Marked as a smart, sexy romantic comedic melodrama, the roughly made Luster is anything but. Well, it's sort of sexy, but it's not particularly smart, with a plot that takes a full hour to kick in and some pretty forgettable performances by the young cast. Also, for the most part, Luster isn't particularly funny, with a storyline that ends up veering into some pretty ugly and heavy S&M, non-consensual sex, and even suicide.
Set in Los Angeles, with much of the action-taking place in the more seedy areas of Hollywood, Luster opens just as Jackson Jones (Justin Herwick) wakes up from an all night orgy. Jackson is an alternative kind of guy - he has piercings and streaky blue hair, a goatee, and works in an independent record store.
Jackson is also an amateur poet, and when he's not shelving CD's while riding through the store on his skateboard, he's writing sexy love poetry in the hope of getting himself published. He has also set his sites on Billy (Jonah Blechman), a damaged twink in white leather pants whom he spotted at a party. Billy, however, is into being bashed about for kicks, and has been having secret liaisons with the deeply closeted rock star Sonny Spike (Willie Garson).
Jackson has been using his love for Billy, as inspiration for his poems and Sonny wants to use them as lyrics for a new album of rock music that he has planned. Jackson, however, is totally oblivious to Billy and Sonny's kinky relationship. A spanner is really thrown into the works when Jed (b. Wyatt), Jackson's hunk of a cousin arrives in Los Angeles from Iowa. Of course, Jackson falls immediately in lust with him, and wonders whether sleeping with your cousin is really incest, if it involves two guys.
Meanwhile, Jackson has a secret admirer in the clean-cut, straight-laced, and absolutely adorable Derek (Sean Thibodeau). Derrick is an unadulterated romantic, who believes in "love at first sight," and who falls hopelessly in love with Jackson when he wanders into the record store. After sharing a rather passionate kiss, Jackson decides that Derek is a bit too "normal" for his punkish, alternative persona.
But is doesn't stop there, while Jackson seems oblivious to all these romantic and sexual machinations that are going on around him, his "straight" best friend, Sam (Shane Powers), has also fallen in love with him. Tragically, Jackson hasn't a clue. He's far too preoccupied with writing his poetry and trying to bed Jed.
If this all seems a little much, well it is. Luster suffers from far too many extraneous characters that are constantly vying for screen time. There's also an unnecessary subplot involving Jackson's friend Alyssa (Pamela Gidley) is an aspiring photographer, who takes a shine to Jeb, and who spends most of her time annoyingly chattering away about post-modernist art.
Director Everett Lewis shows, with varying degrees of success, this alternative, punk acting group of men. Jackson in particular, is straight acting, far from effeminate, and is very accepting of his sexuality. And it's quite refreshing to see slightly edgy images of queer life that have nothing to do with clichéd gym clones or drag queens.
But when one considers the outrageous proceedings, Luster ends up coming across as rather repetitive, dull, and bland. The lack of a meaningful story would be easier to take if the dialogue was wittier; the characterizations were a little deeper, and the production design of better quality.
The tacked on, melodramatic plot twist at the end only further accentuates the artificiality of the proceedings. Yes - there are some good-looking, hunky guys in this film, but don't be fooled by the cover of the DVD with its photo of a group of writhing, naked male bodies, because minor nudity is all that you're going to see.
With all its good intentions and its attempts to be gritty, resolute, and urban, Luster ultimately comes across as rather fraudulent; and even Herwick's quite nuanced and natural performance as Jackson can't save it. Mike Leonard August 05.
Some reviews here are over-reacting
The fact is that many gay indie films have poor production values and inconsistent acting, so reviewers who are comparing this to a big-budget studio film are making an unfair comparison. What I liked about this film was that it is unapologetically gay. The gayness of the characters is not a big deal, and is neither the source of a standing joke (as in "Will and Grace") nor the cause of all their problems.
Instead, the film explores these admittedly flawed but interesting characters as they stumble through several days. I agree with the reviewer who wished that the character of Sam had been better developed. I also felt that even for an indie film, the dialogue was sometimes extremely difficult to understand, and this is a technical problem that should have been fixed.
However, I felt that many of the characters were likeable (not necessarily sexy, but that's a separate issue) and I cared enough about them to want to know how the film ended. I found that I was still thinking about the film long after I finished watching it.
One of the worst films I have ever seen
Yes, I know gay indie films are often low-budget and fall short in many regards, but that in itself doesn't stop me from enjoying a gay film that actually says something. This film seemed to be so concerned about being deep and portentious that many of the most basic elements of a film (plot, character believability and motivation, character development) were either not considered at all, or just de-prioritized. The film is a poorly-made confusing jumble of scenes about characters we never care about, and who don't even have the benefit of at least being nice to look at as we watch them ham-handedly deliver their clinkers of dialogue. Who do I contact to get these two hours of my life back??
Grande Ecole merges the delirious ogling of naked flesh with highfalutin' cultural theory from abstruse thinkers like Michel Foucoult--a whiplash-inducing combination that could only come from the French. Paul (Gergori Baquet), a middle-class student, arrives at a snooty economics school and finds himself lusting after his new roommate, the upper-class Louis-Arnault (Jocelyn Quivrin)--even though Paul already has a hot-and-heavy relationship with his luscious girlfriend Agnes (Alice Taglioni). Paul's sexual confusion leads him into an affair with a handsome Arab groundskeeper named Mecir (Salim Kechiouche), who falls helplessly in love with Paul. Grande Ecole awkwardly combines race and class consciousness, the defense of a death-row inmate in Texas, and an... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Robert Salis DVD Release Date: Released the 09 November 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Despite a slow weird beginning I enjoyed this movie more than words can say. It was funny weird, thought pervoking and it left me feeling really good despite some real life situations that were not always happy. I could identify with the mormon dude since I know well his pain having come from a strict hardcore Bible Thumping BAPTIST family myself. Trust me "Baptist's" are no more accepting or tolerant of gays or gay friendly folk than the religious neanderthals seen in this movie.
Despite the religious homophobic downers this was my kind of movie it had a happy ending I could honestly beleive. This movie left me happy and filled with hope. The unrated version has the steamier sex scene but what you see is pretty tame by todays standards. I would not recommend this... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Steve Sandvoss - Wes Ramsey - Amber Benson - Jacqueline Bisset - Mary Kay Place Director(s): C. Jay Cox DVD Release Date: Released the 07 September 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Almost worth getting for the hotness that is Brendan Fehr, plus the unexpected cutie Andre Noble (which I wouldn't have thought so much from the cover); however, their isn't nearly enough skin shown by the two. Plus, the one sex scene between them typifies the entire movie for me: far more brutal and corse than beautiful and endearing.
If you think you're getting a tender coming of age/boy's first time movie where he falls in love and recuses the down and out hustler guy with lots (as in more than one excuse for) sex scenes, then you're in for a BIG disappointment.
None of which is to say its a bad movie. The little sister Cookie is a total hoot and probably the most interesting character overall actually. Queer As Folk fans will recognize Cliff's wonderful Mother as being... More Info about this DVD Director(s): John Palmer DVD Release Date: Released the 16 November 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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This could possibly be the cheesiest movie I have ever seen (and I have seen a lot of movies!) Do not waste your money on this low-budget, low-acting-ability, low-camera-experience movie. I enjoy a good "gay movie" every now and then and this was not it. Sorry to disappoint! More Info about this DVD Director(s): Michael D. Akers DVD Release Date: Released the 27 January 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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