Forgive and Forget (2000)

Very well executed

That was an excellent one.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Wow. Previous reviews almost dissuaded me from doing it, but I am very, very glad I watched this movie. (What I am about to write may contain >>SPOILERS<<, but I am simply responding to what other reviewers have already written.)My reaction to this movie is almost exactly the opposite of most other reviewers. I think it got much BETTER at the end, not worse; I think Steve John Shepherd is the weakest actor in the cast, not the best (although it is an extraordinary cast, so he is still very good); I think the responses of his parents (who do NOT brutally reject him (his father SAYS they still love him), they only insist that he leave them alone for a while to deal with the shock) and Theo (David started the violence, not Theo; and David is much bigger and stronger, so using a weapon makes sense) are entirely credible and honest under the circumstances, not at all monstrous or inappropriate; and Hannah had seen the TV show, so her appearance at the end is not at all out of the blue.The end is strong and very, very positive: David knows himself better than we do, so when he says it is the best day of his life, I believe him. This is a brilliant movie.(By the way, I am delightedly and militantly gay, and I abhor gay bashing, but there was NONE of it in this movie! As I said, David hit Theo first, Theo hit him back twice with the pipe - and NEVER in the head, so he was not trying to kill him - and what Theo said to David at the end he said because he was deeply hurt and terrified, not because he hates gays.(Theo is a sweet, sensitive, weak and wimpy guy who had loved and depended on David since they were children, and his world had just been blown to bits on national TV. Give him a break! David is stronger than he is, in every way. It is GOOD, not bad, to see a movie with a strong gay lead! That he can get beat up, alienate his family and only friend, and still say it is the best day of his life is great! This guy is a hero, not a victim.)

My first feeling was that I had already seen this kind of stuff too many times already and much better (even in TV). Although the cast was good (most of them deserve better), characters were so unconvincing and the dialog so cheesy that it was impossible to feel any sympathy for them. It is the typical script written with old recipes in the hands of an inept, extremely heavy handed director. Every scene was irritably predictable, except when towards the ending, the film goes overboard, with a total misfired "tour de force." I am sure that this flick will be very successful among family values audiences and the final bloody and extremely severe beating that the gay character gets from his 'straight' friend would be a real treat for hate and neo-Nazis audiences.I am not giving a 1/10 rating out of respect for the actors (the only reason that I saw this TV produce until the end): I feel sorry for some of them.

I would like to believe that there are more closet gays than gays who are open about their sexuality but I do not have the statistics to prove it. Whether you are open, or not, or about to open, this film will somehow touch you. I like this film so much that I can relate to it. The love story of straight-acting David that has been told so many times but presented in a realistic way is enough to catch my attention. A gay who is in love secretly with his best friend for so many years is nothing but ordinary plot because that is always the case when a straight-acting gay fall for a straight guy. I knew beforehand that the ending of the story would not be a happy one because normally in real life a straight guy would not return the affection of a gay even if that gay is his best friend for so many years. Oh yes! This is the truth! The ending of the love story of David is so credible that makes me watch this film again to remind me that this kind of love does exist, and once you came out of the closet, you are taking a big risk. The acting of David as portrayed by Steve John Shepherd is superb! No doubt, he is so convincing as a straight-acting gay. In fact, I fell for him after watching the film.

Don't expect to feel comfortable or be warmed by a Hollywood ending.Do expect a well-acted fable about the dangers of falling in love with your best friend and how pursuing that love and destroy your friendship. 'How do you tell someone you love them?' 'Just tell them and hope they believe you.' The added closet homosexual existence of one of the friends, and relationship with his family, makes matters more complex.You are pretty much left to make your own conclusions from the ending. I will be watching this movie again.Also there are some novel south of the Thames (London) locations.