I think the idea behind this movie was really interesting and different. It tells the story of a brutal attack on a gay man in Chile, which is a very serious subject, similar to the Matthew Shepard case in the US. However, it feels like the people who made the film weren't quite sure how to tell the story. The movie wanders around a lot, and many scenes are confusing because it's hard to tell what point the director is trying to make. The first part of the movie was actually quite good and I was excited to see where it went, but then it completely changes. It spends way too much time showing the dad being sad and frustrated, and the most annoying part is that the movie doesn't really have an ending or any answers. The story is about a teenager named Pablo who is around 17 or 18. He lives with his dad, Juan, who is a single father and always busy with work. Pablo loves to dance, hangs out with his best friend who is a lesbian, and is practicing for a drag show audition. When...
A headliner called “the nance”, usually played by a straight man, was a stereotypically camp homosexual and master of comic double entendre. THE NANCE recreates the naughty, raucous world of burlesque’s heyday and tells the backstage story of Chauncey Miles and his fellow performers. Chauncey's seemingly settled life quickly becomes upended. He meets a straight turned gay man Ned and falls in love with him.Ned is a sweet-natured, attractive younger man from Buffalo, who also loves back Chauncey which he finds quite surprising. Ned manages to find work in the same theatre where Chauncey performs. Chauncey plays occasional Nance characters but when the then mayor LaGuardia establishes new rules in cracking down on burlesque for showing loose morals and deviancy. After taking a surprisingly political stand — and suffering consequences for his actions he somehow doesn't expect — a disheartened Chauncey begins to spiral downward. For all his proud protestations, by the play's end it's clear that he has been so indoctrinated by society's view of gay men that he doesn't believe he deserves personal or professional happiness.
Anchored with several engeritic burlesque songs, dances and cornball humor, we experience the unique stage craft of the burlesque/vaudeville players who entertained a generation in the 20th century. We witness how careful gays had to be when meeting others as well as how indirect the sexy shows had to be so as not to be closed by the mayor’s office. But despite all the challenges, we cheer for Chauncy and Ned’s romance. The social and political dynamics of NYC in 1937 effects the lives of these entertainers. It is important for this generation to know and experience the craft of burlesque and vaudeville especially if they want to be effective musical comedy actors. I wish someday I get to see the play in real, because all said and done, the televised version of a play can never give you the fun and connection that the real thing can. (5/10)
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