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The Art of Being Straight (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:8
Fresh:3
Rotten:5
Average Rating:4.5/10
Synopsis: Jesse Rosen’s THE ART OF BEING STRAIGHT is a smart comedy exploring the too often strict boundaries of being gay or straight from the perspective of today's younger generation. ... Jesse Rosen’s THE ART OF BEING STRAIGHT is a smart comedy exploring the too often strict boundaries of being gay or straight from the perspective of today's younger generation. Twenty-three-year-old Jon (Jesse Rosen) has just moved to Los Angeles from New York, ostensibly "taking a break" from his longtime girlfriend. He moves in with college bro Andy (Jared Grey), and becomes immersed in the comforting regression to the college student lifestyle of partying, womanizing and talking trash. However, Andy’s pals incessantly do that kind of "That’s so gay" banter that is only essentially harmless if you're not the guy who has a gay area to figure out. Jon is hardly comfortable discussing his shifting Kinsien scale placement with them, and his new job as bottom-rung gofer at a major ad agency is fraught with sexual tension as a studly boss (Johnny Ray Rodriguez) barrages him with thinly veiled come-ons. Infamous among his buddies as a womanizer, Jon is more surprised than anyone when he ultimately falls for his boss’ seductive charms, which sends him spiraling into a world of sexual confusion. Meanwhile, he becomes re-acquainted with Madeleine (Rachel Castillo), an old fling from college, who has recently become a lesbian. But she may be falling for her intriguing guy neighbor (Peter Scherer) just as her girlfriend is ready to get serious. Ultimately, each of the friends discovers that acceptance in modern American society is not as difficult as they thought, that social mores no longer dictate who we are and that each decision you make has a direct affect on your identity. --© Regent [More]
Starring: Jesse Rosen, Rachel Castillo, Johnny Rodriguez, Johnny Ray Rodriguez
Starring: Jesse Rosen, Rachel Castillo, Johnny Rodriguez, Johnny Ray Rodriguez, Jared Gray
Director: Jesse Rosen
Director: Jesse Rosen
Producer: Amy Wasserman, Ursula Camack
Studio: Regent Releasing
Reviews for The Art of Being Straight
Mildly engaging with an initially intriguing premise and brief moments of wittiness, but ultimately falls flat as a drama. Its bland protagonist, along with a lazy, unimaginative screenplay, leaves you feeling unmoved and underwhelmed.
The title is the cleverest thing about this minor indie portrait of sexual confusion.
Smart without being smart-alecky, Mr. Rosen’s writing avoids the aggressive cleverness and gummy politics of many similarly themed movies, focusing instead on realistic dialogue and low-key interaction.
The director's inexperience shows at times...but his writing and acting are fine. Indeed, everyone in the cast is quite good.
A low-key comedy high on charm and credible twentysomething observation.
Being straight is hard to do in this brief, ponderous mumblecore flick.
The psychologically flat script isn't nearly up to the task of depicting the pleasure within confusion/despair (or vice versa); neither are Rosen's acting chops.
Structured like a comedy, but outfitted with only the most tedious sexual-identity riffs, generic characterizations, and no singular point of view.
Latest News for The Art of Being Straight
August 05, 2009:
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