Two long time friends meet every year to "catch up". One is gay, the other, well, straight in every way except for this particular friend who makes him "tingle" and more. The idea of a queer for you partner is a frequent trope in gay literature. Many MM gay romance books play upon it. It has been noticed that in such novels, the authors are almost always women who write from a hetero/feminine perspective. Not a bad thing actually as they seem to catch the emotional element of their stories in ways men seem to be immune to. So. This film. All men. No sign of women except outside the one hotel room where almost all the action takes place. That is another thing. One scene for almost the entire film. This is a serious movie with a lot of charm. It is carefully thought out and plotted; the acting is superb. There is a surprise ending. All for the better! Moral of the story seems to be that there is no one path to happy relationships between men, besties or otherwise. As a gay man, I have had my share of crushes on straight friends and this film explores the possibilities very nicely. Having one's cake and eating it too.
16 Reviews
Another Jack and Ennis
bkoganbing12 May 2019
The Last Straight Man concerns a pair of friends who after a bachelor party for
one of them, the groom and the gay best friend kick back and start confessing
some frank sexual stories. Turns out Scott Sell has always wanted to experiment
with the other side and Mark Cirillo looks forward to being experimented with.
This story is a kind of urban Brokeback Mountain where the two cowboys who are married after one summer of passion agree once a year to return to the Wyoming wilderness for what they tell the spouses and the world are hunting and fishing trips.
These two agree that on the same night once a year they would go back for a night of the same passion. For Sell it's to satisfy that gay side of his nature and for Cirillo who is a writer of romance novels it's to have an otherwise unattainable romance.
Four of these encounters are shown over a dozen years and we see the changes in the dynamic of the relationship.
This is a great two character gay study and Cirillo and Sell have some great chemistry between them.
Does it work out better for them than for Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger? You won't regret checking into The Last Straight Man to find out.
This story is a kind of urban Brokeback Mountain where the two cowboys who are married after one summer of passion agree once a year to return to the Wyoming wilderness for what they tell the spouses and the world are hunting and fishing trips.
These two agree that on the same night once a year they would go back for a night of the same passion. For Sell it's to satisfy that gay side of his nature and for Cirillo who is a writer of romance novels it's to have an otherwise unattainable romance.
Four of these encounters are shown over a dozen years and we see the changes in the dynamic of the relationship.
This is a great two character gay study and Cirillo and Sell have some great chemistry between them.
Does it work out better for them than for Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger? You won't regret checking into The Last Straight Man to find out.
Overly Complicated Terms of Endearment
Suradit25 March 2015
The overall storyline is, as far as I know, quite original, but it depends on dealing with denial of & confusion over sexual identity and the consequent subterfuge that results from the constraints that society attempts to impose on our "acceptable" behavior and our permitted relationships, none of which are ground-breaking themes.
The film is almost entirely made up of conversations between Lewis and Cooper as they have their annual reunions, which means that the quality of the movie depends almost entirely on the scripted dialogue and its delivery by Mark Cirillo and Scott Sell and both range from moderately good to mediocre. Often the conversations have flat-lined long before they end and the occasional slapstick in the hotel, presumably included to regain the viewers' drifting attention, seems more ridiculous than funny.
The situations and dialogue often seem contrived, labored, sophomoric, inconsistent and sometimes illogical. There are some moderately amusing moments and I suppose the whole concept of Cooper living one life for 364 days a year and then something quite different one day a year is humorous in a sad way.
Watchable, but not especially noteworthy or engaging.
The film is almost entirely made up of conversations between Lewis and Cooper as they have their annual reunions, which means that the quality of the movie depends almost entirely on the scripted dialogue and its delivery by Mark Cirillo and Scott Sell and both range from moderately good to mediocre. Often the conversations have flat-lined long before they end and the occasional slapstick in the hotel, presumably included to regain the viewers' drifting attention, seems more ridiculous than funny.
The situations and dialogue often seem contrived, labored, sophomoric, inconsistent and sometimes illogical. There are some moderately amusing moments and I suppose the whole concept of Cooper living one life for 364 days a year and then something quite different one day a year is humorous in a sad way.
Watchable, but not especially noteworthy or engaging.
