Soft Lad (2015) User Reviews

Emotionally charged gay drama based in Liverpool

[t-dooley-69-386916 · 7/10 · 22 November 2015]

**May contain plot spoilers** The term 'soft lad' is a term of affection in Liverpool meaning nice and harmless, and here this references David who is an aspiring dancer who is in love with an older man and that man is married to someone very close to him.

The relationship though is stalling as it seems to be base on need and desire and so David has to make some changes – the problem is things have already been set in motion that are going to dictate how everyone behaves and will have lasting and damaging repercussions for all involved.

This is a rather good film, Daniel Brocklebank is as ever very reliable in his role of the duplicitous husband, but show stealer for me is Suzanne Collins who is a joy to watch. Once again another example of a very well made and acted British Independent film.

Ugh....Aren't there any positive gay movies out there.

[vernonw70 · 6/10 · 4 February 2016]

It is so hard to find any positive gay role models in film today. The lead character, David, is certainly not one of them. The premise to this movie was intriguing at first, but then after watching the story played out you realize how selfish and totally repugnant David's character is. I mean come on, he's sleeping with his sister's husband and gets mad because he won't leave her for him. I felt no sympathy for his character. At least with the husband you know what kind of man he really is....a douche bag. It was Suzanne Collins portrayal as the betrayed sister and wife, is what saved the movie for me. You really felt for her. To be betrayed by the two men that she loved above all others and then given HIV by the bastards.....OMG. I can't even imagine what a person would be feeling, but she nailed it. what an outstanding performance. Overall, I found the film to be adequate with a nice plot twist and good performances, but I'm still waiting for a film that doesn't make the gay characters into horrible people. At least in this film they didn't throw in a couple drag queens, a sex party, and some stereotypical effeminate dudes. There's a plus I guess.

Ok(ish)

[pmoody-74292 · 5/10 · 6 May 2022]

Directing style made it feel like a soap. Also the sound engineer got the music levels very off, sometimes annoyingly dominating dialogue. Technical aside, it's a passable storyline, the acting is ok if a little melodramatic.

Very intense and sad!!!

[johnm-38132 · 6/10 · 25 January 2017]

Not a happy ending in this film. Basically, a married gay man, Jules, has an affair with his much younger brother-in-law, David and unknowingly transmits HIV to both David and his wife, David's sister. When all this comes out, all hell breaks loose and the 3 part ways in a very horrible show down. Very well acted, fast paced and intensely emotional. Sadly, not worth watching twice because it's such a downer. All 3 characters were decent people. The two gay men made some bad decisions and then had to pay the consequences. Nothing to judge here. David looked just like Susan Boyle....except much younger and cuter of course. Jules was older, slim and attractive. It's too bad this movie ended on such a bummer.

Soft Lad

[CinemaSerf · 5/10 · 23 July 2023]

In theory this could have made for quite an intriguing story of cheating and naughtiness. Instead, it turned out to be a really disappointing melodrama showcasing the mediocre acting talents of a few handsome men and the writing of someone who had the vision for the story, but no real idea how to turn it into anything particularly compelling. It's all about the young and attractive dancer "David" (Jonny Labey) who is secretly having an affair with his brother-in-law "Jules" (Daniel Brocklebank). It's a bit tempestuous and after a row, the younger man seeks comfort in the arms of "Sam" (Craig Stein) but that just causes even more ructions and you can now see just what's going to happen, and anticipate the fall out that is looming large for all concerned. So much more could have been done to develop the characters; the sex scenes are ridiculously sterile and there is just way too much petulant dialogue making the whole thing feel much longer than just ninety minutes. It's gay theme gives it a slightly distinctive edge, but otherwise this is forgettable stuff, sorry.

Awfully directed, poorly written; simply unwatchable

[Mr. Bennett · 1/10 · 1 July 2017]

This has got to be one of the worst films I've seen. It is so badly made, I was actually shouting "this is so bad!!" at my laptop. The camera work is so bad it's annoying; I don't know what type of tone or feel they were going for but the result is a mess of awkward angles, moving pointlessly back and forth and getting in the faces of the actors with absolutely no sense of framing.

The sound design is non-existent and the few attempts at scoring are generic 'sad'/piano music, that not only add absolutely no sentiment at all, they also sound really bad. And that also applies to dialogue as well, which makes the whole thing look and sound very amateur.

