By
Graig Uhlin
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Debut writer-director Berlanti brings laughs, but little romance in new romantic comedy
Grade: B-
Romances are fleeting, family is a drag, but friendships, they last forever - especially in gay-themed movies.
Friendships are the bread and butter of gay flicks just as romantic coupling is in more mainstream movies. The reason originates, for the most part, from real life - where in the face of a society that has, at least previously, not accepted homosexuality. Gay men have sought out those who are just like them, forging lasting platonic (or sometimes not) relationships that are stronger than any family bond.
"The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy," an endearing new film written and directed by "Dawson's Creek" producer Greg Berlanti, uses these relationships as its subject in a modern update of the moderately famous 70s gay buddy film "Boys in the Band."
The cast consists of the typical gay circle of friends. There is the hunk played hunkishly by "Superman" alum Dean Cain. There is the wise old man in the committed relationship (John Mahoney of "Frasier"). Add to that the neurotic intellectual, the newbie, the bottle blond with a penchant for gym bunnies and the queen. Blend well, season with witty quips and bitchy snipping and v—ila, you have your very own stereotypical gay film.
At the center of this eclectic cast - all the colors of the rainbow! - is the conflicted Dennis (Tim Olyphant), who has forsaken sexual flings with good-looking strangers in search of a meaningful relationship. Olyphant does a decent job playing Dennis without stereotype, making his character sympathetic enough to hold together, fairly well at least, the numerous subplots that come with having a large, central cast.
These various story lines - one character struggles with impregnating his sister's lesbian lover while another has a brief affair with a Hollywood actor - are all thinly tied to an overall message: love hurts, and your friends are there to help. Whether Cain's character is learning the heartbreak of his love-them-and-leave-them ways or the newbie is experiencing his own first heartbreak, the film never ceases to assert that friendships are the only lasting relationships that exist. This is all well and good - sappy, heartfelt morals have their place - but too often the film seems to compromise narrative quality for the sake of its overarching theme.
This is not to say that this film is not a delightful film-going experience. It is light-hearted and often funny - even if it does lack the "romantic" aspect that its title promises. In part this is due to the aforementioned theme - friends are always forgotten when someone gets into a relationship - but also because the director maintains a curious distance from his characters. Scenes are structured in a patchwork fashion, as cheap set ups for often cheaper jokes, preventing viewers from connecting with the characters. The tone and direction is so detached that the audience remains just that - an audience. But at least the film - and its cast - are nice to look at.
Moreover, "Broken Hearts" marks a promising debut for Berlanti. His direction demonstrates a range that encompasses both drama and comedy. He has an ability to shift from one to the next smoothly, keeping his film always focused on his characters, all of whom he treats with equal respect.
Berlanti just barely missed a great opportunity with this film, and after watching one, like a broken-hearted dumpee, can only lament what could have been. If only he had not been so reliant on clichˇd themes and even more clichˇd characters. If only he had been able to better able to convey the emotional resonance that his narrative demanded. If only.
