all the right notes in its depiction of homosexual awakening, thanks to a spot-on performance from Gianpaolo Venuta as the gay teen of the piece, coupled with the ever solid work of indie star Daniel MacIvor of Whole New Thing fame and who here stars as Pete, a man with a liking for home deliveries and perhaps something more on the side. For this is a short that plays like the concluding half-hour of the latest gay feature, thanks largely to the high production values throughout, with Monette employing time-lapse photography together with fantasy sequences, at times surreal, to aptly convey Rory's emotional state of mind. That his journey to homosexual acceptance also includes longing glances in the school shower, shot in true homoerotic fashion, only adds to the narrative on offer, one laced with ironies; not least of which is a chicken delivery boy who hates chicken, the explanation of which is in the opening scene. That Monette perfectly captures Rory's emerging sexuality, almost goes without saying, given this is one cinematic take-out, that's definitely worth taking in! Delightful. screened as part of the 15th London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival 2001 available on DVD as part of the Picture This! catalogue - 'Boys Briefs #2' release starring: Daniel MacIvor, Gianpaolo Venuta, Benjamin Plener, Kaya McGregor, Cecile Cristobal, Philip Jandaly, Philip Spensley Copyright 2008 David Hall - www.gaycelluloid.com. archive reference #168 ›› previous page | back to top | print me ‹‹