Like It Is (1998)

One of my all time favorites.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

I didn't get it. I suppose if you're under 25 you might find this film interesting, but anyone who's seen good films will probably be bored. Unless perhaps you're going to be thrilled that it's got gay characters in it, and a gay milieu. Perhaps now, in the post-Brokeback world, that's not enough anymore? All the stock characters of this type of story are here: the young British gay who's afraid to come out, the seen-it-all club denizen who meets him and falls in love (or lust), the blonde girlfriend just trying to have her big break, the record producer who loves having young boys around, etc.Or maybe it was just the boring techno music that put me off?

Early on into the movie one becomes interested in the story and what will follow. The actors give charming performances and their conflicting interests are dealt with credibly. The film consists of a well balanced blend of drama, humour, fast paced action, and gentler quiet moments. Blackpool is visualized as bleak in comparison to brightly lit London; which symbolizes an environment of repression and brutality in contrast to a more liberal and sophisticated environment. The effect this change of setting has on the main character, is the red thread of the movie. He wants that change but, his character is still very much rooted in the Northern village mentality, albeit combined with a very appealing innocence. A straight audience that criticizes the film because the main characters are gay, and therefore cannot identify with these characters and declare it flawed, only reveal their limited imagination and intelligence. Also one must not ignore other important themes such as jealousy, the North / South divide, fast love against long term relationships.

A likable and capable cast in a well-made movie. An unlikely relationship develops between an ambitious music promoter and an amateur boxer who is struggling to come to terms with his being gaySteve Bell, (A real life title-holding boxer,) is a real find, a relatively inexperienced actor with a natural talent and a dynamic screen presence.Ian Rose also excels in the other lead role.Roger Daltrey gives a standout performance as a sleazy record producer.Well written, sensitively acted and directed, the movie is one not to miss!

I'm sure that 99% of Roger Daltrey fans watched this film and wondered why? The core of the film is hard to find. If not apart of a gay audience, the spectator has nothing to root for as the film is in progress. It's hard to watch the film as a "straight male" and try to find a character in the story that you connect with. If not gay, most of the characters in the story are harsh, including Daltrey, are evil or just simply for themselves. All in all, a gay film for a gay audience.