Retake

A simple story, full of nuances from its beginning, Hitchcock influence, realistic portrait of hustlers, a nice relation, discovered in its complexity, correct work, good acting, delicate subject, portrait and eulogy of loneliness , bitter , perfect end. A trip of two strangers. The precise purpose of the old one, the temptation to escape from his life circle of the other. And complex relation between them. Not great but, obvious, more than decent, beautiful for melancholia of story and for few inspired scenes. And nice for the courage of end , giving simple, precise message about a pain without cure.

Hadn't heard of this movie....just randomly saw it on Youtube. At first, I thought it was going to be a dull/lame hustler movie with no interesting characters. But it quickly became interesting as the plot thickened and the hustler and his handsome, older benefactor are suddenly on a car trip to the Grand Canyon. I enjoyed the twists and turns and was rooting for both characters. I wanted the two characters to stay together as a couple, but apparently that didn't happen at the end. Acting was good. Dialogue was good. It was well cast and it was unpredictable. Actually liked it quite a bit.

"Retake" is a road-drama about a lonely guy in his late 40s who hires a younger male prostitute - to drive with him from LA to Colorado. But "Retake" is not just another "road- buddy-movie". It's a powerful drama about human condition, relationships, pain, loss, and - love. The lead players (T. Watkins and D. Graye) are excellent in their portrayal of two complex characters, who search for answers through sensual and physical exploration. Their little "game" frequently breaks the rules, taking them to another dimension; exploring their past, and their inner-pain. It's a well written non-mainstream narrative, with certain dramatic elements of various European realism "waves" (such as Kieślowski, Wenders, and early Wajda). Nick Corporon's (director) mise-en-scène approach is semi-minimalist: long interior shots, mixed with hand-held photography and natural movement. An old Polaroid camera prop (used by the main character) - ads a touch of nostalgia to carefully staged cinematic ride. Overall, the picture is an example of well executed independent film that delivers something we lack in today's American cinema - a REAL people's story.

This an interestingly quirky take on a road trip movie. "Jonathan" (Tuc Watkins) retains the services of a much younger hooker and proceeds to attempt to turn him into the partner he has lost. They set off en route to the Grand Canyon and their relationship - despite themselves - starts to flourish. Devon Graye plays the "duplicate" boyfriend ("Adam") really very well and the toing and froing of their relationship encompasses lust, pain, longing, despair and anger as it reaches it's conclusion. There is enough ambiguity throughout to keep this interesting and the writing is taut. It is well worth a watch.

Definitely a strange, but well scripted story of a man trying to recreate his days with an ex love. Beautifully played by the two leading actors, as well as the general ensemble. The sex scenes though suggestive are not explicit which was disappointing given the story line. But the interaction between the characters and the role playing and how the emotions changed kept me gripped.. Very interesting and recommended.