GAY
FILM REVIEWS BY MICHAEL D. KLEMM
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GAY
FILM REVIEWS BY MICHAEL D. KLEMM
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3-Day Weekend TLA Releasing, Director/Screenplay:
Starring: Unrated, 85 minutes |
Into
The Woods
There is a long tradition of films about friends gathering for a weekend in the country; from Jean Renoir's Rules of the Game to Ingmar Bergman's Smiles of a Summer Night, Lawrence Kasden's The Big Chill and Terrence McNally's Love! Valour! Compassion! 3-Day Weekend, the new film by Rob Williams (Back Soon) is the latest variation on the theme, featuring eight attractive gay men, musical beds and enough drama to fuel a Greek tragedy. |
 Simon
(Derek Meeker) and Jason (Douglas Myers) are a middle-aged couple who, along
with their longtime friend Connor (Derek Long - Socket)
and his "boy of the moment," spend long weekends together at a spectacular
cottage in the woods. In Simon's words, it is always the "same place, same
conversations, blah blah blah." This time they have decided to "shake things
up" and each is inviting a friend. As the film opens, both Simon, and Connor's
much younger partner Ace (Stephen Twardokus), are being coy and refusing
to divulge the identity of their guests. |
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 All
of this provides the backdrop for a superb study of a longtime relationship
in collapse. Simon and Jason have an open relationship and its limits are
tested when Andre arrives and three of their weekend guests recognize him.
Jason is not amused. ("You invited a hustler?") When he confronts
his partner, Jason complains bitterly that he never brought one of
his tricks home and accuses Simon of "rubbing [his] face in it" by flaunting
his beautiful young conquest to remind him of his flaws. Simon responds
by blurting out that he had no friends to invite and that he had to pay
someone to come. The inevitable threeway eventually follows but the damage
has been done. While all their guests are happily fornicating in their rooms,
Simon and Jason sit at opposite ends of their bed and read books in silence.
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After enjoying a tryst with Andre, Cameron contemplates taking up prostitution as a career change and asks the hustler for advice. Connor, who had an older partner in his youth, is watching Simon and Jason's relationship implode and realizes that Ace may just be the second great love of his life. His young partner also feels the same love, but he fears being alone someday and asks if they will have at least twenty years together. |
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 You
can be cynical and call this film "Love!
Valour! Compassion!- lite" (in fact, McNally's play is even mentioned
during one discussion) but - for its first hour at least - 3-Day
Weekend is a very moving and entertaining film. Sure, it
follows the usual formula; a group of gay guys of assorted ages sit around
and riff on various topics - with generous dollops of beefcake and the occasional
flash of full frontal nudity - but the screenplay is rather witty and many
truths are bandied about. There is a very relaxed and natural quality to
most of the acting. Douglas Myers as Jason reminded me at times of actor
John Glover; there is a remarkable scene where he cries that broke my heart.
The cinematography features sumptuous scenery and carefully composed interiors.
I especially liked the images featuring Simon and Jason's bed and how they
visually conveyed the mechanics of their crumbling relationship.
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 There
is, of course, humor mixed with the drama. Kevin provides much comic relief
with his meditating and remarks like "Look at the sky. Can't you just feel
the earth's life force around you?" But he is not played as a buffoon;
there is dignity and this can be attributed to Gaetano Jones' fine understated
performance. The scene where Ace, Cameron and Andre sit in a hot tub and
speculate about Simon and Jason is funny without getting too rude.
I also liked when the younger ones were talking about there being too many
gay films about AIDS and Connor forever endeared himself to me by saying
"All I know is that I'll take Longtime
Companion over that Ethan
Green twink any day." |
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 Things
stiffen up a bit though in the third act. Some of the dialogue gets a little
clunky and stagy, especially compared to how fluid the first hour was. My
cardinal sin is committed too - scenes are dragged out while we are forced
to listen to some really banal acoustic ballads that turn out to have been
written and performed by one of the film's stars. Well, at least there wasn't
a cute montage accompanied by some bad bouncy pop song like there is in
so many other indie films. Many directors just don't seem to realize how
intrusive these songs can be, not to mention how they often serve to date
the film. Remember, some scenes work better with silence. |
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More
on Rob Williams: Derek Long also
appears in: Also see:
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Let's
introduce the supporting cast. Connor has invited Kevin (Gaetano Jones),
his new-age yoga instructor who, upon arrival, rapturously remarks on
the peaceful vibes and tells everyone how beautiful they are before giving
each a big bear hug. Ace has asked his college chum Cameron (Joel Harrison)
to join them. They were once an item - or at least fuck buddies. Cameron
fills the requisite young hunk role who is always a fixture in these stories.
Jason has invited a shy co-worker named Mac (Chris Carlisle) while his
partner Simon sets chaos in motion by asking Andre (Daniel Rhyder), a
frequently-visited hustler for whom he has developed feelings, to be his
guest.
Meanwhile,
providing background color, Mac is sharing a room with the free-spirited
Kevin - who feels no embarrassment walking around naked. Kevin pulls the
shy milquetoast out of his shell and love blossoms between the two. Cameron,
who brought glow sticks and body glitter because he was expecting "an
all night, drug-fueled romp in the desert," tries to seduce his old pal
and is unable to understand how Ace can be willing to settle for monogamy
and, not only that, but also with such an "old guy." (The usual generation
gap joke is apparent here because Connor, Simon and Jason are only in
their forties.) 
Still,
3-Day Weekend's strengths
outweigh the weaknesses. Director Williams has made a quantum leap forward
from his last film,