Believe what they say...
Added 1/3/2007
I was not sure why I love this movie so much; after seeing it once on Logo I had to own it. Like others I have watched it over and over and still love it! It is definitely romantic fluff, not really Academy Award material, but so much of the Oscars is heavy drama or sad or depressing. Not this movie--it is fun and light-hearted, but will tug at your heart strings, too! I agree with the reviewers that said this movie stays with you, and I think it is because it reminds me of my college days. The reviewers that praised the script and the acting are correct--they are great (again, not Oscar material, but you should not be expecting that from a romantic comedy)! These characters are truly believeable--exactly what college-aged kids navigating romance and partying are like, and they captured what life a few years after college is like perfectly--navigating new jobs and relationships while secretly holding on to old flames and hoping for one more chance at a missed opportunity. The whole cast is great and the seamless integration between the gay and straight story lines is so refreshing (no dramatic cliches like HIV or addiction to bring the fun down [although chain smoking abounds--but it effectively adds to the humor] and no over the top stereotypes like nelly queens to distract, annoy, or offend)! A lot of the humor is somewhat subtle (no in-your-face toilet humor) and a lot is said in the facial expressions. I think I had to watch the movie more than once to realize how much is conveyed by body language. For instance, I felt like a scene was missing in the end when Bob makes his choice between guys (I tend to like things very literal and up front), but upon repeat viewings, the missing dialogue is captured in Sterling's face as he watches Bob and Brandon across the train station. The same is true for the relationship between the couple getting married--the love between them that is not evident in the dialogue is captured in their faces and body language. Whoever complained that the characters did not take their relationships seriously may have had a very different experience in their early to mid 20s than these characters--they are trying to make sense of their feelings and relationships and this is the best they come up with. I thought it very true to life, which is why I loved this movie and why it stays with me--it was a very realistic, funny, and poignant snapshot of life for a bunch of 20-somethings, gay and straight, that still resonated with me (a 30-something) even though I am at such a different place in my life. If you are a romantic at heart, I think you will love this movie. If your expectations are too high, you will be disappointed, but I think the rule for romantic comedies is that your expectations should come down a few notches from Oscar-worthy material. I hope Logo shows this as often as they do some of their other programs!
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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I'm not so sure you did. In fact, I know you didn't. But IS good enough to watch..
Added 2/26/2006
Didn't satisfy my expectations, that is. They just underperformed in the execution of this story. I won't go so far as to call it 'bad', but it clearly could have been better.
Don't expect much going in, and then you may be pleasantly surprised. I'd certainly watch this again before I'd suffer through some lesser titles.
For a story that purports to be about love, there's a paucity of luvin displayed here. In fact, I don't remember any, and I just saw this four hours ago. It certainly isn't a "date" movie, due to the lack of action. Nobody "closes the deal".
Overall, I will say it's fairly good, or "okay".
1 out of 9 people found this helpful.
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If you can't fall in love with your best friend, who can you fall in love with?
Added 2/20/2006
I was very surprised by the level of humor, wit, charm, and simplicity surrounding the film I Think I Do. I was expecting to see another low-budget independent film about homosexuality similar to what I witnessed in Go Fish, you know, the graininess of the scenes, the cliché homosexual characters coupled with humor that would be more political than funny, but I was wrong. I must admit, I Think I Do was extremely stage-ish and not overly original, but what captured my attention throughout the film was the level of respect that the friends had for each other. This was not a film that carried any hatred, or insecurities, or racism towards our main characters, but instead centered itself on the power of friends. I think that is why I had such a big smile on my face as I watched this film. Sure, on the surface it was about a gay man's struggle to decide between the man he has loved for many years or the long-term relationship he has already developed. Yet, for me, there was so much more. I would have to say that friendship was the central theme of this film, and director Brian Sloan realized this and used it to his advantage. Instead creating this cliché pro-homosexuality film, Sloan just created a movie. As you watch the characters develop, you forget that this is a gay film, but instead feels just like a typical modern romance that you would pay to see in theaters. I hate to use the word average, but for I Think I Do, it is not a bad thing. This was an average movie, and because of the average nature of the themes, characters, and emotions, I Think I Do is better than any romantic comedy that Hollywood could create.
With independent films you sometimes run into the problem of having too many hands in the cookie jar. By this I mean, too many characters and not having enough time to develop the emotions behind them all. Brian Sloan overcame this typical hurdle and produced a film that gives each of our eight characters a chance to breathe and live on screen. As I think back to this film, I do not know of one character that I could say I didn't know anything about. It is rare in cinema, because so often directors focus most of the attention on their two centralized characters that the minor players fall to the wayside. This is not the case in I Think I Do. Everyone is developed, shockingly, and everyone is their own unique personality. Sloan made sure that the eight different players didn't suddenly end up like each other. With these types of films, especially in Go Fish, everyone was the same. You had characters that were supposed to be different, but talked and walked exactly the same. It is as if a gay man can only be played one way. This film proves different. I thought that the entire Sterling Scott backstory was hysterical. Here you have this mediocre soap opera star that has this HUGE gay fan base. For me, I found this so funny. Each time he went out in public, he was swarmed by gay men wanting his autograph because they loved his "hospital" scenes that Bob had wrote. Sterling was by far my favorite character because he could have been one to dapper the entire film, but instead he continued to keep it light and bubbly. It was good to finally have "fun" characters, watching them have fun, and seeing this over-played story develop in a new way. Again, I Think I Do was not original, but it was fun.
