Story: At a birthday party in 1968 New York, a surprise guest and a drunken game leave seven gay friends reckoning with unspoken feelings and buried truths.
I've never seen any of the plays or the previous movie directed by William Friedkin (The Exorcist). Hell, until now I didn't even know there were so many adaptations. I came into this one completely oblivious as I'd only seen a trailer (which doesn't say much, just the right amount of gay) and the cast caught my attention. So I was interested to see how this would turn out.
So what do I think of The Boys In The Band? Well, definitively has that play vibe and for the most part, kept me engaged. This takes place 95% inside an apartment but plays fairly well as it never feels dull. For a movie that lasts two hours, I've seen shorter movies that feel like an eternity. Ryan Murphy is one of the producers by the way. He's a hit or miss for me.
The cast is fantastic, which is the main reason to see this. I've never seen Jim Parsons (Garden State) in anything like a lead (The Big Bang Theory is not my cup of tea), mostly side characters, so he's a surprise. The guy is very talented and had me feeling all types of emotions (mostly negative in a good way). His character is repulsive and yet you never hate him. Robin De Jesus (Camp) is the one with fiery energy. His character is my favorite of the bunch. Charlie Carver (Teen Wolf) has a charm I've never seen before. The rest of the actors do a fine job and they get quite intense at times but nothing special. Joe Mantello did a fine job behind the camera with his crew.
And yet, with all the talent behind this I couldn't help but feel emotionally disconnected to the characters and the situation unfolding. Most of the characters are unlikeable (especially Zachary Quinto's) and half the time I was wondering why the hell didn't they walk out of that apartment? If I had a bunch of friends as rude as these, I would block them from everywhere. But I guess that's the point, to display how toxic this culture and ourselves can sometimes be.
The soundtrack also stands out with songs by Aretha Franklin, Chet Baker & Marvin Gaye. Definitively gives the movie a certain mood. There's a lot of talent involved and I enjoyed this much more than I anticipated. I think this is an exhausting experience where you'll feel drained once the end credits start rolling.
Watch the trailer:
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