Max Talisman as Zack Anthony and Joey Pollari as Zack Mandel in a scene from "Things Like This." (Photo courtesy of MPX Releasing)
The sidelines are just too limiting. For way too long, gay men with a few extra pounds have been belittled, pigeonholed and dismissed when it comes to their portrayal in movies and TV. They tend to be the butt of the joke, comic relief with crackerjack timing and stinging one-liners. The reliable sidekick? Been there. The loyal friend with a pep talk always handy? Done that. The backstabbing frenemy with a penchant for stealing scenes? Yes, indeedy.
It's time to change that dynamic, to move on up from the back seat to behind the steering wheel. The plus-sized protagonists of two new movies opening in theaters this weekend do not hesitate to take charge of their narratives. Even better, they render their plump physiques a nonissue when opening up about their neuroses and imperfections. The emphasis is on their minds, their dreams and disappointments, not on their waist size. As it should be.
But do these comedies, one of them an old-fashioned New York City rom-com, the other a dark comedy set in Buenos Aires, have what it takes to command moviegoers' attention during this last semi-quiet stretch before summer movies kick into high gear? It's time for this critic, for whom these stories by and about heavy-set dudes hit very close to home, to take a closer look.
“Things Like This”: What if someone made a rom-com where there's chemistry between the leads but not much else going for it? That's the unfortunate case of this Big Apple tale with a buoyant retro spark but little discipline or skill in the storytelling department. The film is the brainchild of star Max Talisman, who's ready for his closeup but not ready for prime-time when it comes to things like writing a script or calling the shots.
Talisman plays Zack Anthony, a ne'er-do-well writer who has completed a vampire novel but hasn't been able to translate his prowess with words into a robust literary career. Or, as it happens, a satisfying love life. The film opens with a postcoital brush-off, courtesy of a chiseled gym rat who tells Zack, “You're just not my type.”
But Zack has heard it all before. He rips into an ice cream pint. His bestie, ladies man Kenny (Charlie Tahan), nudges him to step things up, sensing Zack is on the cusp of a breakthrough. Zack is unaware that his life is about to be upended... by a boy named Zack. You mean this is the story of what happens when Zack met Zack? Tee-hee! Isn't that darling?
Joey Pollari as Zack Mandel and Max Talisman as Zack Anthony in a scene from "Things Like This." (Photo courtesy of MPX Releasing)
Zack #2 is Zack Mandel (cutie patootie Joey Pollari), an assistant to the head of a talent agency that's tacky and toxic down to the lime green and hot pink office color scheme. The “meet cute” happens at a gallery exhibit opening where Fat Zack charms the socks off Boy Next Door Zack.
What's that? Zack #2 already has a boyfriend who makes his life miserable and deathly dull? One would think that's the cue for Talisman to set up this current relationship as a fearsome road block for the Zacks. But the filmmaker reduces the boyfriend, Eric (Tampa-born Taylor Trensch), to a one-dimensional cartoon, the kind that thinks dinner at Denny's makes for a romantic date night. Talisman throws Eric under the bus and even encourages viewers to point at him and cringe.
Once the Zacks begin going out, “Things Like This” unveils a revelation that forces viewers to reexamine the improbabilities that saddle its soundbite-driven screenplay. I won't divulge it here, but this hot little tidbit threatens to take the film in a more interesting direction. Alas, Talisman is all too content to fall back on tired genre trappings.
The vibes here suggest a cross between “Trick,” Jim Fall's winsome 24-hour romance featuring Tori Spelling, and “Ugly Betty,” ABC's U.S. adaptation of the long-running Colombian telenovela “Yo soy Betty, la fea.” But the execution screams amateur night, with a dash of Gen-Z angst. Talisman throws comedy-of-errors scenarios into the mix, but nothing quite gels. He introduces a plethora of supporting characters, including the ubiquitous Eric Roberts as Zack #2's homophobic dad, but doesn't give them much to do.
As for Talisman and Pollari, there is an undeniable rapport, wholesome and disarming, between the stars, but Talisman, the director, doesn't take advantage of it. Instead, “Things Like This,” careens from cute 'n' fluffy dating moments to more serious soul searching, to the point that too many scenes devolve into irksome finger-pointing. None of it feels remotely believable or cohesive. Events unfold in haphazard, abrupt fashion as the movie heads toward a conclusion that feels both preordained and unearned.
