I Think I Do

Cerisaye's Review:

Bob and Brendan are best friends and college roommates, except Bob nurses a secret passion for Brendan during their final year’s study that makes things decidedly awkward between them.  This is shown simply and very effectively, with glances, an inappropriate arousal during a wrestling bout and a punch that hurts more inside than out.  Five years later the two are unexpectedly reunited at the wedding weekend of another pair of old friends from university days.

A thoroughly modern update on the romantic comedy genre that’s tender and sweet, and just about perfect.  The acting is good and the writing sharp and observational, so the film rises well above any budget restraints.  The core group of characters behave like they’re really best friends, with an easy and relaxed camaraderie.  There are no star turns, just good solid playing, except Marni Nixon as Aunt Alice who steals the show in all her scenes.  The actor who plays Brendan is a bit of alright, and does an excellent job with the demands of his role as straight guy, while Bob is appropriately awkward and geeky.   The part of Sterling Scott, Bob’s boyfriend, is handled with great subtlety so the daytime TV star is a sympathetic character despite being vain and vacuous- besides, he’s gorgeous.

The film made me care for its characters so I was happy to overlook plot contrivances, and there’s sharp dialogue and humour to keep it all moving along very nicely.  A lovely twist adds a lot to a feel good movie that never slips into sentimentality, and the tension of unrequited love kept me guessing almost to the final frame. 

The story has universal appeal because we’ve all been there.  Although the focus is Bob and Brendan, they’re not the only ones trying too hard and looking for love in the wrong places.  Republican trainee lawyer, Sarah, is a poignant character, her sleek professional gloss entirely eroded by her desperate need to find the right partner.

The inspired Partridge Family songs soundtrack took me back to a teen crush on David Cassidy, evoking the pain and frustration of unrealised dreams, and the uncertainty of feelings-‘I Think I Love you’.  You could take your granny to see this movie as there’s practically no sex but it doesn’t matter because it’s about romance, overcoming fear of rejection and taking that chance when it’s offered .  I’m unashamed to admit I had tears in my eyes by the end.  Highly recommended.

Ladymol's Review:

This is such a great gay movie. At last, the gay romance is the central theme of the film, but it’s surrounded by other, het, relationships issues that are just as much fun and just as great to watch play out.

This clever film takes a group of friends from the 80s and college through to the 90s and the marriage of two of them. The main action takes places during the drunken parties that come and go: Christmas, Halloween, Valentines, and then ultimately, the wedding. 

Bob is gay and has a desperate crush on his straight roommate Brendon. They are close and Bob mistakes the friendship for something more, and one drunken night oversteps the mark, causing a bitter rift between them that lasts for years.

They come together again for the wedding of their best friends. Bob is now a screenwriter for a soap, and is in a very serious relationship with the show’s star, Stirling, whom he brings as his date to the wedding.  Brendon comes alone, and in a long, tumultuous weekend, the whole dynamic between them changes. But the beauty of this film is that it’s never predicable and there are lots more twists and turns before the end.

The supporting cast is superb and very likable. By the end, you want them all to find happiness.

The film is beautifully shot, especially at the end during the wedding. It’s totally believable, the raucousness during the drunken parties never going beyond the realms of the real. The aging and changing of the characters is totally spot on too. There’s a great soundtrack, which fits the changing years of the film.

Highly recommended.

Buy from Amazon UK: I Think I Do [1999]

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