LAFF 2015: FRENCH DIRTY

 

Vincent (Wade Allain-Marcus) and Roma (Melina Lizette) in French Dirty.

 

 

Coming clean

By John Esther
 
Since the demise of his parents' marriage the one thing Vincent (Wade Allain-Marcus) could rely on is his best friend, Steve (Arjun Gupta). So why would he do something so terrible as to sleep with Steve's year-long girlfriend, Roma (Melina Lizette)?
 
Well the answers are many and they have been brewing for a long time. Filled with guilt, the unemployed Vincent decides to tell Steve of his betrayal once the latter gets off of work. In the meantime, Vincent has all day to avoid Roma's contact efforts, hang out with an upbeat tourist from France named Josephine (Elsa Biedermann), accept some resources from members of his family, and reflect on those significant moments, events and feelings which produced his bromance transgression.

Written and directed by brothers Wade and Jesse Allain-Marcus, the 72-minute French Dirty is a film brimming with realism and authenticity. The directing  (especially the tracking shots during the "introductory" party) and acting are tight, and the script, which probably has quite a bit of improvisation behind it, comes straight out of the "hipster" 'hoods of Los Angeles.

Yet French Dirty (a misleading title) is no adoration or condemnation of that lifestyle. These 30-year-old friends and their loved one can be amusing, entertaining, even intelligent, but they can also be obnoxious, and hermetically absorbed in their own microcosm. They are neither arrested-development Judd Apatow clowns nor budding intellectuals out of a Hal Hartly film.

The characters here are human beings all-too recognizable -- with flaws and positive traits, seemingly politically void, delusional in their assumed witticisms and banter, facing genuine struggles with maturity, loving to party, and, ultimately, loyal to friends.


French Dirty screens again at LAFF: June 17, 5:35 p.m., Regal Cinemas. For more information: Dirty.

 

 

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OUTFEST 2014: BFFS

A scene from BFFs. 

Friends and lovers

By Miranda Inganni

When Kat (Tara Karsian) receives an all-expense paid trip to a retreat entitled Closer to Closeness, Kat and her best friend Samantha (Andrea Grano) cannot pass up the offer. The only catch is that it is a couples retreat and both ladies are single.  Or are they?

Posing as a lesbian couple at the retreat, Kat and Samantha work through various group sessions – performing trust and communication exercises with the rest of the couples – in order to take advantage of the beautiful scenery, fabulous food and fun of this free weekend getaway. But somewhere between the ropes course and an exercise in self-expression, the two friends realize that they might have more than a friendship. 

Of course, this is not that surprising. How often do we hear of someone describing their partner as their “best friend?” The difference being that usually those couples already know about their sexual orientation.

BFFs stars Karsian and Grano co-wrote and produced this exceptionally well written and acted film. Directed by Andrew Putschoegl, and with help from an excellent supporting cast -- including Jenny O’Hara, Pat Carroll, Richard Moll, Sigrid Thornton, Sean Maher, among many others --  BBFs explores the answers to pesky questions such as what is important in a friendship and how is that different in a romantic relationship? Karsian and Grano have exceptional chemistry with each other. Between that, the witty writing and massive talent of the supporting cast, BFFs is a sharp-tonged, slyly subversive exploration of love.

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