Keep the Lights On (2012)

Too much of everything

So much average

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I had high hopes that this wasn't as bad as I was reading. Sadly it's as bad as I was reading. I had to read the plot summary to find out what the film was about and as the movie was acted out I only got two aspects of the summary, one that Erik was a documentary film maker and Paul and Erik were in a relationship. This is a film I would not recommend to anyone for any reason for there is nothing to learn from it. The premise is supposed to be the ups and downs of a relationship but for me the premise was more like two strangers that meet, fall into heavy "like" with one another and never quite stop being strangers to one another. Erik is clingy and cloying and annoying and Paul is cold and standoffish and, according to the plot summary, closeted but I didn't get any of that aspect. For them to fall into a relationship after meeting once off a telephone sex line, even though I know it can happen and has for many, this love at first sight thing between these two diverse and disparate characters is more than unbelievable.The purported good times between the couple really never materialized for me and so why they were a couple for as long as they were a couple just never made any sense to me.I felt no connection with these characters, actually none of the characters.All in all it is just not a film that I want to view again.

Technically I put this film on my watch list because it said it is meant to be a good movie. Oh no, they were totally wrong with that point a lot!The character Eric had such a bad story plot behind him like it kept going on and on that he had sex with many guys who already had boyfriends of their own! Also, his voice was horrible, I couldn't hear what was coming out of his mouth, it made my head explode! They really should've hired a better and less scruffy actor who you can really understand and give a better impression on killing the film. I honestly wish I had that fantasy so this movie wouldn't become car crash to me!

This film tells the turbulent love story of a filmmaker and a drug addict.The storyline looks great on paper, but "Keep the Lights On" dos not manage to captivate our engage. The two leading characters are poorly developed, especially the drug addict as we don't see who they really are. We seldom see them outside their relationship, so their portrayal is so narrow and one dimensional. As a result, I don't find myself caring for them. Their dysfunctional interaction only annoys me. And there are too many unlikely plot details, I just don't understand how Erik could be allowed in the room while the boyfriend and another guy is having sex."Keep the Lights On" is well made, with great sets, lighting and scene composition. However the story is not engaging and I couldn't wait for it to end.

As others have pointed out here, there are good performances, and the Dogma-style cinematography gives us the feeling that we're seeing some serious fare. The story is not necessarily UNbelievable, but the motivation of the characters seems missing, and ultimately, that's what sinks the movie.By missing motivation, I mean the love story itself. I saw the effects of the love story, but I felt like I never saw the actual love. I saw nothing in Paul that would have really and truly held the interest of someone like Erik. I mean, really--are there any worldly gay men around who would not cut loose a crackhead attorney post haste? It's one thing for an artist like Rufus Wainwright to admit he was mainly attracted to straight heroin addicts. That's so f**ked up, it almost makes sense. But a European filmmaker obsessed with a white bread American lawyer?? Sorry. Not buying it.That being said, there were some compelling scenes throughout. E.g., I was impressed with the hotel room scene, which felt real. And I'll admit, the movie held my interest enough that I wanted to see how it turned out. But the flaccid ending seemed consistent with everything preceding, making me feel a bit of a sucker.Like I said. Better than average, but not by much.