The script is so bad I can't stop thinking how it got approved or how people thought this kind of writing is good! To sum it up, it goes like this: -I just feel stressed and tired from it all -Why? -I don't know

The repetition of lines like "where is this coming from?" and "why are you being like this?" only makes things worst and adds to an already messed up and poor script that sounds so basic and forced and fake that makes the whole thing really annoying to watch.

In terms of plot, after one or so hours of the character's emotional ups and downs, it boils down to the consequences of unprotected sex and the use of condoms, which in this day and age is just old news.

The actors do try their best and they are some genuine moments that unfortunately don't last for more than a few seconds. Massively let down by a script that simply does not work, they end up trying to convince you how sad they are, or how confused with lines like...well, see above.

I can go on and on as I still can't believe how badly made this is and how amateur it looks and sounds; OK, maybe they didn't have the biggest budget ever and I get that but still, that's not an excuse for the complete and utter lack of a convincing narrative, emotional investment and quality of film making.

Enjoyable, well acted.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 30 December 2017]

As a story it somehow it could have been considered a little dated, like it could have been made in the Eighties, closeted husband sleeps with wive's younger brother yada yada. In truth though it's actually a decent film, the story does grab you, it unfolds well, and the acting is excellent. I thought Suzanne Collins was excellent as wronged wife Jane. Daniel Brocklebank, Jonny Labey etc all very good. It's depressing in tone, but in fairness contains some positive messages. Watchable, 8/10

Underwhelming Liverpudlian LGBT drama

[pervocrat · 2/10 · 2 July 2017]

Soft Lad is a (very) low-budget indie movie that dreams big and sadly falls short, mostly due to an over-reliance on melodrama and an unwillingness to let its characters breathe and grow.

The story follows David (Jonny Labey), a young man about to start a promising career in dance, and the fallout of his doomed affair with Jules, his sister's husband (Daniel Brocklebank), culminating in news that will devastate an entire family.

Labey gives a committed performance as the naive David, but there just isn't a lot of depth to it, and the often atrociously weak and clunky script limits things still further, displaying writer/director/producer Leon Lopez's tendency to restrict his characters to very well worn territory. The backstory of David's two-year "drunken mistake" with his brother-in-law is revealed via a massive and rather unbelievable info dump delivered to Stacey the Convenient Friend (Laura Ainsworth), whose friendship with David - strained by unresolved feelings - is a small glimpse of a more multi-faceted story, but still ends up as a predictable and tired detail.

The other characters fare little better, with Daniel Brocklebank's Jules coming across more as a smarmy classist caricature than a villain anyone could sympathise with or truly care about, and the movie jangles with missed opportunities. There are moments where it almost seems like it will turn into a neat psychological drama, but be prepared to wave at those moments as they pass by, because sadly the story never embraces its dark side, neither fully exploring Jules' capacity for callousness or manipulation, or the selfishness that can motivate people in the name of love.

There is a brave performance from Suzanne Collins as Jane, David's sister, though again she's let down by a poor script and very little support in the movie's climactic scenes, which descend into awkward melodrama. Craig Stein as Sam, David's new boyfriend, also makes a valiant effort, and choreographed the one dance scene we get to see: another symptom of the movie's disconnection with itself. Dance is presented as David's dream, but there's a massive missed opportunity in actually using it to convey the enormity of his struggle, or anything of his passion and individuality. The supposedly positive ending (pun totally intended) feels like a tacked on afterthought, and the whole movie feels unbalanced in the time devoted to aspects of different characters' struggles.

Structurally and technically, Soft Lad is trying to be an indie movie punching above its weight, but its reliance on two dimensional characters and tired "gay issue" themes - closeted married men, HIV, poppers and hookups - that feel neither fresh nor original just results in a dull, clichéd experience... and I say that as someone who will generally overlook poor direction, writing, performances, or camera work in a low budget movie that honestly has something to say.

Probably what I dislike most about this movie, though, is its erasure of bisexuality. Jules is presented as a married MSM, and for a few moments it almost looks like the movie will dedicate a little time to exploring his emotional conflict over his sexuality and identity (he claims to develop feelings for David; the first time he's fallen for a man), perhaps showing something of the delicate balance - and differences - between sexual and emotional attraction.

Unfortunately, the only labels that ever get mentioned by any character are "gay" and "straight", and I was left with the feeling that, if the word "bi" had been whispered at all, it would have been in yet another cliché about predatory promiscuity. It's sad to see yet another opportunity wasted in this film, but it appears to be part of a pattern, and that's disappointing.

