a short film by Sophie Boyce 2011 | 17 mins | UK ›› Dear Friend the ramifications of falling in love with your best friend. Fresh, emotional and bewitchingly taking you back to Liverpool in the mid-sixties, here we find writer and director Sophie Boyce tell the story of seventeen-year-old Christian; a gay boy clearly not out to anyone at this 'illegal in the eyes of the law' period in UK history and in particular to his homophobic father. Trouble is, he's fallen head over heels in love with his best friend James. Only when James has to return to London, signalling the end of his prolonged stay with Christian, their worlds are set to collide. And in more ways, than one. Aided by lush attention to the light and shade of the piece, coupled with a vibrant score and some striking CGI effects, this Met Film School production vividly plays host to both the "coming out" and "falling in love with your best friend" scenarios. It is a work in which the camaraderie between its two youthful players, wonderfully displayed during the opening scenes, sets the stage for what is to follow, as Joshua Miles' "look of love" eye movements acutely contrast with Julian Mack's hetero persona, making an emotional confrontation between the two, all but inevitable. Beautifully played out, with feelings of repulsion mixing with expressions of remorse, the result is a class production in which Boyce and everyone associated with this work should be proud of what they've accomplished, as the true friendship between the two young men is put to the test. A job well done, even if the title track by Paul McCartney and Wings, is all too noticeable by its "I'm in love with a friend of mine" absence. Gay Visibility - overt.  Nudity - none.  Overall - file under ... 3+ stars.    starring: Joshua Miles / Christian, Julian Mack / James and Christopher Gee as Mr Fox. reference website: www.sophieboyce.com Copyright 2012 David Hall - www.gaycelluloid.com. archive reference #500 ›› previous page | back to top | print me ‹‹