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Jeffrey

Jeffrey

List Price: $14.95
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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Highly enjoyable arthouse film with many special moments..
Review: Jeffrey follows a very predictable plot - a 'thirtysomething' gay man is jaded and confused by dating and sex in an era of HIV and emotional distancing. He meets a wonderful guy who is HIV positive and becomes scared and runs away. We then see him work through his issues to eventually become reunited with HIV positive guy. Hhhmmm, certainly sounds like a terrible Hollywood cookie-cutter plot so far.....

But what makes this movie special is the low budget nature and the use of 'arthouse' style tricks. Yes, every conceivable trick is employed here - artsy fade outs, character narrative (including direct to camera whilst other actors are frozen), dream sequences and an almost cartoonish quality to the performances. So if you're like me and adore the forementioned arthouse style of film making, this movie is a must see!

Whilst the overall plot may indeed be predictable, the journey to the end is filled with many wonderful moments. We have over the top characters providing hilarious comedy which is contrasted nicely to unexpected moments of raw emotion leading to an emotional rollercoaster of a movie.

Two actors particularly stand out in this movie. Michael T Weiss (from TV's The Pretender and Days of Our Lives ) excels as the HIV positive gay man who thinks he has found someone special in Jeffrey. He really delves deep into the character to deliver a wonderful three dimensional performance of a gay man who is looking for love. Patrick Stewart (well known for his role in Star Trek) plays a flamboyant, over the top, quick witted older gay man to perfection here. Just when you think his role is completely 1 dimensional, we also see a more human side to him.

A special mention must also be made of the numerous cameos made by well know Hollywood actors throughout the movie. Most of their apprearances may be brief, but they all sink their teeth into their respective roles to give us something extra special. Though I won't spoil it for you and tell you who they are....

The predictable plot not withstanding, this movie is a very enjoyable journey through the struggles of gay men during an era of HIV and emotional distancing. The 'arthouse' gimmickry employed may not be appreciated by those who are used the standard Hollywood fare, but for those of us who enjoy thought and experimentation in our movies, Jeffrey will leave you with that wonderful 'goosebump' feeling.....

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Lightweight But Amusing
Review: JEFFREY, based on Rudnick's popular play, concerns a gay man whose fear of AIDS has caused him to remain celebate--and who then proceeds to fall in love with some one who is HIV positive and bounces back and forth between his fear of the disease and his need to give and receive love. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and even a few jaw-dropper-outrageous bits scattered throughout the film--the moment in which Jeffrey imagines what it would be like to have an honest conversation about sex with his parents, for example, is priceless. The cast is also quite good, with Steven Weber a standout in the title role, a very unexpected Patrick Stewart in the supporting cast, and cameos by everybody from Olympia Dukakis to Nathan Lane to Sigorney Weaver.

But in spite of all these wonderful elements, JEFFREY has a strangely superficial quality: it lacks any sort of comic or dramatic intensity. I could laugh at the lines and sympathize with the main characters, but when the movie ended I didn't take anything much home. Final Word: enjoyable and extremely well done, but not greatly memorable.

--GFT (Amazon.com Reviewer)--

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Interesting, funny, but totally unbelievable story!
Review: .
Firstly, the very thought of any gay man giving up sex for ANY reason is totally unbelievable. And that is the premise of this movie.

That said, I can also state that the film is amusing, even if highly unbelievable.

The best line in the entire movie is when Jeffrey's mother asks him if he likes it when they shave their _____. (You'll have to see the movie to see what she says because I'm sure that Amazon won't let me quote it here!)

Steven Weber is cute, but Michael T. Weiss as the object of his desire is a knockout!

All in all, a cute film with enough eye-candy to keep you interested.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Jeffrey Seems Dated
Review: I saw this flick originally when it came out. I watched it again on DVD (rental), and was disappointed. Weber, though appealing, seems awfully whiney. I realize his character's indecision about life is what drives the story- but it also drove this viewer crazy. Writer Paul Rudnick has some great lines and there are some good performances- but this film often feels strained. A somewhat enjoyable film, but it could've been better.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fabulous! Absolutely!
Review: I love this film. It is a great snapshot of life in the gay 80s and 90s, at the height of the AIDS crisis, dealing with the impact of the disease on the lives of the urban gay men. The main character is Jeffrey (played by Steven Weber, better known from "Wings"), who has decided that it is just too much work and risk to fall in love at such at time; eventually he even decides to leave New York to move back to Wisconsin or some other remote place where he won't be tempted. However, he continues to be tempted, particularly by a bartender Steve (played by Michael T. Weiss, the "Pretender"), who unfortunately has HIV.

Patrick Stewart steals the show as the interior decorate (I mean designer) Sterling, whose flamboyant gestures and over-the-top gay-ness are really something, especially during the game show scene, when his campy answers dominate the game.

The ending of the film is a bit ambiguous, and of course the AIDS crisis is in many ways not over, despite the development of longer-lasting drugs and the lack of newspaper headlines. People living with the disease continues, but it need not be a hopeless situation, and that's really what this play turned film is all about. The occasional appearance of people like Nathan Lane (as a gay priest looking for a quickie) or the Mother Theresa character add flavor and further campiness, but perhaps the best cameo goes to Sigourney Weaver, as the pop-pscyhologist guru Debra, who has pat answers and snappy lines for solving all of life's problems.

