Written by Mart Crowley & Ned Nartel
Directed by Joe Mantello
Michael: "What's so fucking funny?"
Harold: "Life. Life's a goddamn laugh riot."
There was a time when prominent LGBT content was a hallmark on HBO and Showtime and while both cable stations still do deliver from time to time, it seems Netflix (when they're not all cancel happy) are coming up with some content to get in LGBT subscriptions.
This is not the first we've seen Mart Crowley's infamous 1968 play adapted into a movie as we did have one all the way back in 1970 but I'm surprised that it's taken a while for another movie adaptation. A few years the cast who are in this movie performed this play on stage and now they're all back for this pretty solid take on a play that's stood the test of time.
The central premise revolves around the birthday of a reclusive Jewish man named Harold (Zachary Quinto), organised by his friend, a Catholic man named Michael (Jim Parsons). The two of them have a very strong love/hate dynamic and seem to take a little too much pleasure in needling the other. However by the end of the evening, it's Michael who finds himself in a world of doubt as the birthday party and games reveal a lot about everyone and not to Michael's liking either.
Keeping with the boys, you've got a couple on the brink of disaster with Larry (Andrew Rannels) and Hank (Tuc Watkins) with fidelity being a central problem to their relationship or the lack of it to an extent as well as book smart Donald (Matt Bomer), the rather effeminate Emory (Robin de Jesus) and librarian assistant Bernard (Michael Benjamin Washington) all making their presence felt for Harold's birthday.
Added to the evening's events also include the adorably dim (and one of the few nicer characters) hustler Cowboy Tex (Charlie Carver) and Alan (Brian Hutchinson) - an old friend of Michael's whom the latter spent most of the movie attempting to out, only for the events to transpire that Alan might actually be straight after all - or is he? It certainly seemed ambiguous enough.
During the two hour adaptation we saw our main cast physically, verbally and emotionally rip each other apart that it was almost a shocker to see how any of them were friends to begin with. At times it was hard to pick a sympathetic party but at the same time, I actually found myself at some of the outrageously horrible things various characters were saying to one another.
In terms of characters - I guess Michael, Larry, Donald, Harold and the Cowboy were my favourites. Michael was at times unsympathetic but he was never boring to watch and the barbs between him and Harold were amusing and insightful to watch. Larry also had a brilliant moment where he broke down his relationship with Hank pretty succinctly while Donald and the Cowboy were the more consistently likeable characters throughout the movie while both Emory and Bernard had sympathetic backstories of unrequited love.
- This movie had a lot of actors who've worked with each other on other productions as well as the numerous of Ryan Murphy ones over the last few years.
- Playwright Mart Crowley had a brief cameo here as he did in the 1970 film.
- Standout music: Miles Davis's Round Midnight and Herb Alpert & The Tuuana Brass This Guy's In Love With You.
- Chronology: New York 1968 as to when the play originally debuted as well.
The Boys In The Band is certainly another triumph for Netflix with great direction from Joe Mantello, a cast completely on fire and an excellent script from both Crowley and Martel. I'll admit the trailer didn't initially wow me but sitting through the movie, it was a lot better than expected - funny in parts, uncomfortable in others.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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