Something Like Summer

One thing gets very clear after you have started watching this film, that this is definitely a book turned into a film. The dialogues seem something like you would read in a book and even otherwise things are not. at a consistent pace and that was my biggest problem with the film. An otherwise beautiful love story spanning over a period of few years gets wasted when you don’t work at all in characters behaviour or clothes or attitude to reflect the changing timelines.

The film starts with Benjamin, openly gay 17-year old high school student. He is completely infatuated with a new student Tim in class. Gorgeous Tim is popular, very handsome and apparently straight and so Benjamin stands no chance. An accident when Benjamin trips over him brings the two boys together when Tim confronts Benjamin if he indeed is gay. Soon their love story begins and both the boys are very happy but Tim still can’t come out in open, forget telling his friends about Benjamin. They eventually break-up even before school finishes. Ben moves to Chicago and 2 years later is required to come back to his hometown when his best friend’s father passes away. Ben meets flight attendant Jace on the flight and soon they start dating and even move in together. Tim comes back in picture as the two boys meet in a coffee shop. Tim is changed now and accepts his sexuality but it is too late since Jace and Ben are in a happy relationship. Tim says he can do anything to get Ben back, and he does. He creates a misunderstanding between the couple, which makes Ben sleeping with Tim (too convenient). Misunderstanding between Ben and Jace gets clear and the boys get married. They are happy with each other till Jace is diagnosed with Brain tumour and soon gives up on life. Ben finds t hard to move on and time passes by, till the expected happens. Tim and Ben’s paths cross again, the misunderstandings are cleared and there is a hope for another chance and possibly a happy future.

The story of the film is good and it needed better direction in my opinion. Its not that acting or anything was bad, but as I mentioned above, the timeline of the over was never clear. The protagonists looked and behaved exactly the same throughout the film. There was no hint of growth in them and it was very difficult for me to absorb that fact. I mean c’mmon you cannot look and act the same when you are 17 vs when you are supposedly 27 or something. Oh! I forgot to mention that the film was semi musical, which in my opinion, was neither a good or a bad thing. I didn’t care for those musical numbers especially since they really didn’t add much to the story. Tim and Jace were natural and stuck to their characters but Benjamin as the actor left a bit to be desired. I wonder if Tim and Jace’s characters are supposed to be out of league for him or that’s just the impression shown for the audience. On a positive side, the film doesn’t over indulge in sexual scenes and it focuses more on love and affections. Ben’s camaraderie with his best girlfriend is also very nice.

Agreed it was low production and the movie could vastly be improved. This one had huge potential to touch the viewers emotionally but I personally was able to connect with the characters only intermittently. (6/10)