The DVD doesn't have much by way of extras, but it does have a film trailer, and of course the film comes off in much better form than on video tape.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A funny little gem
Review: Contrary to most viewers, I found "Jeffrey" to be a singularly pleasant experience all the way through. It sags a bit in the middle, but then, please name a movie that doesn't?

It starts off like a protracted confessional; gay waiter Jeffrey (Steven Weber) waxing neurotic (in some telling vignettes) about the danger of having sex in the age of AIDS. He decides to work out instead. Meeting Mr. Exactly Right in the gym gives him pause, though. Especially when the guy is the delectable Steve (Michael T.Weiss), all muscle and chiseled grin. Jeffrey's friends advise him to reconsider his celibacy, and give it a go. It takes Jeffrey around 1 hour and 20 minutes of screen-time to do so. Had he succumbed to Steve right away, there would have been no movie! There is a sitcom-like feel to this story; obstructions and cracks are neatly wall-papered over in the name of light-hearted comedy. Darius' angelic reappearance towards the end smacks of opting for the easy way out. How else would Jeffrey have seen the error of his ways? It's the least convincing scene in the movie. Still, everything else is both funny and touching. The fantasy game-show is nice, the "Hoe- Down for AIDS" is a scathingly funny piss-take on charity-events, while Sterling's banter and relentless quips are wonderful:

"Martha Stewart says that as long as you can make a nice, dried flower arrangement - nothing else matters!!

Darius is a believable character, Steve is the hunk of the year, and although Steven Weber doesn't set the room on fire as Jeffrey, I found him to be exactly in character. After all, Jeffrey is SUPPOSED to be a rather ordinary guy. Why Steve would go for him, though, is a bit of a mystery. Their subsequent affair would make for an interesting sequel. It would probably all turn sour in the end. Then again...

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Think about this movie....
Review: I saw this movie and enjoyed it immensely the first time. It was funny, I liked Patrick Stewart's over-the-top performance, and hey, the leads aren't bad to look at. But then the more I thought about this movie the more I came away from it with problems about the way gay men are portrayed in this film.

My primary discontent with this movie is Jeffrey's conception of "love." Jeffrey swears off of dating just because he's afraid of the potential consequences of sex -- as if love and sex are so absolutely intertwined that one really cannot exist without the other. Jeffrey basically says "why bother to meet new people if I know I will be refusing to have sex with them?" There's no hint of him even considering that there may be more to men than rock-hard abs and what's between their legs.

Then he meets up with this hot guy at the gym. The sexual tension between the two is palpable, but because of Jeffrey's new resolution, he's determined to head it off at the pass. But he can't... because his new friend is *just so hot.* Heck, they kiss within five minutes of meeting each other.

What does that say about gay men? Jeffrey's pledge is broken not because he's met a *great* guy, it's broken because he's met a *hot* guy. This just further reinforces that notion that men need nothing but the sexual appeal to sustain a "relationship."

Indeed, very little of this movie shows us anything about the two main characters actually learning anything about the other's personality or character or values or morals or anything. All they seem to know about each other is that they are sexually attracted to each other.

So, yes, it's a fun movie to watch. Its initial appeal is amusing. But following that, if you think too much (like I apparently do), it can get difficult to accept.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great movie - Very Funny and Romantic too!
Review: I laughed at some of the negative reviews posted on here for this movie. This is a Paul Rudnik movie - He wrote "In & Out" "Adams Family Values" etc - this is not supposed to be "Longtime Companion" kids!

He tackles these topics from a "Neil Simon" point of view. Meaning wisecracks leading to the serious subjects. This is a COMEDY first and second tackles the issues of intimacy in the age of AIDS.

The performances are wonderful. Especially Patrick Stewart who should have been nominated for an Oscar. Steven Weber is adorable and Michal T Weiss is so hot he almost melts the film.

I highly recommend this very funny movie with a point. Plus I like romantic movies about ADULT gay men. You hardly see them. It's always a coming out story about young boys. That was done in an excellent way with 'beautiful thing' but move on gay filmmakers. Adult men deserve their love stories too.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Jeffrey - ignorance must be bliss?
Review: Not funny, though it has moments (about three at my last count). The characters are pitiable in their ignorance; and our "hero" doesn't seem to learn a ... thing from his consistently bad decisions. To think, even within the context of the time frame of when the film was made, that an [alternative lifestyle] man was in his mid-twenties living in an urban area was so mis-informed or, sadly, un-informed about AIDS, his desires, and his denial is absolutely ludicrous. It could have been charming. It could have been poignant. It could have been many things, but disappointing, ignorant and pathetic are the only adjectives that come to mind. These aspects, even in context of when the film was made, were irresponsible and a true disservice to the [alternative lifestyle] community as a whole. ...

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Sick Movie!
Review: If your idea of a good movie is a homophobic film that paints all gay men as either having AIDS or bound to get it anyway, then JEFFREY is right up your alley. For the rest of us it is just a sad joke. The main character is so petrified of catching HIV that he literally comes across as a paranoid schizophrenic! This film is nothing but stereotype after stereotype. Nathan Lane appears as a priest who tries to molest Jeffrey and then lets him in on the secret that "God is found in a Barbra Steisand album." Huh?? The only funny parts are teh Sigourney Weaver cameo and the phone call with Mom & Dad. otherwise the writing is just horrid! When confronted by a group of bashers they ask what kind of weapon he has. Jeffrey responds "irony... adjectives." Say what? Avoid this at all costs!


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