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Rating:  - Come out with a shout
A quadruple all star cast topped off by Anne Bancroft and harvey fierstein. The story about a gay guy, whose Mom loves him, but wishes he wasn't. Harvey Fierstein's performance as gay Arnold gives a performance of a lifetime. He has never been better and will never be better.Being a gay female impersonator in New York confronts him with daily challenges, crisis', brief moments of happiness and loads of grief. This is a down to earth flick that tells the story, I'm a person and I deserve to live too. Once a Broadway play and now a film too good to miss
Rating: - I loved this movie...
Suffice to say that this movie shows how each of us needs to have connections with others that are supportive and loving, regardless of sexual orientation, age, gender, or sex.
Rating: - LIKE AGED WINE
"TORCH SONG TRILOGY"
Like Aged Wine
Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride
Some of may have noticed that I have departed from my regimen of reviewing new film to go back into the past and relook at more of the memorable films that cleared the path and help us make our way to where we are. Interestingly enough, some of the early "gay" films were made by major Hollywood studios; some of the very same studios that forced their actors to stay in the closet and in some cases would never touch a film with a gay subplot today. One of these films is the heroic "Torch Song Trilogy", the film adaptation of Harvey Fierstein's award winning stage play. Made in 1988, the movie was a major move for Hollywood and for us. The movie follows ten years in the life of Arnold Beckoff, a gay male as he moves through life. Arnold is a female impersonator who dreams of finding Mr. Right, marrying him and raising a child. If you like to laugh and cry in movies then this is f=definitely for you, The director, Paul Bogart, manages to draw out the entire range of emotions in this film and as Arnold mumbles his mantra, "There's nothing I need from anyone except love and respect". We want to cheer him on. To cheer him is to cheer ourselves and that is what this movie is all about--finding out where we fit in the scheme of things.
Arnold Beckoff is the main character and it is the study of his character upon what the film focuses. This is a wonderful movie but it could have been even more wonderful. The gay characters are mostly stereotypical and are portrayed as very promiscuous. Time also moves through the movie very quickly. But many instances in the movie do ring true mainly because of the performance of Fierstein.
Here is a movie that is packed with good intentions and has a great deal going for it especially due to the brilliant portrayal of Arnold by Fierstein. As" Virginia Hamm", the drag persona, he is brilliant. We see how Virginia/Arnold has dealt with and deal with the obstacles of life. Giving a wonderful performance as Arnold's mother is the late Anne Bancroft and in cameo roles are some of the most famous gay models around.
This is a solid movie and will keep you laughing you watch Fierstein's "Doris Day with a dick".
Rating:  - Poignant and moving story. It's also a comedy. Really fine film.
Writen by and starring Harvey Fierstein, this 1988 film was adapted from the stage play. It's set in the New York world of gays in the 1970s, before AIDS. But even then, life was certainly not bliss for Harvey Fierstein. From early childhood Harvey knew he was different. As an adult, he works as a feminine impersonator and has accepted himself, but every day he has to confront his gayness. He uses humor to cover up his hurts and that's why this film can be considered a comedy as well as a drama. But even though I laughed out loud at certain points, it is still a poignant and moving story of an individual's search for love and respect.
There are two men in Harvey's life. One is Ed, a bisexual who can't quite come to terms with living as a gay man. He actually gets married and Harvey and the new "love of his life", Alan, played by Mathew Broderick are invited for a visit. Naturally there are complications. But the two men resolve them, move to a new apartment and make plans to adopt a 15-year old gay boy. It's then that tragedy strikes and Alan is viciously murdered.
The most important relationship, however, is Harvey's relationship with his mother, played by Ann Brancroft. She's supposed to be Jewish with all the Jewish stereotypical expressions. Sorry, but I didn't get it. She comes across as a caricature rather than a real person. And, had she played the role better, I might even have had a small amount of sympathy for her. This didn't happen. All I did was be amused as she tried to act Jewish. It's a good role. It just needed a better actress.
With the exception of Ann Bankcroft's acting, I really liked this film. Harvey Fierstein is outstanding and it clear that the role comes straight from his heart. The rest of the cast did a good job and the cinematography was good. As a side note, part of this movie was filmed across the street from where I live. I even remember when they were filming it. It depicts the neighborhood as a dangerous one. That is not true at all. But, after all, this is the movies.
I definitely recommend Torch Song Trilogy and give it a high recommendation. It depicts a time and a place in the world of gay men that has unfortunately ended when AIDS came on the scene. I just wish that the casting would have been better for the mother's role.
Rating: - Such A Fine Movie
Harvey Fierstein's play that won a Tony translates beautifully onto the screen. Even though the movie is only two hours long-- the play was about four-- he captures the essence of this groundbreaking play. Although we previously had had BOYS IN THE BAND, THE STAIRCASE and similar plays/movies about gay people in America, no writer before had said (that I can recall) that gays should adopt children, gays should be monogamous, gays should be honest with themselves, their families and everybody else, gays had nothing to be ashamed of, gays were good people. Fierstein says all that and more in this most seminal work. When the history of the gay movement in the late 20th Century is written, this play/movie will be remembered with the likes of ANGELS IN AMERICA as lasting art. I saw the play on broadway years ago. It was the shortest four hours of my life. Both the play and the movie will make you laugh; they will make you cry.
Of course Fierstein, who both wrote the screenplay and plays Arnold Beckoff a/k/a Virginia Ham, gets a tad dramatic at times and his addressing the audience works better on stage than in the film; and maybe the great actress Anne Bancroft overacts as his b----y mother. These are just table crumbs, however, from a magnificent visual feast.
All the actors to a person are superb, and the soundtrack is worth owning--Fierstein, who sings his songs live, has a voice no lower than Marlene Dietrich's and just as good.
Fierstein also does a commentary on the DVD of this film, offering interesting insights and tidbits about the making of TORCH SONG TRILOGY, a film you will want to see again and again.
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