This screwball comedy from 1969 has a pretty wild premise: two guys try to fake being gay just to dodge the military draft. If you watched this today, it would probably come across as super offensive, and I honestly have no clue how people felt about it back when it first hit theaters. My guess is it probably wasn't a huge hit. The humor is really broad and kind of goofy, with a lot of obvious puns that actually reminded me of those cheesy sitcoms from the 80s and 90s. It makes me wonder if this movie actually inspired some of those later shows. The story follows two best friends, Danny and Elliot, who are desperate to get out of the draft. They decide the best way out is to pretend they're in a relationship, but the Army doesn't just take their word for it and puts them under surveillance. Even though they’re both young and have girlfriends, they’re forced to move into an apartment building full of gay residents to keep up the act. It’s a total mess because they’re trying ...
Nhat and Van have been friends since childhood. When they go to college, they decide to join same program and live together. In college Nhat gets a girlfriend, oblivious to the fact that Van has been in love with him. Van takes care of Nhat at home cooking and all but also feels heartbroken. Meanwhile Nhat's girlfriend feels that he talks a lot about Van and is there more to their friendship. One drunk night, Van professes his love to Nhat, who is very confused by everything going around him, because he is very close to Van but has never considered him as a potential partner. When Nhat tells his girlfriend that she will always be his priority, Van is heartbroken and leaves to go to his home. Nhat realizes how much he misses Van and goes after him and confesses his love. In a shocking climax (which turns out to be a dream eventually), the two lovers are reunited back in their college town.
This is a typical high school turned college love story, which tries to focus on the usual confusing feelings that every LGBTQ teenager experiences during their coming out phase. The film makers heart was at the right place but execution is very choppy. The class has some random characters like Van's bets friends who constantly tease him about Nhat, even in front of him or the grumpy guy in the back who probably has hidden feelings for Van. The locations are natural and beautiful, but who stays at home all dresses up like Van and Nhat does. Van's look with shorts and a hat totally annoyed me for some reason. I know its silly! As actors the two leads do a good job, although the crackling chemistry is missing here. Also as close as they are, there is always a fine line between string and close male friendship and when does that turn into love. We all have our separate philosophies regarding this, so there is no right answer. Thankfully Nhat's girlfriend is shown to be slightly more mature here compared to the Thai girlfriends who are always evil in the shows. The romance didn’t happen till the penultimate episode, because that’s how long it took for Nhat to come to his senses. The finale seemed a bit random and rushed and I’m wondering why they muddled the rather confusing dream sequence with reality. That was so not necessary at all. Overall, its a nice basic show with some easy moments. It has nothing new to offer but just a warm fuzzy view of a gay couple's budding romance in Vietnamese country setting. (4.5/10)
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