Pit Stop (2013)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Wonderful character development!

It is a performances centric movie

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

Director/writer Yen Tan, born in Malaysia, but has based his films firmly in the US queer cinema soil, PIT STOP is his third feature, surprisingly nabbed a nomination for John Cassavetes Award in 2014 Independent Spirt Awards, which on a bright side, bespeaks that it is not an usual homo-erotic fare cranked out to gratifying its niche demography.There are two paralleled stories take place in a small town called Dodge, Texas, about two gay men, Gabe (Heck) and Ernesto (DeAnda), they are strangers in the beginning and destined to meet, but Tan patiently spends three-quarters of the time deconstructing their respective relationship snags, then consummates their encounter with an intimate and romantic finish touch to imply that a brand new start is beckoning.It is refreshing to find out that our protagonists are not stereotyped urban hipsters this time, their blue-collar background may suggest that they are more prone to homophobic hostility within their social circles, so thanks God that Tan wisely leaves enough lacunae to that front, since it is too stale and insignificant compared with what he intends to explore, the inner states which mostly reflects from their relations with the closest ones.Gabe is a construction work contractor, he was married before, and is recently dumped by his partner, a closeted family man, who backtracks on their decision to start a new life together. Gabe is still in good term with his ex-wife Shannon (Seimetz), and after the break-up he decides to raise their 6-year-old daughter together. Both him and Shannon need to move forward, but it is easier said than done, Shannon wants to go back to the familiar more-than-friends status, but the reality proves that it is a convenient option but not a sensible one.Ernesto, a Mexican immigrant, is in another paradox, he breaks up with his young boyfriend Luis (Maduro) but the latter still lives in his apartment, he asserts to move out but procrastinates. Meanwhile Ernesto is taking care of another ex, who is unconscious in a coma, and has no one else. So, for Ernesto, it is time to clear his mind and stop dithering about responsibilities which overstay their welcome, just because he has a kind heart.Gabe has a dog and Ernesto has a cat, through their interactions with pets, their personalities are artfully displayed, the entire film is meandering in an unhurried pace, and renders a minute dedication to every set piece without any whiff of pretentiousness and self-indulgence. The two leads are pretty awesome in their inward struggle, Bill Heck, is particularly touching in bringing about Gabe's frame of mind.The titular pit stop, is a gas station where both Gabe and Ernesto constantly stop by but never linger longer enough to be acquainted with, that is why their eventual meet is so rewarding because audience has been watching closely to those two lonely souls fumble through their disoriented life and try to get on the right orbit. To sum up, PIT STOP is an unostentatiously heart- warming romance with both sincerity and affection, it is definitely worth your time.

I was kind of generous giving this movie 6 out of 10, but I at least admire it for never having a false moment. The actors and the director made everything believable, but it was such a set of dreary characters in undramatic scenes, that the movie was actually painful to watch. I think I mostly blame the script which failed to find a way to really make us care.The ending seemed to be about some kind of redemption and finding love, but all it really was was a successful hookup. "Hey, call me," says Gabe. "Anytime," and they head off smiling, in the hope of another session of manly frottage. But given all the heartbreak and disappointment, there is nothing here that points to a great future.Compare this to the date episode in the first season of the TV show, "Looking." Nothing but two guys almost just about to fall in love, spending the day together talking about their lives, their fears, their histories, sex. And it was totally engaging because there was a tentative fragility and joy to the whole thing. "Pit Stop" (why is it called this?) never found such lightness.

