I React! - Poster Boy

Unknown to you, I love watching movies regardless of genres, although I specifically like watching horror and suspense/thriller. This next blog entry is actually a movie review (plus personally written synopsis) which I made last December 21, 2008. I originally posted this from my multiply account, but for apparent reasons, I was not able to pursue largely because I happen to forgot my log-in credentials. Boo me.

Anyways, I decided to have it imported in here, for the sake of letting you guys read the review that I have written. I also have decided to import some blog entries I have made there. Enjoy!

Note: This is now edited. But of course! Gone are the days where I tolerate my personal issues with grammar and styles of writing.

----------

Title of the Movie: Poster Boy

Genre: Romance, Politics, Gay-themed

This indie film talks about different aspects of reality: family, love (read: bromance), politics, and homosexuality. It revolves around the story of Henry, played by one of my most favorite actors Matt Newton (who starred as Armand in the movie "Queen of the Damned"), a closet gay son of a senator who in the story had filed again his candidacy for re-election. Notwithstanding the fact that his father, Jack Kray was opposed by many people, particularly student activists, Henry was forced by his dad to be part of his campaign for the senatorial seat in California. He was forced to be his dad's poster boy, seemingly to achieve the idea that the youth might actually participate in the forthcoming elections and to gain more supporters and voters through his son's persuasion. As a typical closet gay, Henry was not afraid of having sex to whomever he met at the dark alleys during nights, or at bars or streets of the city, unless these people know Henry to be a son of a senator, and reveal the information the morning after. He then met Anthony, am student activist and a member of the group which opposes Senator Kray and his deeds. Gay as he also is, Anthony was fond of having affair with anybody - until he met Henry one particular night. Upon the "org" realizing that Henry is the son of the senator, plus the fact that Anthony had a one night affair with him, they used Anthony to out Henry and publicize the fact that Henry is gay - one thing that they surely know would pent up the senator because he opposes homosexuality, along with AIDS. As Anthony and Henry's romance got deeper, without Henry still knowing that his partner is an activist, he had a plan of actually coming out on the day where his dad would render a speech on the university where he is studying. On the other side, Anthony is caught in between: whether to actually out Henry or to not involve or use Henry against the senator, just to have their relationship as smooth as possible. Then the speech day came, as well as the scandal broke out. Henry did what he had planned - of coming out by using Anthony (Henry kissed Anthony in front of the media while his dad is rendering his speech). All the while that Henry knew he succeeded also broke out the idea that the "org" where Anthony was in revealed accidentally in front of Henry, their plan of having Anthony "outing" Henry to his dad. At the end of the story, Henry and Anthony had their problem solved; while his dad had his heart broken, especially when his wife left him because of wrong principles and absolute political thinking.

Okay then, so how am I going to start this review? Lemme think.

I was surprised (really), to see a flick that actually has politics running around a gay-themed story. It was also frightening though, on my part, to initially thinking that it has real first-hand connections, as enlightened in the film. One thing for sure, my guesses aren't right; and I had to make myself finish the entire film to actually realize what homosexuality and politics have to do together in this movie.

There are but a number of things that I want to disclose regarding the film. A number of realizations that were discussed silently on my mind while I was watching the flick - some things that I can never brought up to anybody, especially if they haven't watched the film, nor if they don't have any idea what the film is all about. Sure is, i don't want to narrate the events that had happened (but I presented above some summary, own summary at that, of the movie itself.)

First, it seem as though that the movie was all about being someone that you aren't supposed to be, as far as your family is concerned, and as far as you same family holds some ideals that it upholds for its entire life. I would say that the senator was so really that closed one type - being that of someone that is highly ideological, as blanketed by the world and ideas of politics. Even his son and his wife were not actually "allowed" to be one whom they wanted to be, because of this and that. it was really annoying on the part of everyone under the senator's realm that they can't be who they wanted to be. Result: pretensions, closeting, masking, and most especially, doubting ones self. Henry is gay, and he's just not proud of being one. Why? Largely because of his dad. His dad was involved on some legislation that are practically classifying the society. His dad, as the story goes, has raised and put some measures to marginalizing people with AIDS and people that are admittedly homosexuals. So why would Henry bother to turn up the tables and proclaim his being gay if he knew for a fact that he would then be really going against the principles of his dad. As much as he loved his family, e don't want for it to happen. So even if he really didn't liked the idea of being into politics, he doesn't have any choice but to agree what his dad had asked him to do - to be his poster boy.

Second, the film tackles about the battle between LOVE and PRINCIPLES; the issue between how much you are willing to go fight for what you care for against how much you are willing to lose to pursue what you believed in. In the story, Anthony was a student activist - member of the group that basically is against to the senator's stint for re-election in the senatorial post. The group from where he belonged is really anti the ideals Senator Kray had proposed, and they don;t want to be subjugated again under his powers. But Anthony and Henry, in the story, seemed to have put their heart into flames together. Oh yes, they have fallen in love with each other, something that has happened after a one night stand during one party in the university they both attended. At first, Anthony didn't knew that he has the senator's son beside the bed that night, as he was only informed the day after. Soon he was used by his group to have Henry out himself in front of the viewing public, desired to happen on the day that the senator would render his speech in the university where they study at. opposing to this view, yet not confirming it to the group, Anthony pretended, in front of his group, that he was befriending Henry for that sake, notwithstanding the fact that he had fallen in love with the poster boy. After the scandal happened, it was a choice for Anthony either to stand on what their ideals are, or to fight for his love. Well, as the story goes (much as this is a romance film, and the story revolves around Anthony and Henry), Anthony and Henry had their reconciliation afterward. So, to cut the story short, love prevailed.

Last, the story also dwell on the idea of how the family should work on itself. Henry's family was really not the ideal one, though the members in this family seem to be somehow fortunate in their fields. It talks about the idea of how being what you really believe in would, at the end of the day, steal you out of your family. Isn't it that the family should be the one heaven that people are fond and of fun to always return for the comfort it renders? In the movie, it seemed to be the other way around. The same family turned into a hell because of the very people in it - a father who is blinded by all the principles he'd been fighting for, a mother who is very submissive and defenseless, and a son who cannot even show up what he really is because of fear and preoccupations. As much as I try to conceal the ideas being relayed onto me by the film, I believe that the family of Henry never had, or never will patch things up to somehow appease or regain the peace they had in their family. Even if his mother talked to the senator, I think, that isn't enough, considering all the odds that were unsurpassed before, and the problems that kept on badgering them as members of the said family, and as individuals by themselves.

In the end, I would like to share one line that Henry Kray said on the movie: issues are created to pit people to divide.


----------

There. My first ever blog-published 'movie review.' I hope people would learn some things from me and appreciate the movie itself.


Cheers,
Chard Lora