Room Movie with Adequate Chemistry
breckstewart31 March 2019
By reading the summary, it soon became clear that this would be a room movie contained in a few sets. Once the first scene was completed featuring several characters in the bachelor party and we get to the actual motion of the film, I started to hope that the chemistry between the 2 leads would be enough to entice since basically, a hotel room becomes the center of the action and that can become quickly tedious.
But to my surprise, the rapport is quite fair between Mark Cirillo as Lewis the gay one who has a crush on heterosexual yet confused Cooper played by Scott Sell. There are several nude scenes which took me by surprise and even though I felt they were not necessary, it doesn't detract from the story. Obviously, this is a low budget production so a montage of pictures is all we see to illustrate the time both characters spend in between their yearly meeting.
That part of the story bothered me a bit since I can't see how meeting only once a year for sex is realistic even if the 2 men are great friends and we don't really hear about their friendship outside of the confine of their trysts over the years. Still, I was caught up in their emotional interplay and felt like the connection between the two men was genuine which helped soothe some of the awkward acting moments that made me cringe in certain places.
Yet, even though this is not a strong story and it made me feel like some more scenes outside of the hotel room would have helped create a better understanding of what made these men tick without them having to talk about it, I still enjoyed it enough to give it a rather strong and fair rating of 7 stars.
The ending felt rather truncated and I would have hoped to get a bit more substance added to the denouement but it still felt satisfying enough to recommend potential viewers interested in this subject matter to give it a fair chance.
But to my surprise, the rapport is quite fair between Mark Cirillo as Lewis the gay one who has a crush on heterosexual yet confused Cooper played by Scott Sell. There are several nude scenes which took me by surprise and even though I felt they were not necessary, it doesn't detract from the story. Obviously, this is a low budget production so a montage of pictures is all we see to illustrate the time both characters spend in between their yearly meeting.
That part of the story bothered me a bit since I can't see how meeting only once a year for sex is realistic even if the 2 men are great friends and we don't really hear about their friendship outside of the confine of their trysts over the years. Still, I was caught up in their emotional interplay and felt like the connection between the two men was genuine which helped soothe some of the awkward acting moments that made me cringe in certain places.
Yet, even though this is not a strong story and it made me feel like some more scenes outside of the hotel room would have helped create a better understanding of what made these men tick without them having to talk about it, I still enjoyed it enough to give it a rather strong and fair rating of 7 stars.
The ending felt rather truncated and I would have hoped to get a bit more substance added to the denouement but it still felt satisfying enough to recommend potential viewers interested in this subject matter to give it a fair chance.
A low-budget Brokeback Mountain; but still relevant
Coralknight10 September 2016
Over the last week, I've seen a few gay-themed movies, and oddly several containing Mark Cirillo; well...I can honestly say this is the only one I liked. He is of course type-cast as "the gay guy" (not sure he can overcome his "gay voice") and his long-time friend is played by Scott Sell, who absolutely comes off as a virile, sexually curious man who struggles with his feelings for his friend on the eve of what for most is a lifelong commitment. The pace of the film is perfect as we see the "progression" of their relationship from year to year. If you can tolerate the sex scenes (and warning: they are very blunt...think Brokeback Mountain), there really is a good mix of character-revealing dialogue, to the point where you start asking yourself who is really being honest to whom...more by what ISN'T being said. The only negative is the odd insertion of rambling, sappy monologues (can't blame Mark for this...he didn't write it). All in all, this was a very well-thought, entertaining "fluffy" work, which can actually be thought-provoking if you read between the lines.
a night. 12 years
Kirpianuscus29 December 2022
A beautiful story, seductive told. A story about friendship becoming love, about attraction and about 12 years period , one night, a hotel room, talks and drinks and sex and doubts about the other.
The best virtue is the impecable simplicity.
Second - the acting.
And the fair, gentle exploration of relations, fears, responsabilities, decisions and shadows of ambiguity game.
The second good point remains the lovely realism. The book, the shots, the talk, the crumbs of humor are just beautiful pillars of a story pretending be only a confession about hidden side of near reality. It is more than a romance but a wise crafted portrait of choices.
The end - obvious, one of the provocative ones. But, in essence, just this is the point.
The best virtue is the impecable simplicity.
Second - the acting.
