Early 'Weekend'

My friend Scooter and I attended a special screening of the buzzy British indie “Weekend” last night in Tribeca. For those who haven't read, it’s about a not-quite-comfortable-being-gay-yet bloke who gets drunk one night after hanging out with his straight mates and picks up a guy in a gay club, then they spend the entire weekend together, sort of a "Trick" meets "Before Sunrise." The story, dialogue and acting were the “realist” depiction of gay life I have seen onscreen since “Parting Glances” came out in ’86 -- with each line and performance ringing very true. Even better, the script -- unlike 95% of films, even some of the all-time best -- has no unrealistic conflicts inserted to simply drive the plot along, creating the feeling of a nearly perfect voyeuristic experience, watching two handsome guys meet and get to know each other. (Those Brits and their instant coffee!)

"Weekend" is a very small film, yet its message (voiced by the out-and-proud Glen) is much bigger, and comes at a particularly relevant moment in time. A wonderful debut from a young British director (Andrew Haigh, who we saw later at an after-party at Gawker honcho Nick Denton's loft), with exceptional performances by its lead actors, Tom Cullen (swoon) and Chris New. The film has been hyped and acclaimed for some time now, but not even great expectations could stop me from loving "Weekend." My grade: A.

"Weekend" opens Friday in New York. Details HERE.

For additional information, look HERE.