Bottom line: if you're a soap fan who enjoys emotional drama and can overlook technical limitations, this might be up your street. It's certainly nice to see more British drama from the North that doesn't focus on a fetishistic view of "northern-ness", and a lot was certainly made of the tiny budget. Ultimately, though, there are so many more gay dramas out there that are just better in every way.

Love triangle with a twist!

[garlygogs · 9/10 · 12 January 2016]

Soft Lad is the latest piece of work from Director Leon Lopez.You may remember Leon from his days on shows such as Brookside and Hollyoaks and after directing a couple of shorts, he makes his feature film directorial debut with Soft Lad, a film that not only did he direct but also wrote, edited, produced and was the sole camera operator on. Quite a feat in itself and one where you could forgive the occasional mistake that may occur throughout the feature. With the exception of a couple of moments in the sound department, there were no such mistakes and in my view Leon deserves the highest level of praise for the excellent editing of the film. So what is the film about? It's basically a love story but not your normal run of the mill love story. Jules and Jane are a happily married couple with one daughter living in a nice house in a nice area and in decent jobs. All appears good but Jules is hiding a terrible secret from his wife. He is having an affair with Jane's brother David. No longer able to handle lying to his family and in particular his sister, David decides to end the affair and instead turns to new love Sam. David's feelings for Sam soon turn to love and life appears to be pretty good for him. Jules however must wrestle with his conscience and his feelings for David. Putting his marriage at risk he must decide whether or not to come clean about the affair or accept that it is over and move on. A simple check up at the hospital changes everything. Who is affected? Well you will have to watch the movie to find but believe me it results in one of the best scenes in the movie and one that though quite intense, also has one of the funniest lines. For a first time feature film director and with a modest budget of approx £17,000, Leon Lopez has done an exceptional job and after seeing what he can do with such a small budget, one wonders what he could do with a budget of millions. No one performance can be singled out as all the cast members give outstanding performances. Daniel Brocklebank (Coronation Street, Doctors, Emmerdale) as Jules makes you really believe he is struggling to accept his homosexuality yet also manages to pull off a dangerous side of Jules's personality. There is one scene where Daniel is delivering his lines to Stacey (Laura Ainsworth) and with such a look on his face that I actually believed his character was going to attack her. Suzanne Collins (Brookside) as Jane is superb as the totally oblivious wife who believes she is the cause of Jules's increasing moods and stands out in the life changing scene. Jonny Labey (Eastenders) as David is a pure revelation in this film and definitely an actor destined for more. You really feel for his character even though what he has done is wrong. Having watched him in Eastenders, I believe that it is in this film that he shines and acts his socks off.

I defy anyone to watch more than 10 minutes

[chrismarshall-50682 · 2/10 · 23 November 2015]

Wooden acting, terrible scouse accent, it looked like a film by a bunch of high school students who wrote the script that morning. I lasted four minutes and had to turn it off.

Such a shame, when the description sounds like an interesting dynamic between central character and his sister's husband. And when there's clearly some good people involved, judging by the credits. But ruined by terrible acting, cringe-worthy accents, low production values and general awfulness.

Definitely a film to avoid.

Don't waste your money on it.

Weak script, and even weaker acting

[qui_j · 3/10 · 28 June 2023]

This film deals with an interesting dynamic, but it is poorly produced. The dialogue is barely audible at times and the music sound track used is probably the most annoying ever. The acting is very variable, overacted at times a bit like a daytime soap opera. The camera work is shaky and at times one wonders if a hand held iPhone was used for some of the scenes. Heads get cut off, and the shaky images are nausea inducing. There are some scenes that add very little to the main story and could easily have been omitted. The ending seems a bit too tidy, and appears as if it were important to the Director/writer to have a happy ending, no matter if it made sense or not!

Clichéd, televisual, but worst of all just plain dull

[weebiloobil · 3/10 · 17 July 2017]

At one point in this film, a character says "If I never see you again it will be too soon!". The sentiment also applies to this film.

The film follows an aspiring dancer and his complicated family relationship, but somehow manages to include every stereotype of gay cinema, from the best-friend-he-would-love-if-only-he-were-straight ("I'm gay, remember?" he says at one point, because that's just the kind of thing best friends forget about each other) to the closeted family man having it off on the side. There isn't even any suspense to this - most of the main characters are so bluntly drawn in the first 5 minutes that you could fall asleep until the climax, and if you do I envy you. Of course there is a 'twist' - inverted commas because it's so clearly signposted it might as well be London - but by then the oddly distant directing style had drained all engagement from me.