And the fair, gentle exploration of relations, fears, responsabilities, decisions and shadows of ambiguity game.
The second good point remains the lovely realism. The book, the shots, the talk, the crumbs of humor are just beautiful pillars of a story pretending be only a confession about hidden side of near reality. It is more than a romance but a wise crafted portrait of choices.
The end - obvious, one of the provocative ones. But, in essence, just this is the point.
Straight???
JeanFlores-Dickens16 September 2021
Talk talk talk talk talk talk
notmicro14 January 2021
This movie is 90% two guys alone in the same hotel room, and boy do they talk - before sex, during sex, after sex, and when alone. And not infrequently, the talk abruptly stops a hot sexual encounter dead "mid-lay". And wow do they drink a lot of alcohol, its kind of horrifying. Some things that I learned are: 1) turn off the ringer on your mobile phone; 2) lock the damn door so that Housekeeping doesn't barge in!! and 3) Viagra works in less than 2 minutes. There is even an introductory primer included on how to prepare yourself for penetrative sex. They think of everything!
The problem with what's called a "tw0-hander" in showbiz is that it requires very deft writing and expert acting to pull off successfully. This entry has very uneven writing and acting, its kind of all over the place.
As best I can tell - and I could be wrong - the lead actor Mark Cirillo is an extremely experienced straight actor, while his counterpart Scott Sell is an extremely inexperienced gay guy. This seems kind of an odd combination, and I wonder how the film maker made this choice.
The problem with what's called a "tw0-hander" in showbiz is that it requires very deft writing and expert acting to pull off successfully. This entry has very uneven writing and acting, its kind of all over the place.
As best I can tell - and I could be wrong - the lead actor Mark Cirillo is an extremely experienced straight actor, while his counterpart Scott Sell is an extremely inexperienced gay guy. This seems kind of an odd combination, and I wonder how the film maker made this choice.
Sadness, heartbreak & regret permeates "The Last Straight Man"
sinnerofcinema13 August 2014
A very involving film from filmmaker Mark Bessenger, "The Last Man" standing is a therapeutic treat for anyone who's been involved in truncated relationships. From the outset, both leading men are aware of their feelings for one another. Lewis (Mark Cirillo) is a closeted man throwing a bachelor party for his straight best friend and secret crush, Cooper (Scott Sell). However, they also realize their relationship is doomed due to to the marital circumstance surrounding Cooper. Emotions run high as both men agree to schedule a yearly one night stand reprieve from the grind of life. During this interlude they are both allowed to ask three intimate questions to be answered as truthfully and as authentically as possible. That opportunity allows both lead characters to exchange confessions on their true feelings in addition to giving each other the needed updates they crave just to see where their relationship stands. You would think that Lewis is unilaterally suffering through the bulk of heartache this unrequited love situation is generating. However, much suffering is to be had by Cooper who is torn between his family and his real belated love found for Lewis. This is the type of love that has grown so out of bounds, Cooper does not know how to deal with his emotions.
The beauty of this film lies in what is not said. Both Lewis and Cooper are deeply in love and their non verbal exchange speaks volumes. Their jokes fall flat whenever they come close to addressing their real feelings forcing one or both to change the subject.
"May your hair never fall, your dick always rise and your kids never call your brother-in-law daddy" is only one of the many witty dialogue shared by both Cooper and Lewis in what may seem at times to be funny banter translate into the men trying their hardest to convey their deepest sentiments. Their language, muddled by the restrictive code of silence men as a species have been known to observe in order to preserved the stereotypical macho front, is made to cover any an all possible honest feelings that may withdraw true emotion leading to a defensiveness that would expose and possibly lead to the outpouring of one's authentic self.
In the form of a visual collage, the film skips to several progressive life events as both men evolve with the passage of time. As the men age w life experience, so does their love, affection and understanding of each other, which only seems to grow stronger with time, until Lewis realizes that at some point he has to be the better man and do the right thing for the benefit of Cooper's family. Such selflessness is what makes Lewis a likable character. He's always the reasonable one, where Cooper just wants to take their opportunity to let loose, and be who he really is. During their exchange of emotion in the bedroom, you can't help but to feel the plight and internal struggle they both face, but it is Lewis, who most of the times seems to be relegated to make the difficult choices.
