House of Boys (2009)

Admirable film.

A Masterpiece!

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The first ten minutes of this film might lead you to believe that it is little more than a campy celebration of homo-eroticism; however, this could not be further from the truth. House of Boys follows the story of Frank, a young man who runs away from home in order to pursue a liberated lifestyle in Amsterdam. After being abandoned by by a friend, Frank wanders into the gay strip club/brothel the House of Boys, where he is offered a job. As Frank gets to know the rest of the performers and their stories, this reviewer finds that the audience will get more than what they bargain for as Frank starts to learn about the World in its troubles.Unlike a number of gay themed films, director Jean-Claude Schlim took great care that his actors performances did not come off as inauthentic or wooden. As the film progresses, the characters introduced continually strike the audience as authentic, likable, and sympathetic. The audience is allotted ample opportunity to become invested in the arcs of several of the key characters and appreciate the growth they reach at the end, with one exception.Especially impressive is Schlim's use of set design to convey the change in tone within the film. Initially, the sets ((particularly the House of boys itself)) are loud , elaborate, and colorful. As the film progresses, however, the audience sees less of this and makes way for more plain, fading surroundings such as the hospital at the end of Act III.One point of criticism is the arc of Emma. The end of her arc, while satisfying, did not have enough set up to provide adequate pay off to the audience. The film would be just as strong without the scene attempting to conclude her arc.Nonetheless, every cast member gives solid performances that provide adequate depth and sympathy for their character. Despite dealing with sexually charged themes, the film is never pornographic and expresses the sexuality of the characters tastefully. In the end, it appears to this reviewer that the frilly titles and campy opening were intentionally misleading. The depth of House of Boys is more than skin deep.

I just watched this mess and barely had the interest to click further, having NEVER heard of it in the 5 years it's been out. It was on my queue so I must have added it at some point but OMG what a piece of crap!The story is well tired and in this instance, would be by the time you were done hearing the plot told as if it were an audio book.I can just read the synopsis presented to Foundations and charities all over Europe for this overly expensive rehash of midnight dancer bollywood field of dreams steven king make-up. "Rehash" does not begin to cover the scope of this slop.

"House of Boys" is a somewhat deceptive film. At first glance, it looks like a low-budget movie that has nothing to offer except sex, drugs and wild partying set in the 80's. The promotional poster doesn't help to contradict this idea and I personally think it doesn't do the movie justice. The film is divided in three acts. Sure enough, the first is mainly about the things mentioned above. The second act develops the relationship between Frank and Jake where it blossoms from friendship to romantic love. The third act deals with AIDS as Jake is diagnosed with the disease and not only him but the people around him try to come to terms with his inevitable death. I found myself caring for all the characters. I felt sorry for Frank when his love was one sided, then cheered happily when Jake started to reciprocate his feelings and even made the first move. After Jake falls ill and then dies, I mourned with Frank. It's touching to see how Frank stays by Jake's side through the whole ordeal and even gives up his lucrative job at the House of Boys where he was being courted as the "next hot guy". I need to mention the supporting characters, Dean, Angelo (or should I say Angela) and Emma. They were true friends and a real family to each other.In regards to acting, I thought that Layke Anderson and Benn Northover were very good and had great chemistry together. In fact, I came to respect all the actors for their courage in being part of this film. I've been interested in LGBT films for a long time and I've seen quite a few of them now. I've enjoyed this film much more than others which were far more successful with critics and audiences alike (Brokeback Mountain for example). It's all a matter of personal taste, I guess.

"House of Boys" was the peak of the London Lesbian Gay Film Festival in April 2011. "House of Boys" stood in contrast to the usual assortment of dry documentaries and silly fluff films. I lost count of how many of the characters seem like real people -- stereotypes or not -- i know and love. It was like being with friends. So much so, that when drama ensues, you want to be there for your friends. I can't remember the last time i saw actors get into their parts so well. I won't give away any plot here: for this film, more than any other, please avoid reviews and trailers that give away plot. Let it develop for you after you get to know these boys, exactly the way Jean-Claude Schlim intends it. Btw, after reading the script, several of actors begged for a part, any part, in this particular film. When you see it, you will know why.