Eighteen

Interesting attempt but falls short of being really mesmerizing at it could have been. With many interesting foundational characters and premises it's a shame it couldn't really figure out what it wanted to be or who it wanted to be it's following. There are both gay and Str8 characters, but aside from the Shopkeeper and the grandfather there wasn't much sympathy to be had by me for any of them. I like what I could fantasize them being or how I would like the stories to go but that does little good if it's not realized on screen. The shopkeepers sweet search for plain old love and togetherness was the best food for my thoughts, while the tired cliched str8 stuff has been done a million times. It was mostly like smelling this wonderful cheesecake and yet never quite being able to get a slice...I did like it, but as I said, it was a mish-mash of converging ideas and stories that seemed, as a total film, to be shortchanged on one story to make room for the others, each story having that issue. After all it is just a film, as opposed to a fleshed out 4 hour miniseries where they may could have given enough attention to each aspect to satisfy it's respective audience. I think you can see in many of the reviews that different audiences liked different dishes of this meal. That is always the problem when you aim for too many audiences. You are left loving parts and being bored with others. 3 hour and half long films for each story would have been my choice. 2 I would have watched, and 1 would have passed on. Still, it is a decent film, I just had to play out some parts in my head to MY satisfaction. Movies is a magic that requires imagination sometimes to complete the spell.

Street kid Pip (Paul Anthony) is estranged from his father after a fight and a deadly car wreck which killed his brother. His dad tracks him down and gives him his grandfather's audio tapes of his WWII experiences (Ian McKellen). Both Pip and his grandfather (Brendan Fletcher) from the tapes are turning eighteen. He's struggling in the streets while his grandfather was struggling in France. Pip befriends gay hustler Clark. Jenny (Carly Pope) rescues Pip from an attack by her boyfriend and does social work. Father Chris (Alan Cumming) tries to connect with the homeless teen.

The premise of twinning a runaway with his grandfather soldier is intriguing. I don't like the execution and one early WWII scene put me off. Eventually, the flashbacks become untenable. As for the present day story, that's a shocking final twist. It's a problematic twist for many reasons. I don't understand the father's motive of bringing Pip. It paints a really disturbing picture of the family. It makes it extremely unlikely that dad would go searching for Pip in the first place. The whole WWII aspect is more trouble than it's worth anyways. The main story has some great stuff but also some awkward stuff. Clark's creepy obsession with Pip is really off-putting. The audience wants to like Clark but he makes it near impossible. He's a terribly flawed character and not all his flaws are endearing. It's also weird that his scene with his John is met with a soaring romantic score. He really makes it hard to root for him. Pip's relationships with Jenny and Chris spin off some interesting stuff. It is also rather odd in having all happy endings wrapping the stories. The subject matter requires a dark tragedy somewhere. Overall, there are some really interesting stuff here among some valiant failures.

I'm a 55-year-old fairly jaded gay white man. Since I don't watch TV, I watch at least 250 films a year, most on DVD. I keep notes on all the films I see and rate them. Since December 2003, I have seen only five films as great as EIGHTEEN. So, I've rated EIGHTEEN better than at least 700 other recent films. Mr. Bell is far too modest in his film commentary. EIGHTEEN is a Great Film. And, it also resulted in two "firsts" for me.

I watched the film, the first time, and I was riveted throughout and weepy during the last half hour, something that's only happened to me three times before. (Five minutes into the film I knew it was going to be very good.) When Jason began reciting Whitman, I lost it, and then... The Kiss. Well, that is one of Film's great kisses, and that scene among Filmdom's most poignant and unforgettable. When Pip blows out the candle at the end and the credits rolled, I clapped. I cheered. I love happy endings. I wept.

Then I watched the trailer and the TLA previews and thought, "Okay, is this $800,000 or so Indie really that Great?" So, I immediately watched EIGHTEEN again, something that's only happened three times before. And, EIGHTEEN blew my socks off yet again, even more so. Then I watched "The Making of EIGHTEEN" documentary and was completely charmed by the cast and Mr. Bell.

So, I thought I'd watch EIGHTEEN again with the Director's Commentary. I have never before watched a film three times in one night. After the third time, at 3:00 AM, I knew I had just experienced a Great Film; EIGHTEEN now ranks #10 on my Top Twenty Films of all time. And, in the very small universe of great gay or gay-subtext film, there is Brokeback Mountain, EIGHTEEN, Mulholland Drive, and Maurice.

Thank you Mr. Bell! EIGHTEEN is brilliant and fully-realized, with a magnificent cast, a wonderfully moving, understated score, excellent cinematography, an entertaining, touching, totally appropriate and hummable song. I can go on, but I won't gush too much more.

This film should have received Oscar nominations, certainly one for Best Picture. The performances, without exception, were all wonderful. Ms. Gill's lovely, sultry voice was a surprising epiphany. And Sir Ian McKellen? 'Nuf said. Awesome.

EIGHTEEN is the reason I slog through over 200 mediocre to utterly horrendous films (some in the $150 million plus range) a year, to find that one treasure, that one exquisite, magical, unique and enchanting, perfect "Faberge egg" enfolding an unforgettable heart.

Finally (I promise), my second "first" -- I've never before posted a commentary on any film I've seen.

Thank you again, Mr. Richard Bell! Breathtaking genius. Give this man $100 million for his next film! He made $700,000 US into one of the top 50 films of all time. If I had the cash, I'd grant him $75,000 a year living expenses and match any funds raised for his next film. Mr. Bell is already a great director at 31-years old. Can you imagine him at 45-years old?

Wise and witty, tender and brutal, poised, poignant, understated yet edgy, chilling and thrilling, mesmerizing, haunting, unforgettable: EIGHTEEN, THE MASTERPIECE.

I read a viciously hidden remarks on a previous comments stating that this film showed a bunch of gay guys romping around their gayness.

This couldn't be more misleading. "Eighteen" is not a gay film. It has only three gay characters in it and one of them is the victim of prejudice of people like the one who wrote the comments, despite his confession of fairness.

Pip's grandfather was not gay. The tender scene of the soldier and his sergeant is male bonding at the crucial moment of death. But some people gets appalled by a kiss and welcome scene of guts flying out of a man killed by a bomb.

The focus of the film is the straight relationship of Pip and that sweet girl and their facing their social obligation and parenthood.

Ralph Rewes www.r1313.info

This movie was clearly an early attempt for a new director, but still succeeded in being original and entertaining as well as in some moments thought-provoking. However, I have to say the story would not have come across as well without the stellar performance of Paul Anthony as Pip. He made the well written parts very believable and affecting, and the more weakly written parts much more bearable. Also, I have to mention the performance by Alan Cumming. It was refreshing to see him in a part like this. He brought a weight to his role that provided a very grounding element to the film. As for Paul Anthony: Who is this guy? Why haven't I seen more of him? Someone give him more roles, please!