Talisman should have pared down his script to remove some of its purple, flowery lines, but it appears he's too enamored of his dialogue. Crucially, he ought to have entrusted his material to a director with a little more mileage. For instance, a New York City indie comedy from a previous generation, “Kissing Jessica Stein,” had stars/screenwriters Heather Juergensen and Jennifer Westfeldt hand over the reins to director Charles Herman-Wurmfeld, and I would argue this film's strength is derived from their creative collaboration.
Max Talisman as Zack Anthony and Joey Pollari as Zack Mandel in a scene from "Things Like This." (Photo courtesy of MPX Releasing)
The key to a good rom-com is giving appealing leads the circumstances to not only make us root for them but forget we're watching far-fetched wish fulfillment. Talisman is an engaging figure in front of the camera, but behind it, he still has a long way to go. He doesn't make us believe Zack and Zack's grounded yet hopeful fairy tale,
“Most People Die on Sundays”: Now here's a filmmaker who handles tonal shifts like a pro. Writer-director-star Iair Said's admirably sour sophomore feature throws a bucket of cold water at the notions of romantic fulfillment and familial harmony. Said plays David, an Argentinean grad student living in Europe who's hit with the double whammy of a breakup and news of his Uncle Pocho kicking the bucket.
A Jew in his early 30s, David still behaves like a petit bourgeois college student. He pouts when he realizes he lost the sleeping pill he was counting on for his translatlantic flight back home. At temple with his (deeply dysfunctional) family, he recites his prayers as if he were going through the motions. He assures his mother, Dora (Rita Cortese, sensational), that he means to finish his degree. At some point. No way would he even contemplate moving back to Buenos Aires. Nuh-uh.
Iair Said as David, Rita Cortese as Dora and Juliana Gattas as Elisa in a scene from "Most People Die on Sundays." (Photo courtesy of Big World Pictures)
But Mommie Dearest has news of her own. She intends to pull the plug on her husband, who has been lying in a coma for years and with whom David had a challenging relationship growing up. He pretends not to be upset, but the announcement throws David into an existential tailspin, all while still grappling with the fact that his ex wants nothing to do with him. Frequently funny self-destructive behavior ensues, at one point involving ice blue lipstick and an ill-fated night out on the town.
“Sundays,” which had its Southeastern U.S. premiere at the Miami Jewish Film Festival earlier this year, is a slim character study. At 75 minutes, perhaps a tad too slim, but Said, who was inspired by events in his own life when he wrote the screenplay, knows exactly what story he wants to tell and has the chops to make it happen. He dexterously juggles deadpan laughs and pathos, preventing the former from overshadowing the latter.
The star's hangdog features and piercing bright eyes bring to mind the young Oliver Reed. Said uses his effortless charisma to navigate a thorny exploration of arrested development, coming to terms with a loved one's passing and the passive aggressive jerks we call family. Behind the camera, he displays a gift for portraiture, not just with David but his extended family.
Antonia Zegers as Silvia, Juliana Gattas as Elisa, Rita Cortese as Dora and Iair Said as David in a scene from "Most People Die on Sundays." (Photo courtesy of Big World Pictures)
You feel David's unhappiness, and his quest for validation, deep in your bones, but you also empathize with Dora's frustrations. It's as a portrait of mother and son that the film truly thrives, thanks in large part to Cortese's brilliantly lived-in performance. She shows there's a heart of gold hiding underneath the ruthless exterior of “Most People Die on Sundays."
That's not to say the film is not above scoring some vicious laughs at David's expense, none funnier than a bitch slap from a most unexpected source. (Man, that stings!) Said underscores how refreshing it is to depict a flawed and complex gay man at the helm of a narrative that embraces his sexual orientation but is not defined by it. More personal stories like this, please and thank you.
Iair Said as David and Rita Cortese as Dora in a scene from "Most People Die on Sundays." (Photo courtesy of Big World Pictures)
“Things Like This” is now showing in theaters across South Florida, including Regal South Beach, AMC Aventura 24, AMC Sunset Place and Paradigm Cinemas: Gateway Fort Lauderdale. “Most People Die on Sundays” is showing in limited release at Savor Cinema in Fort Lauderdale, from Friday to Monday.
