There's
a nice observational tone to this ragged documentary about
an unlikely romance--starting from a position of scepticism
and moving to an almost admiring warmth. It's not particularly
well-made, but the subject is fascinating enough to make
it work.
Andrew
Thomas is 49 years old, a blokey retired South London bus
driver with a history of heroin addiction and rough anonymous
sex. His partner is Jeremy Trafford, 68, a writer who lives
a comfy upper-middle-class life in Chelsea with his arty
friends. As the film progresses they discuss their improbable-but-strong
attraction and why they stay together. And they also talk
about life before they met--including Jeremy's failed attempt
to live an acceptable straight life.
Writer-director
Boyd covers about 10 months, encompassing a lively birthday
celebration, two Gay Pride events and a trip to visit friends
in Southern California. Along the way, he gets under their
skin, examining their relationship in a startlingly honest
way that makes most on-screen gay couples look deeply fake
(Six Feet Under being the one exception). Besides a 20-year
age gap, Andrew and Jeremy are complete opposites. The film
only rarely shows them interacting with each other, but
together there's a surprising tenderness that echoes their
five years as a couple.
The
film builds to the day in May 2004 when they get married--or
rather, register their partnership--at London's city hall.
And Boyd's main feat is to turn these slightly offbeat men
into the lovable stars of a sweet romance. The quality isn't
terribly sharp--it looks like a home video, roughly shot
and crudely edited with some scenes that go on too long
and others that seem completely random. But as it progresses,
Boyd captures something almost too glaringly honest (and
obvious): relationships are the same everywhere, regardless
of who's involved. They feature moments of high comedy and
dark jealousies, deep soul-searching and day-to-day tedium.
The compassion and companionship between Andrew and Jeremy
are vivid, as is their interaction with friends and family
members. In the end the film doesn't say much beyond, "Gay
people discover love in the strangest places too!"
That's not exactly revolutionary, but it is rather comforting.
