BEDROOMS AND HALLWAYS

R : Released September 1999

starring Kevin McKidd, James Purefoy, Tom Hollander, Julie Graham, Simon Callow, Jennifer Ehle, and Hugo Weaving

written by Robert Farrar - directed by Rose Troche

B

The last summer entry into the gay cinema summer sweepstakes is BEDROOMS AND HALLWAYS, a decidedly conventional comedy of manners about the blurring lines between homosexuality and heterosexuality. Like her debut feature Go Fish, director Rose Troche has danced upon the very thin line between complex explorations of sexuality and witty comedy stylings. If Noel Coward had gone to gay pride marches, he might have written something very similar to BEDROOMS AND HALLWAYS.

Opting to tweak notions of masculinity (both gay and straight) in this satisfying ensemble comedy, Troche installs a revolving door of sexual desires in this British group of friends. Leo (Kevin McKidd) has reluctantly joined a 'men's group', a male bonding new-age phenomenon, run by a daft psychotherapist (played by the great British stage actor Simon Callow). At this group, he falls in love with a hunky straight Irishman, Brendan (James Purefoy). Things get exponentially more interesting when Brendan responds positively to Leo's clumsy advances; before you know it, the straight men are dropping like fairies, er, I mean flies. Meanwhile, Leo's roomate Darren (the hilarious Tom Hollander) has taken up with a gleefully twisted real estate broker (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert's Hugo Weaving), who has a special fondness for sex in his clients' empty homes. Brendan's separated wife Sally (Jennifer Ehle) also happens to be Leo's childhood sweetheart. The confusion -- and there is plenty of it -- remains mostly in the characters' mores and desires, while the plot lines are easy to follow.

There's a fluid (although slightly disconcerting) nature to the shifting sexualities of these characters, as straights become gay and vice versa. Still, there's enough sophistication in Troche's direction to keep BEDROOMS AND HALLWAYS from becoming implausibly out of touch. Human potential, and our ability to dig inside ourselves for truth and honesty, are at the core of this very fnny comedy. BEDROOMS AND HALLWAYS may leave both gay and straight audiences shaking their heads in disbelief, but in between laughs they'll see a well-intentioned journey to unencumbered lives.