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The Dying Gaul

By Golu
Oh what a movie! Even though the climax of the movie left me a little confused, I still cannot deny the fact that it was a brilliantly made film. The casting, the acting, the story, the filming; everything was almost perfect.

Robert is a screenplay writer whose script "The Dying Gaul" is being appreciated by a few studious. At one such meeting he meets Jeffery from a big production house who wants to buy his script. The script has been inspired by Robert's boyfriend who died of Aids. Jeffery and others love the script but he can buy the script only if Robert changes the gay guy to be a woman because as per him Americans "hate gays". Robert refuses initially but later gives in when Jeffery proposes one million dollar for the script with the changes. Robert after hesitation gives in because he plans to invest that money for his son (from the days he was married). Robert now starts visiting Jeffrey house where he meets Elaine, Jeffery wife and mother of 2 kids. Theirs is a happy family until we are shown that Jeffery is flirting with Robert which later he gives into and the two start having an affair. On the other hand, Elaine connects to Robert on a more intellectual and emotional level and does not want Robert to change his script. One one such occasions she also finds out that Robert is so lonely that he ends up spending most of his time in a chat room. One night she enters the chat room and after some chat finds out that Robert and her husband Jeffrey and now having an affair. Torned between her husband's cheating and her strong empathy for Robert, she decided to get another name for chat room and poses as Robert's ex died boyfriend and starts tall king about all the things that were intimate only between the two lovers.

Robert believes all that and starts feeling guilty for betraying his ex. He wants to end everything and hence one day just candidly ends up telling Elaine , how Jeffrey sometimes thinks of killing his wife just because he is fed up being bisexual. Elaine takes action after hearing that and finally what happens comes as a shock to audience.

From execution point of view, a few sequences are brilliantly handled. The way Elaine confronts Jeffery is beautiful. Plus the way Robert and Jeffrey get together etc. The landscape and the whole shooting areas are wonderful. Though the movie is great, I certainly could not understand certain things about the movie a) How does Elaine know so much about Robert's personal life b) What exactly happens in the end to the characters. The Dying Gaul in reality is a roman Greek kStatue and towards the end of the movie, Jeffrey is shown as repenting in the same pose as that of the statue.

I feel like I can keep writing about this movie. But I need to stop. It is a must see. (8/10)
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