Pit Stop is the story of two working-class gay men in their thirties - Gabe, a building contractor (played by Bill Heck), and Ernie, a lumber-yard worker (played by Marcus DeAnda) - in a small town in Texas.Gabe is divorced but still close to his ex-wife and daughter; the man he loved and left them for has dumped him and moved far away. Ernie is breaking free of his latest failed relationship with a man. Their paths almost cross a few times, but they don't actually meet until fairly late in the movie. Because of its unconventional structure and slow pace, it has been widely criticized by amateur reviewers of gay movies.But this is by far the best gay movie I have ever seen, and I've seen hundreds - all the ones that are worth seeing and many more that aren't. Everything about it is perfect.It doesn't need editing or any of the other fixes even favorable reviews say it needs. They're looking for a different kind of movie - in which the lovers meet early and we see all that happens afterwards - and they won't have any trouble finding it, because it's all we've gotten until now. But I THANK GOD that Yen Tan didn't hear their whining, and that he made this movie EXACTLY as he did. Not in any universe could it be any better than it is.Every character (including the ex-wife and her new boyfriend) and every scene is essential, exactly as it is. If I listed everything about Pit Stop that's perfect I'd list everything (well, maybe not the title), but I must single out the writing, direction and acting.The characters have time to develop fully and richly, each within the context of his own life, every tiny detail of which is perfect. Their brief almost-meetings (at least three times) earlier in the movie help tie their stories together even though they're deliciously subtle and easy to miss; and the pacing of the whole movie is as graceful and lovely as a ballet, but more natural. Action lovers will definitely be bored, but who cares? When the two men finally meet, it's the sweetest, hottest stuff ever shown on any kind of screen anywhere on earth.Gabe and Ernie are the realest couple ever in any gay movie, and Bill Heck and Marcus DeAnda are the best actors who ever played gay characters. Every word, every sound, every movement, every gesture, every glance of an eye or lift of an eyebrow is perfect.Movies of any kind - gay or straight - just don't get any better than this. It's fantastic.

Recent Spirit Award nominees have cropped up in the past few years including 'Keep the Lights On' and 'In the Family', sensitively-made films on a gay theme. Now in 2014, we have 'Pit Stop', which is also as good as these fine predecessors. 'Pit Stop' focuses on two blue collar workers from Texas, Gabe and Ernesto (played by an excellent Bill Heck and Marcus DeAnda, respectively). We see each of their stories for most of the film separately, and note that both are getting over failed relationships.In the case of Ernesto, his ex-boyfriend, Luis, is still living with him. He initially tells Luis he can take as much time as he wants to move out but changes his mind when the ex-boyfriend starts dating other men and keeps him up, while watching late night TV. Ernesto also visits another ex-boyfriend, who's in a coma, after being critically hurt in a car accident.Gabe's situation is different. He's still living with his wife and young daughter but no longer sleeps with her. He recently broke up with a man and now is dating again. In a notable scene, Gabe goes out on a date with a teacher—who falls asleep on their date watching a foreign film in a movie theater. Gabe drives the date home, who apologizes for not wanting to see him again, as he makes it clear that he hasn't gotten over his last relationship.There's also a sub-plot involving Gabe's wife, Shannon, who goes out with a co-worker, Winston, on a date. Shannon, desperate for physical companionship, gets drunk and puts the moves on Winston, who isn't ready to get physical on a first date. Sure it's possible that Gabe's sexual rejection of his wife would lead her to want to have sexual contact with a man she's probably not that attracted to (Gabe tells Winston at one point that Shannon isn't attracted to heavy set men). But usually, the roles are reversed: women are wary of having sex on a first date, especially when it involves a man they don't find that attractive.While the pacing of the film is fairly slow, the interactions between the characters ring true. Another excellent scene is when Luis has left and calls Ernesto on the phone, from New Mexico. Luis feels he's lost but Ernesto tries to convince him that he'll eventually get it together, if he just applies himself (like going back to school). At the same time, Ernesto makes it clear that he doesn't want Luis to return.We see the connection between Gabe and Ernesto at film's end, as they meet through online dating. They're basically instantly attracted to one another as they recognize that they have both been trying to fill a similar void, in their lives. 'Pit Stop' is a low key drama which, as I pointed out above, proceeds rather lugubriously. Nonetheless, for the patient film-goer, you will be rewarded by excellent acting, direction and characters that seem to jump off the page, of real life.