The music in this film played a huge part in creating the tone of the film. Instead of playing these cliché gay music, Sloan took contemporary tunes and placed them in the background. These songs completely lightened the mood and created the essence of a comedy. There weren't any dark, dreary moments to this film, you knew what was going to happen from the beginning, the only obstacle to overcome would be how Sloan was going to handle it. I must admit, he did a great job. Sloan's camera work isn't the greatest, his direction isn't as tight, but that isn't the reason for this film. Love, friendship, and the classic tale of a missed college romance is the center of this film and Sloan keeps that in our face. I have to applaud his dedication to these themes. He didn't go political, he didn't try to make a huge statement about the gay community, he just made a movie. This may be hard for me to explain, but I loved watching the "standard" wedding take place in the backdrop of this bigger romance. I think Sloan placed our characters in the best positions for the best humor. I just think I liked this film because it wasn't pushing pro-gay in my face, it was just demonstrating true love in our modern world. I am surprised this film isn't shown more because of the unbiased images it shows.
Again, I would like to restate that this was not a perfect film. Was it a play prior to being captured on film? While the answer may be "no", it did have a stage-like aura to it. The actors seemed to pause after each of their jokes, and my only change would be to speed up the pacing of the humor. It was funny, don't get me wrong, but the overall feeling of the film could have been tightened to create a perfect moment of gay cinema. Finally, Sloan had the ability to build more into his story. He made it so simple that more lines could have been crossed, and I secretly wished they would have. I wanted to see more between Beth and Eric, and even more closure with Sarah, but I was satisfied. This was a great film. Funny, witty, charming ... you know, all those elements that seem to be missing whenever Hollywood taps its magic wand. The story was unoriginal, but the themes will just grab at you and make you happy to live in a culture that will soon accept this type of lifestyle.
Grade: **** out of *****
5 out of 5 people found this helpful.
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This movie at first is serious, then continues to be more Funny and funnier by the minute! Its really heart warming..
3 out of 5 people found this helpful.
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Cute and comical
Added 9/6/2005
Great movie; a friend recommended it and he was right, its a cute feel good kind of movie, with an ending I think we all will like. Thanks Mike!
3 out of 4 people found this helpful.
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Believe what they say...
Added 1/3/2007
I was not sure why I love this movie so much; after seeing it once on Logo I had to own it. Like others I have watched it over and over and still love it! It is definitely romantic fluff, not really Academy Award material, but so much of the Oscars is heavy drama or sad or depressing. Not this movie--it is fun and light-hearted, but will tug at your heart strings, too! I agree with the reviewers that said this movie stays with you, and I think it is because it reminds me of my college days. The reviewers that praised the script and the acting are correct--they are great (again, not Oscar material, but you should not be expecting that from a romantic comedy)! These characters are truly believeable--exactly what college-aged kids navigating romance and partying are like, and they captured what life a few years after college is like perfectly--navigating new jobs and relationships while secretly holding on to old flames and hoping for one more chance at a missed opportunity. The whole cast is great and the seamless integration between the gay and straight story lines is so refreshing (no dramatic cliches like HIV or addiction to bring the fun down [although chain smoking abounds--but it effectively adds to the humor] and no over the top stereotypes like nelly queens to distract, annoy, or offend)! A lot of the humor is somewhat subtle (no in-your-face toilet humor) and a lot is said in the facial expressions. I think I had to watch the movie more than once to realize how much is conveyed by body language. For instance, I felt like a scene was missing in the end when Bob makes his choice between guys (I tend to like things very literal and up front), but upon repeat viewings, the missing dialogue is captured in Sterling's face as he watches Bob and Brandon across the train station. The same is true for the relationship between the couple getting married--the love between them that is not evident in the dialogue is captured in their faces and body language. Whoever complained that the characters did not take their relationships seriously may have had a very different experience in their early to mid 20s than these characters--they are trying to make sense of their feelings and relationships and this is the best they come up with. I thought it very true to life, which is why I loved this movie and why it stays with me--it was a very realistic, funny, and poignant snapshot of life for a bunch of 20-somethings, gay and straight, that still resonated with me (a 30-something) even though I am at such a different place in my life. If you are a romantic at heart, I think you will love this movie. If your expectations are too high, you will be disappointed, but I think the rule for romantic comedies is that your expectations should come down a few notches from Oscar-worthy material. I hope Logo shows this as often as they do some of their other programs!
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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I'm not so sure you did. In fact, I know you didn't. But IS good enough to watch..
