Friends and Family (2001)

Crappy film

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The movie is ridiculous. The overall "plot" is ridiculous. The humorous misunderstandings and paths to resolution and the behavior of characters generally is ridiculous. The bizarre juxtaposition of mafia, gay body-guards, insurrectionists, the wanna-be cook, the wanna-be interior decorator is ridiculous. The inability to follow simple cooking directions without a disaster and especially the need for the wonderful Edward Hibbert to train a group of ultra-macho mafia hit men to act like campy gay waiters is ridiculous … but the resulting performance of the waiters was good for some chuckles.If you're in the mood for ridiculous it was a moderately amusing movie. Not rolling on the floor funny, but fairly funny with a few out-loud laughs here and there. It is obviously mocking some stereotypical subplots found too often in gay movies and it is very much mocking itself as it mocks others … sometimes successfully lampooning, sometimes falling flat. Most of the characters are well played by an able crew of actors. Maybe it deals with an overly complex interweaving of stories for such a fluffy movie.If you're in the mood for some mindless silliness and not aiming to nitpick things that make no sense outside of the context of this story, it's probably worth a watch while you wait for the dryer to finish off your laundry.If you want edgy realism, politically correct characterizations and a satisfying dénouement to an on-going nail-biting crisis, don't even think about watching this disorganized & chaotic production.

A gay couple are hit men for the mafia.This is your standard comedy of twists, turns and mistaken identity. The twist here is that the main characters are gay, but their parents do not know... that they are mob hit men. It is pretty good, and this simple plot device gets carried on for quite a while successfully.The strength of this film is in its approach to "gay themes". Obviously it relies on stereotypes, but I think that it handles them in a tasteful manner that is not derogatory or insulting to the LGBT community. The very fact so many openly gay people were involved gives it a certain stamp of approval.There is less emphasis on the mob parts, so if you are looking for a Mafia comedy, this might not necessarily be your thing. It is good, it is funny, but the Mafia is really not as central as it first appears.

I am gay and my partner and I had to force ourselves to stick with this one through the end. The script could have been developed a bit more and perhaps it would have been OK, but no such luck here. The possibility for a sophisticated, funny movie revolves around the fact that the gay male lead duo are the antithesis of stereotypical. While they are macho mob hit men, the straight sons of their boss love cooking and fashion design. That's fine, but it goes a bit too far when at one point the lead guys can't figure out, even working together, that egg shells shouldn't end up in something people are going to eat. What does that prove? That gay people can be stupid, too? Despite the role reversal, all the stereotypical gays eventually are incorporated into the story en masse. This seems to suggest that the non-stereotypical lead characters are an anomaly among gay men. If I wasn't gay, I am guessing I would have enjoyed it - but we gave it 4 thumbs and 4 big toes down.

While it does provoke the occasional laugh -- and the actors give it their best, particularly Anna Maria Alberghetti -- "Friends and Family" is a mess. The film- makers couldn't decide what kind of film they wanted: a screwball comedy,a gay farce, a social commentary, or a love story. The result is avery unsatisfying mix of them all with the pleasures of none. The tone jumps all over the place, most of the numerous plotlines make no sense, and too many of the supposed jokes fall flat. Yes, the gay couple is nice eye candy, but that was far too little payoff for suffering through this turkey.