Director Patrick McGuinn’s new movie has the most misleading title for a gay drama as the ‘leather’ referred to is not some raunchy bar lifestyle as one might expect but it’s about a backwoodsman who actually crafts handmade sensible sandals as a living.
Birch is a hunky hairy man who’s been sharing a cabin with Walter an old man in the Catskills Mountains until Walter ups and dies. Andrew, who is Walter’s estranged son eventually hears of his father’s death and drives up from the city with Kyle his extremely fey boyfriend to try and work out what to do with the Cabin he has now suddenly inherited. He is shocked to discover that Birch his old childhood pal and ex-neighbor that he has not seen since they were at school together, has been living there for the past five years and is now laying claim to the ownership of the cabin himself.Things get off to an awkward start, but they soon kiss and make up. Literally. Whilst Kyle is obsessing with his pet rabbit that he insisted on bringing along on the trip, and getting drunk, Andrew is off in the woods making out with Birch who is actually straight. Well he was. Maybe still is generally, but is making an exception for Andrew.
Fast forward to an hysterical camp Kyle discovering his (greatly mis-matched) boyfriend’s infidelity, and he grabs the sandals that Birch has made for him and hightails it back to the city sans Andrew but with a plan to sell Birch’s footwear and make his fortune and live happily after alone. Well for the time being.
It’s a very slight story that holds no surprises at all in its plot and has the marked disadvantage of an indie movie with a minuscule budget that has a few glaring holes and that never got anywhere to fulfilling its potential. In this instance it was some very lame dialogue with too many pregnant pauses, some unexplained issues it raises then drops, and also inflicting poor Kyle’s character with nearly ever gay cliche in the book. However, despite all this, it clearly has an element of charm as a wee romance and has good performances from both Chris Graham as Birch and Andrew Glaszek as Andrew, and the obligatory sex scenes with these two not-exactly rough-on-the-eyes chaps (!) was tastefully done in soft focus.In you are in a forgiving mood, then this will make a good date movie. May even make you want to go and buy a new pair of sandals too.
Available now on DVD
Available now on DVD