Added 2/26/2006
Didn't satisfy my expectations, that is. They just underperformed in the execution of this story. I won't go so far as to call it 'bad', but it clearly could have been better.
Don't expect much going in, and then you may be pleasantly surprised. I'd certainly watch this again before I'd suffer through some lesser titles.
For a story that purports to be about love, there's a paucity of luvin displayed here. In fact, I don't remember any, and I just saw this four hours ago. It certainly isn't a "date" movie, due to the lack of action. Nobody "closes the deal".
Overall, I will say it's fairly good, or "okay".
1 out of 9 people found this helpful.
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If you can't fall in love with your best friend, who can you fall in love with?
Added 2/20/2006
I was very surprised by the level of humor, wit, charm, and simplicity surrounding the film I Think I Do. I was expecting to see another low-budget independent film about homosexuality similar to what I witnessed in Go Fish, you know, the graininess of the scenes, the cliché homosexual characters coupled with humor that would be more political than funny, but I was wrong. I must admit, I Think I Do was extremely stage-ish and not overly original, but what captured my attention throughout the film was the level of respect that the friends had for each other. This was not a film that carried any hatred, or insecurities, or racism towards our main characters, but instead centered itself on the power of friends. I think that is why I had such a big smile on my face as I watched this film. Sure, on the surface it was about a gay man's struggle to decide between the man he has loved for many years or the long-term relationship he has already developed. Yet, for me, there was so much more. I would have to say that friendship was the central theme of this film, and director Brian Sloan realized this and used it to his advantage. Instead creating this cliché pro-homosexuality film, Sloan just created a movie. As you watch the characters develop, you forget that this is a gay film, but instead feels just like a typical modern romance that you would pay to see in theaters. I hate to use the word average, but for I Think I Do, it is not a bad thing. This was an average movie, and because of the average nature of the themes, characters, and emotions, I Think I Do is better than any romantic comedy that Hollywood could create.
With independent films you sometimes run into the problem of having too many hands in the cookie jar. By this I mean, too many characters and not having enough time to develop the emotions behind them all. Brian Sloan overcame this typical hurdle and produced a film that gives each of our eight characters a chance to breathe and live on screen. As I think back to this film, I do not know of one character that I could say I didn't know anything about. It is rare in cinema, because so often directors focus most of the attention on their two centralized characters that the minor players fall to the wayside. This is not the case in I Think I Do. Everyone is developed, shockingly, and everyone is their own unique personality. Sloan made sure that the eight different players didn't suddenly end up like each other. With these types of films, especially in Go Fish, everyone was the same. You had characters that were supposed to be different, but talked and walked exactly the same. It is as if a gay man can only be played one way. This film proves different. I thought that the entire Sterling Scott backstory was hysterical. Here you have this mediocre soap opera star that has this HUGE gay fan base. For me, I found this so funny. Each time he went out in public, he was swarmed by gay men wanting his autograph because they loved his "hospital" scenes that Bob had wrote. Sterling was by far my favorite character because he could have been one to dapper the entire film, but instead he continued to keep it light and bubbly. It was good to finally have "fun" characters, watching them have fun, and seeing this over-played story develop in a new way. Again, I Think I Do was not original, but it was fun.
The music in this film played a huge part in creating the tone of the film. Instead of playing these cliché gay music, Sloan took contemporary tunes and placed them in the background. These songs completely lightened the mood and created the essence of a comedy. There weren't any dark, dreary moments to this film, you knew what was going to happen from the beginning, the only obstacle to overcome would be how Sloan was going to handle it. I must admit, he did a great job. Sloan's camera work isn't the greatest, his direction isn't as tight, but that isn't the reason for this film. Love, friendship, and the classic tale of a missed college romance is the center of this film and Sloan keeps that in our face. I have to applaud his dedication to these themes. He didn't go political, he didn't try to make a huge statement about the gay community, he just made a movie. This may be hard for me to explain, but I loved watching the "standard" wedding take place in the backdrop of this bigger romance. I think Sloan placed our characters in the best positions for the best humor. I just think I liked this film because it wasn't pushing pro-gay in my face, it was just demonstrating true love in our modern world. I am surprised this film isn't shown more because of the unbiased images it shows.
Again, I would like to restate that this was not a perfect film. Was it a play prior to being captured on film? While the answer may be "no", it did have a stage-like aura to it. The actors seemed to pause after each of their jokes, and my only change would be to speed up the pacing of the humor. It was funny, don't get me wrong, but the overall feeling of the film could have been tightened to create a perfect moment of gay cinema. Finally, Sloan had the ability to build more into his story. He made it so simple that more lines could have been crossed, and I secretly wished they would have. I wanted to see more between Beth and Eric, and even more closure with Sarah, but I was satisfied. This was a great film. Funny, witty, charming ... you know, all those elements that seem to be missing whenever Hollywood taps its magic wand. The story was unoriginal, but the themes will just grab at you and make you happy to live in a culture that will soon accept this type of lifestyle.
Grade: **** out of *****
5 out of 5 people found this helpful.
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