Welcome to the front lines of AIDS activism, where the latest enemy raids are being run by a band of unlikely warriors: two drag queens, an HIV-positive man with tiny gemstones dotting his bald head, and his HIV-positive sister. With their status as “queer outcasts,” these protagonists form a terrorist gang dedicated to the agenda of attacking conservative and homophobic politicians. They stage a series of surprise attacks against conservative politicians whom they believe are collecting secret lists of HIV-positive individuals. The band’s multiracial alliance is threatened when Asian-American Sam, its youngest member is discreetly seduced by the closeted councilman, on whom the very first attack by the gang was made. As a result, excessive emotions and conflicts surface, since Sam is actually infatuated by one of the group members, the bald Max, a cynically bitter man who’s dying of AIDS. Caught up in their extreme methods of activism and self-destructive drug and alcohol binges, the group becomes torn by infighting and begins to lose sight of their mission and loyalty to each other.
There are few movies about black queer men dealing with subject of AIDS, most of them are serious and about white male; so in that sense it’s refreshing to see a political satire that not only revolves around men of color, but also refuses to label them as victims. However, aiming to be at once a riotous comedy and a sensitive, compassionate melodrama, pic oscillates between wild humor and serious emotions, with jarringly awkward changes in tone from one scene to another, making it for a tedious viewing. With a mix of exuberant style, will humor, funny drag queens, staged attacks etc, the film struggles to find the right rhythm to deliver its message. Film plays with issues of identity: who we are and who we pretend to be. Its characters get so absorbed in their roles -- drag queen, undercover activist, closeted councilman -- that they lose sight of their more basic identities: brother, friend, lover. I am sure I am missing something here and maybe the subject did get the glory back in the day, but even as a colored gay man myself, it was really hard for me to connect with the film and appreciate it for what its trying to be. I felt it was all over a place, wanting to make a point, but sadly failed to do so. (3.5/10)
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