Hard Pill (2005)

Sadly Over-hyped

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

This film is both original and surprising. It sounds like a gay sci-fi flick by it's premise, but it is not; The more you watch it the more you are drawn into the complicated and interesting plot.I have to say that I have enjoyed the film immensely. I watched it at home actually, and I was shocked to find it was only 90 minutes long - there is so much 'meat' in this film, it actually felt like 180 minutes! and in the best way possible. This really should have been a TV mini-series, minimum 6 x 1 hour episodes. There is so much yet to tell which was not told in the film - most probably due to luck of time; I wish there would be a 'director cut' of it.The acting in this film is very convincing and vivid, at time very emotive and touching. The lead actor Jonathan Slavin is very good indeed and so are all the other cast; very believable and empathic characterisation by the cast; Yet another strong plus for this wonderful film.Well done to the creator John Baumgartner who did a fine job.If you have missed this film go and watch it. It's a must!!

Caught this film on cable TV by chance and, by waiting through the first thirty minutes for something interesting to develop, enjoyed it thoroughly.At first glance or upon first contemplating the underlying notion that Tim's angst was perhaps the result of some sort of malady for which there was a "cure," the unsuspecting viewer is drawn into a plot that seems thin but then becomes increasingly complex as new characters enter on the scene. What holds this together so well are clever asides in which one is clued into what's really happening or what the characters are really thinking. While that device may seem trite or forced in other films, it works well in this one.What I liked best about this "hard pill" was how believable seemingly oddball characters could be rendered without much bitterness or conflict, yet how engaging the plot could be -- wondering all the while how things would turn out. The ending was maybe a little too predictable based on early adumbration, but fine acting from a cast of virtual unknowns carries the day.I suppose there is no need to label these comments as containing a true "spoiler," but I need to mention that one leaves this movie with a feeling that everyone received their just deserts.No dessert needed.

I caught this film at a gay/lesbian film festival and was blown away. Every so often, a film comes out that is so original that you can't help but wonder why no one has ever thought of it before. "Hard Pill" asks this question: What would happen if a pill was invented that could turn a gay person straight? The answer is a lot more complicated than you think."Hard Pill" tell the story of Tim (played by Jonathan Slavin in an outstanding performance). Tim is openly gay but unhappy with his life. He has had bad luck with relationships and doesn't feel very hopeful that that his life will turn around. When Tim hears of a new study that can change sexual preference, he decides to get involved. Tim is convinced that being straight would be a whole lot easier. What he doesn't realize is the repercussions that this change will have on his relationships and life. This independent film appears to have been made with a shoestring budget, which fortunately doesn't detract but actually makes things on screen seem that much more authentic; almost as if we are watching real life unfolding. Also strong is the occasional humor that helped lighten things up when the subject matter became heavy. The ending is also quite satisfying and believable, not only leading one to think about the issue of sexual orientation, but also the risks of experimental drugs in general for non medical necessities. If my friends and I are any indication, we talked about this film for several hours afterward and I was moved to write a review which I don't usually do unless I really love something (or hate something.)Kudos to John Baumgarten for both writing and directing this thought provoking film. Hope to see a lot more from him in the future!

If there was a pill that would change gays into straight, would you take it? If so, what would the effects be? Those are two of the pertinent questions in the excellent sci-fi flic Hard Pill. Tim (Jonathan Slavin) is a sad little cubicle monkey. His personal life is a disaster. He pines for guys he doesn't seem to have a chance with, mostly because they are straight or straight- ish anyway. This is a point made clear by his coworker Joey (Scotch Ellis Loring) when he says that Tim has "a sea of fags at his disposal and he stays home with a straight man." Nowhere is Tim's social life more depressing than when he practically begs his straight friend Don (Mike Begovich) to let Tim fellate him ("Can't we ever just watch a movie?" Don asks?). As Tim's personal life is defined each of the cast is introduced with a graphic that works as a spectrum of sexuality. It's an interesting and clever idea to show the shades of gay and straight in each character though it wears out its welcome a bit by the time the entire cast is introduced.The film uses "street interviews" with various folks to introduce a new controversy involving a pill intended to provide an opportunity for homosexuals to go hetero by making a chemical change in the brain. One of the best one-liners in the film has a Christian fundamentalist making a selectively supportive comment about the drug. With Tim feeling that, "The only currency in the gay world is being attractive," he signs up for the human trials for the drug. What Tim doesn't seem to realize is that each of his friends and neighbors has problems as bad or worse than his own, they just have ways to deal. Sally (Susan Slome) covets Tim but continues an unfulfilled flirtation with a coworker. Joey throws his balls between more legs than the Harlem Globetrotters but he lacks an emotionally satisfying relationship. Don's relationship is contingent on his continuing use of antidepressants. It's to the credit of writer/director John Baumgartner that these subplots are so well developed without sacrificing the central story or adding superfluity.When Tim begins using the pill it's not just his world that changes. Each person has a place they fill in others' lives and when one tries to change something so fundamental to their own self it goes without saying that there be effects on their relationships with others. The film's major success is in exploring these results. After a first straight screw that he apparently regrets, Tim finds himself attracted to Tanya (Jennifer Elise Cox) with results transcending the chemically dependent nature of their mutual attraction. Slavin's excellent performance makes Tim a sympathetic anti-hero. Despite Tim's consistent aversion to sensible solutions for his problems, one can't help but root for him to succeed, even if it's the result decidedly unsympathetic actions on his part.Baumgartner's superb story offers a lot to viewers beyond just the visual story and fine performances from the cast. Musings about the effects of chemical personalities are as relevant to the real world as they are in Hard Pill speculative Los Angeles. The gradation of sexuality is a path rarely explored but it's done well here with the help of not only a graphic, but a healthy dose of remarkably non-exploitive skin. Throw in a brief yet profound argument for gay marriage and you've got yourself one hell of a movie. Enjoy.