Production values are satisfactory for this digital production. However, at times misplaced music becomes distracting in some very key moments that demand full attention for the words being exchanged between the two leads. Performances are courageous and engaging as both actors flawlessly perform with due diligence even during scenes of pervasive nudity and very explicit sexual situations. Kudos to Mark Cirillo & Scott Sell who create admirable performances, and also for their bravery in choosing to stay true to the story with some very demanding and at times difficult moments both leading men share as they emote during their intimacy.
"The Last Straight Man" is a delight of a film, with an involved story that will leave you pondering on many underlying themes dealing with the way men express themselves and treat each other, and how not knowing to express true feelings can have long term and irreversible consequences on a life that should have been with the one.
The beauty of this film lies in what is not said. Both Lewis and Cooper are deeply in love and their non verbal exchange speaks volumes. Their jokes fall flat whenever they come close to addressing their real feelings forcing one or both to change the subject.
"May your hair never fall, your dick always rise and your kids never call your brother-in-law daddy" is only one of the many witty dialogue shared by both Cooper and Lewis in what may seem at times to be funny banter translate into the men trying their hardest to convey their deepest sentiments. Their language, muddled by the restrictive code of silence men as a species have been known to observe in order to preserved the stereotypical macho front, is made to cover any an all possible honest feelings that may withdraw true emotion leading to a defensiveness that would expose and possibly lead to the outpouring of one's authentic self.
In the form of a visual collage, the film skips to several progressive life events as both men evolve with the passage of time. As the men age w life experience, so does their love, affection and understanding of each other, which only seems to grow stronger with time, until Lewis realizes that at some point he has to be the better man and do the right thing for the benefit of Cooper's family. Such selflessness is what makes Lewis a likable character. He's always the reasonable one, where Cooper just wants to take their opportunity to let loose, and be who he really is. During their exchange of emotion in the bedroom, you can't help but to feel the plight and internal struggle they both face, but it is Lewis, who most of the times seems to be relegated to make the difficult choices.
Production values are satisfactory for this digital production. However, at times misplaced music becomes distracting in some very key moments that demand full attention for the words being exchanged between the two leads. Performances are courageous and engaging as both actors flawlessly perform with due diligence even during scenes of pervasive nudity and very explicit sexual situations. Kudos to Mark Cirillo & Scott Sell who create admirable performances, and also for their bravery in choosing to stay true to the story with some very demanding and at times difficult moments both leading men share as they emote during their intimacy.
"The Last Straight Man" is a delight of a film, with an involved story that will leave you pondering on many underlying themes dealing with the way men express themselves and treat each other, and how not knowing to express true feelings can have long term and irreversible consequences on a life that should have been with the one.
Ouch!
akira-hideyo1 August 2021
A 12 Year Long One Night Stand
alassenamos12 August 2014
"The Last Straight Man"
A 12 Year Long One Night Stand
Amos Lassen
"The Last Straight Man" is going to be one of the movies of the year, I predict. Director Mark Bessenger ("Bite Marks") sent me at advance copy and I watched it last night. It has been on my mind ever since. Evidently I am not alone in praising the film because this morning 8/10/14 it won the Alternative Spirit Award Grand Prize at the Rhode Island International Film Festival! This the first year they've split the features away from the shorts, into separate categories.
Now this is going to be a bit difficult to describe the film without giving something away but I will say that this is a movie filled with surprises. It is all about a one-night stand that lasts for 12 years. I must admit that after the first few minutes of the film I thought I had it all figured out but to my chagrin it took a totally different direction than what I expected. The film opens at Cooper's bachelor party and we see some exotic dancing from a hired female stripper but we also notice that one of the party guests does not get involved. Moving a bit forward we are in Lewis's (Mark Cirillo) hotel suite and with Lewis (the one who did not get involved with the lap dancing) and Cooper (Scott Sell). They are talking about life will be different once Coop gets married and he talks Lewis into having a couple of tequila shots and playing the game, "Three Questions" which is important because we will see it recur later.
