Everyone

"Everyone" has all the pros and cons of an indy movie. The subject matter is important and quite well handled yet the quality of acting is in some cases debatable and the script would probably benefit from a bit of doctoring.This is a story of a gay couple who wants to commemorate their three years together with a marriage (whatever is the name they actually use in Canada) - they throw a party for their relatives who come with a lot of baggage. We have a couple who lost a baby, a couple who cannot conceive, a couple on the verge of divorce, another one going through a rough patch after the man failed to save the life of his young patient while the wife has an affair, and three single women who also find it difficult to cope with their lives. All of these problems start to resurface once the big family meeting gets under way and the gay couple is not free from their own issues as well.A street punk boy Dylan invited by one of the gay men's mother stirs things out of control, it is his presence that helps the characters see through their problems and start to deal with them. Some of them find this liberating, some remain stuck in their ruts but indy movies usually don't have happy endings for everyone.This is not a gay movie in the sense of "Will and Grace" or gay porn so keep your expectations very low if your looking for one-liners or hot action. The message seems to be that although the two main characters are gay, they are just a couple like all other couples, being gay doesn't make them better, worse or special.This is a movie that talks of things we seldom see discussed in earnest in big productions. It does not aim to please, it aims at making you think where you are because everyone means you too.

I liked the fact the characters were all mixed up - not all devastatingly attractive - quite ordinary really most of them. It seems a bit pedestrian for quite a long time as the different characters are introduced. But things start to come together as they meet and mix and the film seems to go in an arc towards the (perhaps predictable) ending. Quite funny, quite "ordinary" film. Not over the top on the emotions, actually quite true to life in some ways. Everyone has their own life, their own dramas and I think it was good that the main gay relationship was portrayed as really "only" another "unique" relationship of two people where no-one's perfect and everyone is hung up a bit about something. Makes a change from the romantic "young guys falling in love" film - these are all 30-40 somethings (apart from mum and her young "boyfriend") and it's interesting to see the depiction of life with this group and how nothing (and no-one's) perfect and it's almost inevitable we all end up with hang-ups of some sort or another!

As the title suggests this film is a moment in time for a cross section of people. The Gay issue forms the back drop but the variety of problems besetting the guests to this Gay "Wedding" is examined as the film progresses. There are touches of Desperate Housewives in the music score, and subtle humour throughout,I thought it moved at a good pace and am puzzled by some of the negative reviews.The casting was good especially the interplay between the three leading men, and the acting, although a bit wooden in parts was okay.I would definately recommend it.

The cover of this DVD declares it to be an "expertly crafted comedy". It is no such thing. I made a note of the number of times I chuckled. The total was a measly two, although there were admittedly a number of occasions when I smiled. And the mother of the two lads getting married is certainly mildly amusing. But a `comedy' this film is most definitely not: rather, it is a drama spread out over one day (set in Vancouver) about couples, both gay and straight, coping with each other. My partner and I found it mildly depressing.The problem starts in the opening shot where we see Ryan and Grant, who are due to be married that very day, arguing. And they argue for most of the rest of the day. Is this supposed to be funny? The family guests are hardly a bundle of laughs either. One couple are trying for a baby (well, the man is; the woman keeps having secret abortions); one couple are getting over the death of their child (yes, that's really hilarious!); one couple are trying to cope with the death of a child through surgery (he was the surgeon); and the last couple are about to break up. Fun, fun, fun!The film is too depressingly real to be ironic, which I suppose is a backhanded compliment to the actors for being so convincing. Having said that, my partner thought they were stage-actors, talking as if they were in a theatre. He gave up after thirty minutes, thinking it was like watching `Home and Away'.The extras include four deleted scenes, production notes, some (written) q&as with the director, stills gallery, and a behind-the-scenes gallery.I rarely give a film less than three stars. I'm afraid I give this one only two. I do not want to watch it again (twice is enough), and to the charity bag it goes.

Great fun, but possibly too many characters, so it was difficult remembering who was who.

It is OK

not a bad film

A miserable, horrible film about miserable horrible people. If you need confirmation that other people's unhappiness is not interesting (contrary to what producers of Easenders would have us believe)then watch this. As a 'gay' film this insults my intelligence- this does not deal with issues relevant to my 'community'- it simply throws around a few stereotypes hoping that I'll relate to at least one of them. We grew out of this type of film before New Queer cinema suggested that we didn't need to be portrayed in a positive light. It was depressing and patronizing then and its depressing and patronizing now. The worst thing is that it suggests that no-one is ever faithful and if temptation is present we'd all take it.