Those People: a cute love story between rich kids
Oh, young love. How fun and fragile it is to feel the intestines knot under the skin while the body tingles with every touch. It’s a feeling we’ve all experienced, and for the protagonists in writer-director Joey Kuhn’s debut full-length film Those People, it’s something they are experiencing for the first time. It’s as endearing as two rich, white boys on the Upper East Side of Manhattan living incredibly self-centered lives can be.
The tone for the film is set in the opening scene as the two rich gays sit in an immaculate apartment singing along to the tongue-twisting lyrics of “I Am the Very Model of Modern Major-General.” As the camera zooms through the room we get our first look at Charlie (Jonathan Gordon) and Sebastian (Jason Ralph), platonic besties since grade school.
It’s not difficult to realize that Charlie is infatuated with his friend. In a very early scene we see him presenting his newest painting, a grand scale nearly nude portrait of Sebastian, to his professor who urges him to move on to a new subject. Even his mother shows no reservations in telling him that the relationship is unhealthy. The only person who doesn’t realize is Sebastian, who feeds off of Charlie’s devotion.
The plot thickens as Sebastian’s father is imprisoned for laundering money on Wall Street, freezing his assets and making him part of the 99 percent. With his mother out of the picture, his friends encouraging reckless behavior and half of New York slewing hate at him, Sebastian grows reliant on Charlie.
Introduce the hunky, Lebanese concert pianist Tim (Haaz Slieman) who pursues Charlie, and the story line gets muddy with jealousy, confusion, and selfish decisions from all parts.
Those People is cute, but unrelatable. Kuhn tried to humanize the characters, by giving every man in the movie daddy issues, but even the overarching theme of gay men not connecting with their fathers isn’t enough. How are young queers suppose to relate with the one percent of the population who can afford massive penthouses in one of the most expensive neighborhoods on earth?
The best scene comes in the form of the world’s worst threesome with Dracula (Max Jenkins) on Halloween. Dracula is the only relatable character, even when his presence is forced. He grounds the characters only for a second, before their selfishness ruins the scene.
What it lacks in storyline, it makes up for in cinematography. The sequences and shot are beautiful, and the setting of New York is well played. You won’t find a cheesy shot in Central Park, or a panning view of the skyline.
It’s a well-made, solidly acted film from Kuhn. It’s worth a watch even with the constant desire to gut punch the characters into reality. Look for the DVD/VOD release in June (and a May 13th early exclusive VOD window via the increasingly gay-friendly folks at Vimeo On Demand).