In the course of the evening Lewis comes out as bisexual and he does so in the answer to one of the three questions. One thing leads to another and adding alcohol, the new men exchange oral sex. According to Cooper this will never happen again yet it does every year on the same date for the next eleven years. Over the course of twelve years, we see four additional nights that depict how the two men grow and how their friendship changes as they mature and age—Coop becomes a father, Lewis remains a loner and so on. There are certain rules to their meetings—booze, cigars, condoms and lube and eventually Lewis moves from bottom to top Cooper who never admits to being gay. He is a married man but we hear very little about the wife and I had the feeling that the reason that Coop married her was because of societal expectations.
We see a total of five nights (including the first) that the two men spend together and how their relationship changes. Sexuality is a complex subject and in this film you see how much that is true. It is also of the few films in which the leads begin as bisexuals yet we only see them act on their gay desires. In fact, when we first meet Lewis and Coop they are both closeted—Lewis has at least acted on his desire but Coop will act the first time with his best friend.
The two men decide to meet secretly in the same hotel and on the same night with the pretext of catching up with their lives but they actually further explore their sexual desires. We see the changes in friendship and relationship over the passage of twelve years.
I really believe that this will be one of the films of this year if not THE film. Everything about it is wonderful from the actors to the situations and if any of you have lusted after someone you will find yourself here. Bessenger has made yet another film of which he can be proud and we can be entertained and left with something to think about. I rarely rave about a film but this one is really one to rave about.
A 12 Year Long One Night Stand
Amos Lassen
"The Last Straight Man" is going to be one of the movies of the year, I predict. Director Mark Bessenger ("Bite Marks") sent me at advance copy and I watched it last night. It has been on my mind ever since. Evidently I am not alone in praising the film because this morning 8/10/14 it won the Alternative Spirit Award Grand Prize at the Rhode Island International Film Festival! This the first year they've split the features away from the shorts, into separate categories.
Now this is going to be a bit difficult to describe the film without giving something away but I will say that this is a movie filled with surprises. It is all about a one-night stand that lasts for 12 years. I must admit that after the first few minutes of the film I thought I had it all figured out but to my chagrin it took a totally different direction than what I expected. The film opens at Cooper's bachelor party and we see some exotic dancing from a hired female stripper but we also notice that one of the party guests does not get involved. Moving a bit forward we are in Lewis's (Mark Cirillo) hotel suite and with Lewis (the one who did not get involved with the lap dancing) and Cooper (Scott Sell). They are talking about life will be different once Coop gets married and he talks Lewis into having a couple of tequila shots and playing the game, "Three Questions" which is important because we will see it recur later.
In the course of the evening Lewis comes out as bisexual and he does so in the answer to one of the three questions. One thing leads to another and adding alcohol, the new men exchange oral sex. According to Cooper this will never happen again yet it does every year on the same date for the next eleven years. Over the course of twelve years, we see four additional nights that depict how the two men grow and how their friendship changes as they mature and age—Coop becomes a father, Lewis remains a loner and so on. There are certain rules to their meetings—booze, cigars, condoms and lube and eventually Lewis moves from bottom to top Cooper who never admits to being gay. He is a married man but we hear very little about the wife and I had the feeling that the reason that Coop married her was because of societal expectations.
We see a total of five nights (including the first) that the two men spend together and how their relationship changes. Sexuality is a complex subject and in this film you see how much that is true. It is also of the few films in which the leads begin as bisexuals yet we only see them act on their gay desires. In fact, when we first meet Lewis and Coop they are both closeted—Lewis has at least acted on his desire but Coop will act the first time with his best friend.
The two men decide to meet secretly in the same hotel and on the same night with the pretext of catching up with their lives but they actually further explore their sexual desires. We see the changes in friendship and relationship over the passage of twelve years.
I really believe that this will be one of the films of this year if not THE film. Everything about it is wonderful from the actors to the situations and if any of you have lusted after someone you will find yourself here. Bessenger has made yet another film of which he can be proud and we can be entertained and left with something to think about. I rarely rave about a film but this one is really one to rave about.
Can a Love Affair last a Lifetime? "We'll see."
davemerino5 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Spoiler Alert!! Read further at your peril.
Wow! What a beautifully scripted & acted film. I watched it twice, to see what I missed the 1st time around.
I thought it would be hard to finish, like Weekend - because it rests only on 2 people, But it works here.
