Going Down in LA-LA Land (2011)

Sick Product of a Sick System

Did you people see the same film I saw?

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Young Matthew Ludwinski becomes the Dirk Diggler of 21st century in Going Down In LA LA Land. The obvious comparison for this film is with Boogie Nights. Unlike the other film Going Down In LA LA Land as a gay film gets up front an honest about the porn industry being a great gay industry. And we have up front gay characters.Ludwinski after breaking up with his boyfriend in New York decides to try to make it in Los Angeles as an actor. Of course he soon realizes that Los Angeles is the only place other New York where every other attractive young person is trying to make in film and television and its worse here.Ludwinski sort of slides and glides into the porn film industry first behind then up front of the camera. Then it's a bit of escorting and then he hooks up with Michael Medico, a most closeted star of a G rated situation comedy. As it turns out Medico is a lonely man looking to express his love which in his case still not dare speak its name to Middle America. What was interesting here is during the course of the film, Ludwinski could have taken any number of different courses professionally and romantically and his life could have been tragic or nondescript or any number of other life places. Go back over the film and see what I'm talking about.Allison Lane plays his best friend who gives Ludwinski room and board while he's in Los Angeles. She's interesting and even though she betrays him, she's likable in her own way. She's obsessed with fame which is the problem. I was involved with someone many years ago, attractive, but obsessed with fame. He never got anywhere near that because he failed to realize that people in theater do it because they love it. If fame comes, it comes, most will never see it, but those who stay with it love theater for its own sake.Her role is small, but Judy Tenuta puts some real bite into her couple of scenes as a washed up has been actress who also drugged out on fame and celebrity.Going Down In LA-LA Land is one interesting take on gay life among the aspiring on the west coast.

When I first stumbled across this film, the poster left me thinking it would be light on substance. It was an assumption I am glad did not deter me from watching. And now, having watched the film, the poster makes a lot more sense.The cast is strong and the storyline a great tale of celebrity and how despite all the trappings of success, stripped away we just all want to be loved.The characters are engaging and believable. Even the minor castings are strong - an example of how every detail was given a thorough once-over before the final cut.There's humour and a touching love story of courage and being true to yourself.In fact, the ending when Adam and John decide to go public with their relationship, despite the threat to John's television career, just lifted my spirits and it is a feeling that is staying with me. There's much to be said for being true to ourselves and embracing love.The only negative I can find after much trawling is the film felt a little slow in the beginning, although it quickly started to build momentum. This momentum was subsequently never lost, leading to a very poignant conclusion. It may have felt predictable, but what love story isn't? Candy is a great central character. She is shallow in some ways and career driven to the point where her obsession with celebrity is unhealthy. However, beneath this veneer is a good heart as she genuinely cares for Adam and his welfare. The hospital scene after Adam's wayward encounter with prescription drugs reinforces this.A lot of films with gay themes can focus heavily on stereotypes to try and generate humour. This film is better than that - more clever. The humour is genuinely funny and well-written.Overall, I am giving the movie a resounding nine stars because it's refreshing to see a diverse representation of gay people and a positive portrayal of gay relationships.In a world still besieged by negative connotations when it comes to homosexuality, a movie like this makes a bold statement and sends an uplifting message to gay youth.I started watching with some doubts and finished watching feeling impressed and uplifted by a truly well-told story.Definitely worth watching.

....."Brokeback Mountain." ......(*Alternate title for this review: "I Hear the Crabcakes are Excellent").In its first near two-thirds running time, "Going Down in Blah-Blah Land," is the typical "Hollywood meat grinder" story about all those aspiring, young Newbies scrambling for a foothold, after arriving in the world's film capital. (WARNING: Beware those Gay video porn-mills!). ....Ah, BUT, then come the very best parts, where we start to see...(well, you'll find that out, below).NOW TO OUR CAST: And saving the best for last, here's a glimpse at the major characters...beginning with:*Allison Lane, as the ditzy B(Girl)FF of the male Lead. Named "Candy", she is the supportive and often funny--yet sometimes tiresome--friend from back home. (Good for Allison...she gets more screen time than anyone other than our main star).Next, in a major (time-wise) supporting role, we have the Director, himself: Casper Andreas, playing a "User" of a guy, who we'll later see as the true scuzzball he becomes. (This viewer thinks Andreas would do well, in future, spending all his time BEHIND the camera....for I'm starting to picture him as he appears in his last scene---or is that just effective acting?).AND FINALLY: Let's speak to that "CHEMISTRY" mentioned above. RARELY, in an American produced Gay film, do we get to see such an emotionally deep relationship between two men. It was obviously developed by main actor, Matthew Ludwinski (as our gorgeous "Adam") and his co-lead, Michael Medico (as sweet, but closeted, "John") during their shooting time with one another. Their "few" scenes together will keep you RIVETED. We can a..l...most Touch what they burn off the screen at us. (And there's the shame of this movie: 56 and one-half minutes into it before we even see this couple together--except for a "prologue" of sorts). NEVERTHELESS, you tell me if the likes of this film relationship has been seen, in this country, since the days of "Brokeback Mountain"!Oh, I had my doubts, well into this movie......but Matthew Ludwinski held me to it.****

Viewed at the Brussels Gay Film FestivalA very engaging story of lust, libido and love in LA. The film was a very good take on LA - its quirky reliance on trendy remedies for modern woes, on drugs and on its special brand of eternally hopeful American aspiration as embodied in Candy and Adam - the one moving from opportunity to opportunity, the other sticking to some level of honesty, no matter how hard won.The opening sequence of Adam driving through LA set the tone perfectly: brown skies, fabled landmarks, grungy strip malls and fabulous estates. Candy and Adam - old film school friends - are each determined to make it big as actors, faced with the deadening reality of too many actors for too few roles. What they are really after, though, is family: they have their fraternal relationship, they long for a married one.Matthew Ludwinski deserves a special mention for managing to be extremely sexy in a porn- fantasy way and at the same time extremely romantic in an honest way. In this type of story it is often hard to see what the more successful character sees in the less successful character. But the film took the time to make Adam credible as an intelligent, interesting person and the chemistry between Adam and John was immediate and believable.The film could have been a pat puff piece for the film industry, and the portrayal of the porn industry was a little soft-core: my one caveat. But the film it showed the downside of life in LA - drugs, hucksterism and sex - in a very real and sad way. The comment about not being able to come out of the closet because of the people whose livelihoods depended on a straight actor's persona, really touched a cord. The ending gained credibility from the gritty reality of the body of the film. The audience - mostly European - roundly applauded the film.