New Movie: "The Conrad Boys"
Likem
film, "THE CONRAD BOYS." The film is playing in only one theatre in
all of Southern California. (I'm guessing there're only 2 prints of
the film, based on its screening schedule. More below.)
Here is a spoiler-free plot summary of the film, from IMDb (written, I
believe, by someone associated with the film, possibly the filmmaker
himself, and edited slightly by me):
--------------------------------------------------------------
Justin Lo makes his feature film debut as Charlie Conrad, a
19-year-old history buff with the world on his shoulders. Following
the death of his mother, Charlie sets aside his college plans to raise
his highly imaginative 9-year-old brother Ben. Isolated from his
peers, Charlie accepts his responsibility yet secretly yearns for the
freedom and romance associated with youth. Charlie suddenly gets his
chance when he meets Jordan Rivers, a charismatic drifter and fellow
lost soul. The two of them hit it off immediately, and they soon
embark on a tumultuous romance that gives Charlie a taste of the
freedom he's been craving. Just as their relationship intensifies,
however, Charlie's long-absent father, Doug, returns to town with his
own plans to take care of Ben. Caught in a struggle for Ben and eager
to hold on to Jordan, Charlie must finally search his soul and make
momentous decisions regarding the future of his family.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The film is written, directed, produced, and edited by JUSTIN LO, who
ALSO stars as the 18- and 19-year-old Charlie. Justin's age isn't
listed at IMDb, but I'd guess he's somewhere between 19 and 22, though
he looks anywhere from 17-19.
Charlie's young brother, Ben, is played by BOO BOO STEWART, who I'm
sure was 11 when this film was shot. If the name Boo Boo Stewart
sounds familiar to you, it should. In an October 22, 2004 post,
RTJoby wrote the following, about the TV show, "America's Most
Talented Kids":
--------------------------------------------------------------
Episode 2 (10-Oct-2004)
Boo Boo Stewart was outstanding! His dance routine rocked, and, in my
humble opinion, should have earned high score! My 11 year old daughter
thought he was hot.
--------------------------------------------------------------
(I think RT meant his niece, not his daughter! Also, Boo Boo was 10
years 9 months old when he appeared on "AMTK.")
I enjoyed the film, despite some faults. The story is very
interesting. The premise of a brother giving up his own dreams to
take care of his younger sibling is not new, but this one has some
very nice dynamics and relationships. The ebb and flow of the
relationship between Charlie and Ben was the best part of the film for
me, despite some lack of depth and development.
The "issue" of the older brother being gay is, well, not an issue at
all. He just IS, and that's refreshing to see. It might have been
interesting to see how the long-absent Dad would react to that news,
but that would have introduced other elements to the film that could
have distracted from the main thrust of the story.
Overall, the film is interesting, and sometimes even engaging. At
other times, unfortunatly, it seems a bit formulaic and
underdeveloped.
The weakest link of the whole film, IMHO, is the acting of
writer-director-producer-editor-star Justin Lo, in the role of
Charlie. He just doesn't display much depth or real nuance as an
actor. My acting coach was always saying "deeper, go deeper" to
everyone in class; that's what Justin needed before starring in a
film. As truly handsome and enjoyable to watch for 90 minutes as he
is, I kept wishing for more from him.
As Charlie's little brother, Ben, Boo Boo Stewart is quite good. I'd
like to see him develop more depth as an actor as well, but he
certainly gave us a more developed, truthful, nuanced character than
Justin did. I hope this performance will garner him more votes in the
2006 AFTI Poll than he got in the 2004 Poll!
Nick Bartzen as Jordan, is quite good. I'd say he's been taking
acting classes. :)
Barry Shay as Charlie and Ben's re-appeared father is very good. I
was surprised at the very few credits he has at IMDb; but I'd be
equally surprised if he doesn't have a long resume of stage work. He
came across to me as a seasoned actor who knows well how to create a
character with depth and nuance. Mr. Shay was spotted in the lobby of
the theatre after the screening, so I'm guessing he came to take a
look, or gauge audience reaction, or just plain had nothing better to
do. :-)
The L.A. Weekly didn't like this film all that much. A few
non-spoiler quotes from their review:
"...Churlish though it seems to throw daggers at this clearly
heartfelt but insipid drama, the naiveté quickly becomes exasperating.