That the 2 actors are attractive helps, but it's the chemistry between them that successfully pulls it off. I've been in what I call 1.5 sided relationships. They are hard on the 1 when the other is only .5 there. I understand the whole "1 falls into love while 1 falls out of love" thing, thus the little pill. I learned that the hard way. I took my time falling into love while the other fell out of love & next thing I knew, moved across the country. Having said all that - trust me, this film IS 110% right on the mark. Some don't like the beginning, some dont like the ending, some don't like the middle - but that is the way the story had to play out - to play out. Those that missed it - at the end, the wife knows, he told her, she watched them kiss. She accepts the man in her man's life. My mother had a coworker, Rick who left his wife of 14 years to be with the man that did what Coop says Lewis makes him feel. Rick said he is not attracted to any other men, only 1. It does happen, rare as it is.
Perhaps this film works, for those of us that have been affected by a similar situation. I'd like to think that it works for all.
I thought it would be hard to finish, like Weekend - because it rests only on 2 people, But it works here.
That the 2 actors are attractive helps, but it's the chemistry between them that successfully pulls it off. I've been in what I call 1.5 sided relationships. They are hard on the 1 when the other is only .5 there. I understand the whole "1 falls into love while 1 falls out of love" thing, thus the little pill. I learned that the hard way. I took my time falling into love while the other fell out of love & next thing I knew, moved across the country. Having said all that - trust me, this film IS 110% right on the mark. Some don't like the beginning, some dont like the ending, some don't like the middle - but that is the way the story had to play out - to play out. Those that missed it - at the end, the wife knows, he told her, she watched them kiss. She accepts the man in her man's life. My mother had a coworker, Rick who left his wife of 14 years to be with the man that did what Coop says Lewis makes him feel. Rick said he is not attracted to any other men, only 1. It does happen, rare as it is.
Perhaps this film works, for those of us that have been affected by a similar situation. I'd like to think that it works for all.
A beautiful story of True Love and understanding.
rjelford23 January 2016
I can not agree with some of the comments I have read about this video. I know that peoples tastes in movies, sex and/or love vary considerably, so I don't condemn them for having a different opinion. I have watched it many times and continue to enjoy it every time. I do have one comment about the ending. I found it odd that Lewis and Bernie would be enjoying a seaside picnic with Cooper and his wife and son and the startling kiss between Cooper and Lewis in full view of all the others. WTF! And don't forget people that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and sometimes the personality can outshine the face and figure. Personally, I loved it.
A Nice Story
rfieldj10 February 2018
It reminded me of a gay version of the old hetero play, "Same Time Next Year," and I liked that part about the story the most. I always wondered what a gay version of that play might be like...with obvious differences because both lovers are men. And I think it worked. It was honest and it showed the dilemma that so many gay men face.
Fantastic
bruno_black-0956915 September 2021
excruciatingly bad
jm1070119 June 2015
I tried really hard--several times--to watch this movie, but it's just so bad in so many ways that I finally had to give up.
The two guys are not at all attractive, but I've seen both actors before separately and not thought that, so it's just something about their pairing in this movie. I cannot believe that anyone would want to spend even a few minutes with either of them.
But that's not all. Every word of the dialog is stilted and coy and totally unnatural, and it's delivered in weird, almost screechy voices that make my skin crawl. On top of all that, the very first scene (and it's a LONG one) is of a female stripper giving lap dances at a bachelor party, with either her boobs or her thonged butt bouncing about six inches from the camera most of the time. That is NOT what I want to see in a gay movie, or anywhere else.
Another reviewer said he's willing to give Mark Bessenger (this movie's writer and director) another chance, but I can't go along with that. Life's too short.
The two guys are not at all attractive, but I've seen both actors before separately and not thought that, so it's just something about their pairing in this movie. I cannot believe that anyone would want to spend even a few minutes with either of them.
But that's not all. Every word of the dialog is stilted and coy and totally unnatural, and it's delivered in weird, almost screechy voices that make my skin crawl. On top of all that, the very first scene (and it's a LONG one) is of a female stripper giving lap dances at a bachelor party, with either her boobs or her thonged butt bouncing about six inches from the camera most of the time. That is NOT what I want to see in a gay movie, or anywhere else.
Another reviewer said he's willing to give Mark Bessenger (this movie's writer and director) another chance, but I can't go along with that. Life's too short.
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