I know that as a genre, LGBT cinema suffers by not having the history and money behind it available to other films, but even compared to some of the ropier stuff out there this is lacking.

The word that best sums up the plot, the directing, the cinematography, is: dull.

Gripping British indie film

[shenerdk · 8/10 · 30 December 2015]

Came across this film through social media and was interested to see soap actors in a feature film. To be honest I didn't have much expectation as a lot of the reviews had said this was typical soap plot lines but in my opinion the film tackles real issues and the cast delivered the story exceptionally well. Laura Ainsworth who plays Stacey was hilarious, she played the character so well. Suzanne Collins who I loved in Brookside was also brilliant.

This film is set in Liverpool and was good to see a non London setting. Would Defo recommend this for soap fans! Incredible to think that this was made for less than £20k. Will be hoping to see more from the director!

Absolutely Horrendous

[CineviewUK · 1/10 · 13 August 2017]

When I saw this advertised on Netflix, I was intrigued and excited to see a new LGBT drama especially one produced in the UK.

I'm sorry to say that this turned out to be a complete disappointment from beginning to end. The cinematography is probably the worst I have ever seen in any film ever, so much so that in parts it makes the film unwatchable - the camera moving around aimlessly, getting too close and up in the actors faces, never settling down. Heads cut off, truly bad framing, focus issues... the list goes on.

The only positive I can speak of is Daniel Brocklebank's performance, he really does try to make the best out of a bad show.

The sound mixing is also so awful that at times I had to stop the film and rewind it just to try and make out what some of the actors were saying.

The editing also has no ebb, no flow to it.. I've seen better from 1st year film students in college.

It's am amiable idea for a script, but overall it's so full of cliche's and such bad dialogue I doubt most of it would have gotten past the writers room on any soap opera never mind a movie.

I hate to be so negative about any other filmmakers work, I truly do but unfortunately with such bad choices and execution in terms of "Soft Lad" I really feel even at such a low budget it could have been something wonderful. It alas, is not.

An excellent gay movie

[Irishchatter · 8/10 · 14 December 2015]

I have to say, the acting and the storyline was absolutely spot on! Jonny Labey was such a great little actor especially his dance moves and his personality makes you honestly turn your frown upside down. I really thought he looked like Joe McElderry and Daniel Brocklebank looked so much of Duncan Bannatyne. They all should definitely meet up and see their reflections!

The storyline really made sense of stepping into the shoes of love and cheating joined in together. It was really tearjerking when the characters Jules and David admitted to Jane that they were having a affair behind your back. Man, it honestly looked so real that I forgot this was a drama film! You would definitely feel something in your eyes during that scene! What was even more sadder, Jane and David had both gotten HIV from Jules all along. This really gives you a good think of HIV awareness because everyone deserves to be safe and it's important that they look after their health, like we all do!

I definitely would want this to get a lot of nominations especially a BAFTA award! Go watch it! :)

Boring Movie

[cesarioronaldlopez · 1/10 · 12 September 2018]

If you wanna watch a great movie rent Philadelphia with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington

Essentially a feature length episode of Hollyoaks

[agathorsmith · 4/10 · 5 April 2017]

The underlying premise is unique, a 22 year old is having a love affair with his sister's husband, but throughout the film their is confusion in the message, unnecessary clichés, and bad acting from all but Suzanne Collins (Jane, the wife).

The dynamic between Jules and David is the first thing the audience is introduced to, the film starts two years into their affair but doesn't offer an interesting backstory or any real explanation about why they are in love.

Then it cuts to the least fun looking gay bar, where David meets a new guy and they take drugs, have sex then (after a strange 5 minute montage) are in love. Then the film drags on until the predictable dramatic ending, which could have been made a lot more dramatic. I was hoping for a 'Dr.Foster' type event but the payoff just wasn't there.

Also, suddenly the husband goes from thinking he is straight to being gay. There was no aspect of the husbands struggle with his sexuality, or any mention of bisexuality. It would have been a great opportunity to mention that, it is something that is frequently ignored in LGBT+ cinema.

I did think that the way the truth was forced out was new, with David finding out that the affair has caused him to get HIV.

