THE 24th DAY
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Sound format: Dolby Digital
A 'casual' encounter between two young men (Scott Speedman and James Marsden) turns ugly when Speedman holds Marsden hostage in his apartment and forces him to take an HIV test. Speedman believes Marsden was responsible for infecting him, and plans to take drastic action if the results come back positive...
Tony Piccirillo's provocative two-hander - based on his stageplay - unfolds with cutthroat precision, and sees two fine young actors operating at the top of their game: Marsden the carefree party boy, and Speedman the 'hetero' family man whose sole dalliance in gay sex (with Marsden, five years earlier) precipitated a series of devastating personal tragedies. On paper, the material sounds like the study of a careless gay predator and the avenging 'straight' guy who teaches him a lesson in humility, but Piccirillo's wide-ranging script avoids this insulting pitfall by tarring both men with the same brush, exposing them as fallible individuals who have more in common than either one would care to admit.
The two leads give revelatory performances, especially Marsden (the "X-Men" series) as the streetwise hustler whose dubious charms are ruthlessly deconstructed by a worthy nemesis, and Speedman (UNDERWORLD) as the desperately sad young man whose motives for imprisoning Marsden culminate in a shocking declaration of intent. Dialogue is smart, snappy and constantly engaging, and Piccirillo injects just enough humor to lighten an otherwise sobering experience. The enigmatic ending allows viewers to 'finish' the movie for themselves, a masterstroke which closes proceedings on a note of genuine ambiguity.
NB. The movie was shot on digital video and transferred to 35mm for theatrical exhibition.
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Sound format: Dolby Digital
A 'casual' encounter between two young men (Scott Speedman and James Marsden) turns ugly when Speedman holds Marsden hostage in his apartment and forces him to take an HIV test. Speedman believes Marsden was responsible for infecting him, and plans to take drastic action if the results come back positive...
Tony Piccirillo's provocative two-hander - based on his stageplay - unfolds with cutthroat precision, and sees two fine young actors operating at the top of their game: Marsden the carefree party boy, and Speedman the 'hetero' family man whose sole dalliance in gay sex (with Marsden, five years earlier) precipitated a series of devastating personal tragedies. On paper, the material sounds like the study of a careless gay predator and the avenging 'straight' guy who teaches him a lesson in humility, but Piccirillo's wide-ranging script avoids this insulting pitfall by tarring both men with the same brush, exposing them as fallible individuals who have more in common than either one would care to admit.
The two leads give revelatory performances, especially Marsden (the "X-Men" series) as the streetwise hustler whose dubious charms are ruthlessly deconstructed by a worthy nemesis, and Speedman (UNDERWORLD) as the desperately sad young man whose motives for imprisoning Marsden culminate in a shocking declaration of intent. Dialogue is smart, snappy and constantly engaging, and Piccirillo injects just enough humor to lighten an otherwise sobering experience. The enigmatic ending allows viewers to 'finish' the movie for themselves, a masterstroke which closes proceedings on a note of genuine ambiguity.
NB. The movie was shot on digital video and transferred to 35mm for theatrical exhibition.