Denied

It's a shame the production is somewhat student-y and that some of the dialogue is muffled and inaudible, because this is a film that rings true. Two straight-acting friends, a hunk and a dropout, move in together, and we slowly start to piece together just what kind of relationship they have - which is appropriate, since they don't appear to know either. This is what I liked best about this film - no neat resolutions, no flashes of insight, just a realistic and sometimes painful muddle of emotions and situations that have to be dealt with as best as can be, which usually isn't very well at all. That's certainly been my experience of dealing with sexuality, outside of the commercial gay ghetto anyway - real-life grappling with queer issues isn't neatly resolved in three acts and buying a Pride T-shirt doesn't make it all better. So this is definitely worth seeing, if you're not expecting Dolby stereo and answers to all your questions.

A very well scripted film, wonderfully acted, depicting two young men struggling with their feeling towards each other, in the midst of heterosexual surroundings.

Unfortunately, the sound mix is so bad that the dialogs are impossible to follow - and they are essential to understanding what is going on.

I found a work-around on my computer: using an equalizer on the audio, I neutralised the low and medium frequencies and enhanced the medium-high frequencies: this made the dialogs followable. Quite amazing that the producers omitted this quality check!

I disregard the low light quality criticism. True, many scenes are filmed with scarcely a light from a light bulb, but for me, that enhances the atmosphere, although I would not have minded some more subtle shading at times.

All in all, if you can fix the sound, very worth while watching.

Denied is worth seeing for it's performances and an intelligent story. We don't often get 'intelligence' when the story deals with love between two young men. More often we get titillation instead of dialogue, and tragic endings where reality would have sufficed.

In Denied, we get both intelligence and reality. Unfortunately we also get a transfer to DVD that is sometimes too dark (but where blacks are not deep and solid black) and sound that is too often muffled. The dialogue in this movie deserves more respect. Canadians have built a reputation in the industry for natural lighting techniques,and location sound clarity - a reputation that suffers here.

The story, dialogue, and performances - particularly Lee Rumohr as Troy - all ring true. I knew a 'Troy'. I know what I'm talking about, and this film does, too.

This is a film with heart and soul. It is flawed, but it is far from unwatchable, and it is a worthy addition to the DVD library of anyone who has an interest in the travelogue of the young gay heart.

I pulled this one off the shelf at the video store without any idea what to expect out of it. The filming and particularly the sound seem amateur - don't look for special effects, or even for particularly revealing camera-work, and there are a few scenes where the dialogue is difficult to make out.

But what this movie is, is honest. Unlike in Hollywood, life doesn't have a script and doesn't always work out to "happily ever after", and the film has an uncertain, occasionally almost disjointed sense to it that reflects that. The lead actors, playing Troy and Merrick, acknowledge it as well; even Troy, who from the beginning seems to know more or less what he wants, doesn't know how to get it, and so is just as uncertain as his friend. The acting is understated and very believable, all the way to the end.

"Latter Days" has some similar themes, and would probably be enjoyed by those who like this movie, but like its setting in L.A. itself, "Latter Days" is at times a little bit larger than life. "Denied" has a down-to-earth, earnest feel to it that for the most part overcomes its technical shortcomings.

This movie wanted to be better than it is. College dropouts Troy and Merrick share an apartment in a dead-end town. They appear to sleep together sometimes, but their own mental issues plus a psychotic former girlfriend sabotage their chances at a relationship. Narrative question: do they end up together?

The plot is well done. The story is familiar (or at least believable) enough that the dramatic tension works. Character development was decent. Some of the dialog falls flat, mostly due to the poor lighting and over-aggressive Foley editing. The leads are quite attractive, but the sex scenes are only in the PG13 range.

Cinematography is weak. Consistently under-lit throughout. The voice track is nearly inaudible at several key points. A couple of awkward edits too. Overall, would have been an entirely competent movie in the hands of a more experienced director.