Straightman is the story of Jack and David and what happens to their friendship once they become roommates.This is a tough movie to watch. Not because of the subject matter, but because the acting, directing, and the writing are not up to the quality needed for a movie like this. While having some really great moments, it seemed that the director was more interested in keeping the viewer off balance with unsteady camera work.The script, if there was one, seemed to broad and too focused by strokes. Where things should have been played with a delicate hand, we were smashed over the head with info. Where we should have been given the internal dialog of a character, we are just given the outcome.The acting seemed both earnest and forced. The moments that shone are the ones where the two main characters weren't talking to each other. When they did, it felt forced and awkward.This is a movie I would have eagerly watched when it first came out. So starved for representation in movies, I would have been glad for it. Now, it just doesn't hold up to newer movies that seem to have done the same story, but better.

this Movie has a lot of guts drama and truthI loved the characters and felt like I saw my family and friends among them. A truly independent film, a gem among cookie cutter fakes.Ben Berkowitz is a new filmmaking talent and is one to watch in the future. Also you never see Chicago the real Chicago on film. I visit the windy city on business often and this is true blue Chicago all the way.This is the real thing!!!! Rent it on netflix or at you local video store

I don't usually skip ahead in movies, but had to do it with this one. Was thanking my dvd remote for that option! Not entirely bad, just overall boring. Ben Redgrave is white trash "eye candy". The homo sex scenes are very erotic. The straight sex scenes were like watching a Ron Jeremy movie. Yuck! A nice attempt for film production. Will be looking for more movies by this novice team. If they can pull it together, lot's of potential.

I have read comments and reviews that compare this to movies by John Cassavetes and Mike Leigh. It is, and by far, in a totally different league. I believe it takes incredible talent, even genius, to pull off near reality when you let your actors improvise. Cassavetes and Leigh have (had) such talent and I find many of their movies admirable.Unfortunately, it is my opinion that neither the director, the writers nor the actors who gave birth to Straightman had what it takes to pull it off. The dialogs were painfully empty, incoherent and led nowhere. The characters were not developed, the ending a cop-out. I found the whole thing rather pretentious, posing as "rough trade chic".Are the reviewers indulgent because of the gay theme? I'm gay and have seen many gay movies. In Straightman, the theme does not redeem the film. Maybe, as Liz Braun (reviewer, Toronto Sun) said: "Straightman is the sort of film people tend to either love or hate." Well, I hated it, except for a few moments, and gave it a 2/10.