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vsturmfeder
Reviews
Issues 101 (2002)
How does a fraternity and the fraternity boys react to a gay fratbrother - Great plot, but...
*Warning, potential spoiler in first paragraph* Joe, who is out (only) to Family and Friends, joins a fraternity. The love-jealousy-relationship-friendship-triangle between Joe, his fratmate Chris and Chris's gay brother Michael is superbly portrayed, including lots of tiny subplots and unexpected twists. The fraternity has to deal with Joe's homosexuality like everyone else, gay, straight, or "straight with issues". While "Defying Gravity" by John Keitel (a great film) deals only with the question of coming out within a fraternity, "Issues 101" tries to grasp the (potentially homosexual and homoerotic) feelings of the other characters as well.
All actors are doing a great job. It feels so real, like you have just experienced it yourself. So where is the But...?
Unfortunately it seems, that they ran out of money. There is too much footage included of the beginning of the story, making it progress very slow at times, while towards the end major issues are wrapped up in a single scene and not explored enough. Also the camera is too static at times. The timeline is very linear, maybe a flashback could have helped to make it feel less documentary? (More) Background music / noise might have helped as well, if not only to create a general atmosphere or give the audience information on the feelings of the characters.
All in all, with more money and time, this great plot could have made it into a great film, but the way it is (with its beginners mistakes), unfortunately it will most probably stumble on its way there. Yet I hope that the filmmakers have the courage to continue.