Personally, it felt way too much like a feature length soap opera and had no real character development. I found myself occasionally skipping forward 2 or 3 minutes just to get to the end of it. A very dramatic story, but the script was written in the least dramatic way possible.

Take a nap instead...

[jdisaacs-23563 · 1/10 · 11 November 2023]

I've seen a few bad movies in my life, but this one tops the list. The script, story and direction are so trite that the poor actors had no chance to make it anything other than melodramatic, scene-chewing drivel. The writer throws out cliche after cliche and even apologizes a couple of times for the cliche's... The big ending scene really takes the cake when the boyfriend comes grinning into the dance studio to the grinning dancer as if to say to us... 'see? No matter what chaos you've created, all will be well, all will be well.' I nearly screamed and clawed my face. My advice is to take a nap instead of wasting your time.

A truly heartbreaking but fascinate movie

[wayne2652 · 8/10 · 31 August 2016]

"might have spoilers inside"

It is really touching but heartbreaking movie I have ever seen. The acting of those characters is spot on and shape the character vividly. The struggle between David & Jules and Jules & Jane are nicely illustrated in the movie. Compared to the struggle, the affection among those characters seems a little less. Therefore, I can feel stressed and struggled more from the plot itself rather than owing to the feeling of breaking the bond between them.

Also, I would like to see more about Jules' part after Sam and David left the house and more David's dance at the beginning. That might give the audience a complete emotion roller coaster. Overall, it is a worth watching movie definitely!!! And it is the some of the movies that picking HIV issue and presenting the reaction about the situation.

Excellent Movie

[sblalock-84714 · 10/10 · 27 January 2019]

I just read a title referencing gay movies not having good endings. I feel the same but as I wrote on Dekko, I have watched the movie quite a few times and I always felt something was incomplete. That thing was the ending.No one expected Jules and Jane to reconcile, so they parted. Now I could be wrong, but David, who was in this mess, came out with his dance career and a man.Poor Jane was left with nothing but her child and we all know what Jules was gonna do. I will say this. I truly believe Jules loved and was in love with David as David was with him.What we forget is when you are 22 and having a supportive family being gay is no big deal. Now to defend Jules, He had not to to grips with who he really was. Like so many gay men, they try and lead a "normal" which usually explodes in their faces. I could see his love for him in the kitchen scene. You could see in his eyes that he was hurt knowing he was going to eventually lose him, then after Jane left the way they looked at one another and David mouthing "I love you." The 2nd show of his love was when he MADE him leave Sam. Although some ppl view that as jealousy, jealousy goes hand-hand with loving a person because if I am not mad or jealous, I do not givbe a crap about what you do or who you see. It was also obvious that David slept with Sam to try and forget Jules. If that were not true, when Sam asked if something was wrong David answered by saying it is Jules my father. Then he whispered to himself again saying "my father." Crazy as this will sound I wish they could have ended up together.

Very Good, and not just "for a gay movie"

[drake_evan · 8/10 · 6 June 2021]

Soft Lad is a surprisingly good little relationship/family drama. I say "surprising" for two reasons; the first is simply that the dearth of movies centered on gay characters means there just aren't going to be a lot of good ones. The second is that, on paper, the plot (and even a few plot details) really lends itself to ridiculous and soapy melodrama, so I was expecting the sort of movie you might catch on Lifetime in the middle of the afternoon. Against huge odds, the acting and directing kept the whole thing grounded in reality and delivered a really engaging and thoughtful story about a group of people who find themselves in an almost absurdly complicated and emotional situation.

It's not perfect and it's definitely not a feel-good movie, but it's a well-made movie that left me with lots to think about without being heavy-handed or clumsy with its themes.

I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this writer/director and cast.

Thought provoking

[derekbolan · 10/10 · 1 October 2017]

I completely enjoyed this film as it just goes to show how you can devastate lives sometime without realising your actions. It also shows that two wrongs don't make a right and how feeling true love for someone can make you feel that other things are more insignificant. These things happen in real life and it was good that the subject has been approached

This is real Life

[bgoo-19890 · 9/10 · 18 November 2021]

I am a gay man with no talent. I have lived this story. A v

This is a really serious subject handled by an ensemble cast. These are very talented actors. The subject matter of HIV is the elephant in the room. The affair between.david and Jules well..sticky. But as someone who has had to go through similar..I wish my case went so smooth..Bravo.