The script’s insights are drawn straight from freshman-dorm late-night
rap sessions..."
"...The actors don’t so much interact as watch one another’s lips
move, then mouth their dialogue when their screen partner’s mouth goes
still. The cast is attractive, and the production values fall on the
high end of a cable movie of the week, but Lo clearly needs more life
experience before he picks up a camera again."
The L.A. Times reviewer (an old-timer who always seems to get himself
assigned to review movies with attractive young men in the cast, and
especially if they have gay themes) had his concerns, but was much
more kind:
"Writer-director-editor Justin Lo's "The Conrad Boys" reveals little
cinematic instinct or imagination but has a deeply personal quality
that becomes engaging."
"Initially self-conscious and not always plausible, the film, which
plays like a student effort, centers on two brothers, Charlie (Lo) and
his considerably younger sibling Ben (Boo Boo Stewart)."
"Lo has written substantial roles for Bartzen and Shay, but Lo himself
is a little flat. [HEY, THAT'S WHAT I SAID!] He might be better off
staying behind the camera and concentrating on developing his writing
and directing skills. Refreshingly, Charlie's homosexuality is
presented as a nonissue, and his Eurasian heritage is also handled
matter-of-factly. "The Conrad Boys" has moments that play well, but it
remains to be seen whether Lo has what it takes to be a successful
filmmaker."
"The Conrad Boys" had its premier at the Newport Beach (Calif.)
International Film Festival this past April.
It opened on June 2nd at the Laemmle Sunset 5 in West Hollywood, where
it will remain through June 15th.
The film was screened at the New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival on
June 7th.
Upcoming screenings:
San Francisco, CA
Sunday 6/18, 6:15 p.m., at the Victoria Theatre (Frameline LGBT Film
Festival?)
Oakland, CA
Tuesday 6/20, 9:15 p.m., at the Parkway Theatre (may be the same
festival as in San Francisco)
San Diego, CA
June 23-29, at Landmark's Hillcrest Cinemas
Philadelphia, PA
Date(s) to be determined, at the Philadelphia Int'l LGBT Film Festival
********************
For those of you not near one of those cities, the website says the
DVD will be available in August.
********************
The film's official website is:
http://www.theconradboys.com/
The site has a lot of information, including nice photos and a
2-1/2-minute trailer to watch. (The nicest photo is in the "Press"
section; click on the photo for a larger version.)
Other sites:
"The Conrad Boys":
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468463/
Justin Lo:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1965113/
Boo Boo Stewart:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1559927/
Some interesting facts about Boo Boo: His real name is Nils Allen
Stewart Jr. He was the 2002 and 2003 Martial Arts World Champion (I
assume in his age group)!!!!!!! AND, in 2004, he was inducted into
the Martial Arts Junior Hall of Fame!!! His IMDb page includes
credits as a STUNT performer! Not bad, kid!
Likem
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Say NO to useless over-quoting! Just quote a few lines to get the
point across, not the whole darned thing, OKAY? Thanks! :-)
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Mark L 02
(in article <7ifp825lrhd1afi6v...@4ax.com>):
> As Charlie's little brother, Ben, Boo Boo Stewart is quite good. I'd
> like to see him develop more depth as an actor as well, but he
> certainly gave us a more developed, truthful, nuanced character than
> Justin did. I hope this performance will garner him more votes in the
> 2006 AFTI Poll than he got in the 2004 Poll!
Coincidentally, just before I read this post, I saw that a Boo Boo Stewart
(new name to me) movie was being posted to the atari newsgroup, although you
have to search for it in the usual convoluted title masking.
Mark
Josh...@webtv.net
There's a review in the latest (July) OUT magazine.