Trick Review
Knowing humor, appealing leads, and a solid screenplay elevate this slick, commercial gay comedy above the glut of similar movies that characterized the late-'90s independent film market. First-time screenwriter Jason Schafer fills his tale of obstructed libido and incipient romance with all the trappings of feel-good gay cinema, but he tweaks his clichés at every turn, either subverting them or pushing them hilariously over the top; from tongue-in-cheek musical numbers to drag queens who refuse to be cuddly to characters who aren't quite what they seem, Schafer has plenty of, well, tricks up his sleeve. Rookie producer/director Jim Fall, meanwhile, paces his film like a seasoned pro, translating his protagonists' mounting frustration into a sense of suspense worthy of a Hollywood action extravaganza. None of this would work, however, if it weren't for the uniformly strong performances. Christian Campbell, the older brother of Neve Campbell, invests the plaintive, show tune-loving Gabriel with a self-deprecating fastidiousness that's utterly dead-on. Tori Spelling, meanwhile, continues her credibility-building spree as Katherine, the Sally Bowles-esque sidekick to Campbell's timid character; from manic song-and-dance numbers to an emotional breakdown set in a greasy spoon, Spelling brandishes her comic timing like a deadly weapon and pokes holes in fag-hag truisms along the way. At first, stage vet Jean Paul Pitoc gets less to work with in the role of Mark, the well-muscled go-go boy who sets the plot in motion, but his cipher-like character reveals deeper layers as the film progresses. By the time we reach the movie's climax (in the plot if not the sexual sense), Mark stands revealed as that most mythical of creatures: the hottie with a heart of gold. Such a dénouement may mark Trick as an unrealistic trifle, but it's an unrealistic trifle of the highest order. Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
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