AKA (2002)

Absolutely brilliant

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

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

Duncan Roy is to commended for such a well done movie, made on what he said was a 'no budget' budget. From an artistic point of view the scenery and location shots are outstanding. He successfully captures the time period of the late 1970's. I was amazed to have learned that the entire movie was shot in five weeks. I can't heap enough praise on the cinematography. Perhaps, the crowning glory of AKA is the soundtrack. The song, "Another Lonely Day" is my absolute favourite, I find myself flipping back to the scene where it appears and replaying it over and over again. AKA needs to release the soundtrack as it is spectacular on its own merit. This brings me to the acting - maybe I am just fond of the level of professionalism of British actors - they did an outstanding job. If you have not rented AKA it is a must rent. It was so good I purchased a copy. I think AKA will soon become a cult standard. This from a fan that just discovered it in the summer of 2005.

This movie is better than Ripley or old-time Vanity Fair (both from British writers) because the last tinge of the seventies had that "maybe you can be anyone" potential still being born. This is also a true story. This contrasts against England's "birth first, achievements second" class structure still alive today. A handsome young man might very well follow "Lord' Gryffoyn"'s road every day. What are also allowed to see is the pathos and confusion that whips and buttresses the choices behind such pathways.I think my favorite moment is when privileged Lord Glendenning tries to Charlton Heston his way to rifling Thatcher off the TV screen, and when he belittles her, across the room, an obviously Labor class guy, "Lord Gryffoyn" watches wide eyed, while the third member of their troika mocks her hair. So much political correctness has washed out current cinema, it's eye opening to see gay life the way it was in New-York/Britain/France capitals among the upper class. Practically a history lesson in class consciousness, this movie roves from the main character's motivation, to shifting maturity, to the shifting sands underneath and around him.Most of the reviews I've read fasten on the split screen as topic and almost ignore the film as a whole. The version i downloaded had split screen in areas, but not a jaw dropping medium at all, merely a savvy cinematic comment on the media of the press.What I found most entertaining was that the "slut" character was for once played by a man. It's tired to see every floozy and hustler portrayed as a woman, Youngblood Hills really energizes the film with his attempts to work two men who are so chained by their secrets they are immune to his lures, and his desperate "fixes" only precipitate more conflict and pushed them into negating him. His character's attempts to be used by these men and thus be used by him backfire in ways we can see through even when he can't.An excellent film to watch, for discussion, study, and enjoyment of cinema.

How did I miss this 2002 film? Never even heard of it before watching it on Sundance the other day. Quite fascinating. Excellent acting by all. A troubling set of themes in this film, including the old stand-by--incest/rape--as well as class & economic cleavage and, to spice things up, some sexual episodes of interest! Surprisingly well filmed and directed. An absolute sleeper this unusual film! Can't wait to read what reviewers thought of it. ***(And now the most ridiculous requirement from Internet Movie Database that one must fill in 10 lines of comments, so here I must add filler, and more filler, and even more filler until--aha!--the minimum number of line has been reached.)

I was so looking forward to seeing this at the film festival in Sydney. I left the theater, like many others, before the end credits because I couldn't sit through it any longer. It was badly shot, the sound sucks, and the acting was worse than an episode of The Love Boat. Now I know why this film hasn't been able to find an American distribution company to release it in the United States. This screams of a low budget high school production.