Colin seems to have it all. He’s a handsome man in his mid-forties whose successful newspaper column has just leap-frogged him into being the anchor of a TV current affairs show. He lives in a stunning industrial loft in Pittsburgh next door to Stew who has been his best friend since they were roommates in Yale a couple of decades ago. Quiet unassuming Stew hasn’t had a date, let alone sex, for years and is almost the complete opposite of Colin but he is the yin to his yang, and the two are inseparable. That is until Colin needs to go hit the gay bars and indulge himself in his passion for young men, and that’s when he is on his own. Not for long though, as with his neatly trimmed grey beard he looks like a classic silver-fox daddy type that boys simply cannot resist.
He actually doesn’t have to even go to a Bar for his latest conquest as he is assigned Tee a handsome 22-year-old intern at the TV Station to do research. Tee is desperate to please his new ‘boss’ in any way he can, and is not only keen but he is cute as hell which leads to the inevitable. Although the two men try to keep the lid on it at work as Colin is more than aware of the questionable ethics of the situation, at home there are no holds barred and the two very quickly become a very tight item. Colin’s enthusiasm for his infatuation for Tee however is not shared by Stew who snaps “Your little fetish for post-collegiates is bad enough, but this one’s a fetus!” but as it is obvious that Colin is falling in love, Stew does start to get to know Tee better and comes around to liking him.
Even so, Stew warns that he thinks young Tee is troubled about something that could be serious, and indeed all the clues are there as he hardly eats a morsel at meals and has rampant insomnia. We eventually learn that Stew was right to be worried as when Tee’s secret is revealed it blows up in all their faces and nothing will ever be the same again. No spoilers here beyond saying there is a clue in the title.
This very engaging wee independent drama is very much a labor of love for its principal players as it started out as a stage play in L.A. five years ago with actors Gerald McCullouch (as Colin) and Dan Via (as Stew) creating the roles that they are now repeating in the movie. The script for both was written by Via, and McCullouch made his directing debut with the movie. The pair are a convincing fit as if they had been an old married couple sans sex and show such touching affection with their often sarcastic banter. Via may have written himself the least attractive role as the sad-onlooker who is like a third wheel to Colin’s romance, but he was sure to give himself some of the best sassy one-liners. McCullouch, best known for his role on TV’s CSI and quite the charmer on screen, plays his role with confidence and ease that makes this May-December relationship seem so totally naturally. His bio actually shows that the openly gay actor is in fact in a similar relationship off the screen too. The cast is rounded out by Jaime Cepero who enthusiastically plays troubled Tee and pitches his performance perfectly.
It’s a deceptively simple plot, executed with both passion and polish, and Via deserves kudos for giving it an excellent conclusion too. The very last line at the end of the movie uttered by Colin when he finally woke up and smelt the roses was ‘I feel old’ which put a big smile on my face, as it will to most people.
A neat little gem.
