I Do

😃

source: I Do

Through this film I felt like they were trying to sell something to me. This perfect heavenly creature of a gay man, handsome, perfect body, 6 pack in the stomach, who loves walking around his house with few clothes on, lives only to serve others. He spends his time taking care of his niece as if he was his father, taking care of his lesbian friend with her love troubles and chatting with an older gay man who is very nice but seems to have been left behind in the world, kind of senile nice. But it doesn't mean heavenly gay man has it easy. He's going to be deported from the U. S. So he marries his lesbian friend who of course in no time falls victim of his perfect muscles and starts feeling left out when she sees that the gay man is falling for another man. Also his niece's mother confesses she resents him for being alive instead of her dead husband. And last but not least, his boyfriend, a Spanish man who apparently had never eaten a hot dog or seen a skyscraper in Spain (though both are quite common there) has to go back to Spain cause his father who had gaybashed him is ill. I loved the last scene of the film. Heavenly gay goes by surprise to live to Spain and reunite with his boyfriend and, guess what?, Spanish gay guy works in a vineyard, of course, this was the master hit, they will live happy in Spain producing fine Rioja wines. Now seriously, I admire the fact of trying to make a political statement for gay rights. But c'mon do you have to be a lifetime TV gay man in order to have these rights?

Well this little ditty has every sappy melodramatic cliché ever thought of, and with a twist too! Well maybe not. Here we have Jack & Peter Edwards, brothers. Peter & wife Mya meet Jack at a fancy fancy eatery to proudly announce to Jack that Mya is pregnant and they are joyful that Jack is going to be the gay uncle! All is right in their world ... oops, not so fast ... Peter gets run over by an automobile that very same evening, and the movie just started! Poor Peter! Jump forward eight years. The daughter, Tara, is now eight years old and ever-so sweet. Mom Mya is studying to be a nurse and Jack has been a comfort and a supportive uncle. All is right in their world ... oops, not so fast ... Jack receives notice that his visa is about to expire and he will have to go back to England! He has family, a job, and has been a fine member of the community in NYC. But 9/11 changed everything he is told, so get ready for a rough ride. So Jack gets his lesbian studio assistant to marry him so he can stay in the USA. Perfect solution ... oops ... turns out if you marry after visa expiration notification you can get into some deep dodo. Lesbian chick wants to bail out on this deal ... no jail time for her. Poor Jack! Jack just happens to meet a lonely Spanish/American guy at an art opening! Things get hot between them. Spanish/American guy to the rescue, let's get married ... all is right ... not so fast. The gay marriage deal isn't going to work either. And on and on the story goes. Little Tara gets sick, Jack and Mya have a falling out, Spanish guys father falls over dead (and Spanish guy gets all upset over this even though he hasn't spoken with his father for 20 years and dear old dad tried to stab him once!) You can just hear the weepy violin music in your head - such drama! Guess what - happy ending! Turns out Spanish guy inherits a famous vineyard, Jack goes through with divorce, little Tara gets well, Mya aces her nursing test, and Jack flies off to Spain to jump into the eager and now wealthy arms of Spanish guy. All is right in their world. Now the twist - two gay guys instead of a guy and a girl. Big deal.

This is a sweet film similar to the movie "Green Card." The production values are excellent and it's nice that the filmmakers don't rely on silly gay cliches just to go for a laugh. The characters in this film are fully rounded and flawed which makes them all the more human, relatable, and appealing. Yes, at times the movie gets a little frothy and silly but that adds to its charm. Ultimately you're left with a satisfying drama/comedy that's definitely worthy of a watch.

This is your usual "Green Card" story with your gay guy trying to get a green card through a fake marriage. After some drama along the way, with the lead actor a walking ad for hair mousse, everyone has a happy ending, floods of tears. The end! It was just pretty lame!

This is a beautiful story with an unexpected twist even. I would say it's very timely and quite allegorical considering the same-sex marriage law that has now being legalized in the States. Too bad it doesn't receive much publicity in the mainstream media. Although it's an indie film yet it had all the qualities of an excellent film. It had all the elements of human relationships. Even from a non-American's perspective, I can relate to them. If there's one word to describe it is "dilemmas." Grieving over his brother's death, supporting the latter's wife and daughter, facing political dilemma about his green card and his ultimately sacrifice for love. This movie had all the possible elements of a an excellent film. Very Oscar-worthy if I may add.

Thankfully after a much anticipated wait I was lucky enough to see this fabulous movie in London @ LGFF on Saturday 23rd March, and it was so worth the wait & did not disappoint me. From the opening scenes, I was enticed into the story of Jack Edwards & walked alongside him in his journey to find happiness at the end, and what a journey it was. I did not see all the twists in the story coming, but they were amazingly told & acted by the whole cast, keeping me on the edge of my seat as to what was coming next (sign of a great movie in my book). The screenplay story being told is emotive, passionate, heartfelt, informative & relevant. There are 'tender' moments, 'laugh out loud' moments, 'hot ;-)' moments & 'OMG how dated are those laws' moments, this movie tells & highlights the important message of 'Why is one love more acceptable than another' love is love & all love should be equal because we are all equal, and I hope this movie succeeds in helping to change laws so we can all be free to love whoever we desire with no discrimination. This movie belongs on the big screens worldwide, and I for one hope to see it there, so that I can see this amazing film again & again, this movie can be enjoyed by everyone & anyone who has a open heart, I cannot recommend this film enough, if you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to see 'I Do' grab it, I know I would...xx

Anyone who's hungry for a feel-good, studio-quality gay romance - with crisp photography, classy sets, clear sound, attractive actors with celebrity stubble, hot bods, pure hearts, and plenty of obstacles for true love to overcome - is going to love this movie. There are no others like it. Even lesbians are pretty well represented, within the movie's Hollywood-like straight-acting constraints. It's certainly as good and as believable as any straight romance Hollywood ever made. Even straight people might like it, because there's a very cute child, the gays are wonderfully domestic and straight-acting, and true love is true love regardless of gender. The fact that this movie's objective - equal treatment of gay married couples under US immigration law - had, to the whole world's amazement, already been achieved by the time the DVD was released doesn't compromise its effectiveness as much as it could have. It really is a very romantic drama much more than an appeal for justice, so while the appeal already sounds dated it's a small enough part of the movie that it's easy to overlook. For gay men like me, though, and others who aren't particularly romantic, this movie is not so great. The problem is the screenplay, written by David W. Ross, who also stars as Jack. Nearly every point on which the highly melodramatic story turns is weak at best, and often ludicrous: Drag-racing taxis on a rainy Manhattan street at night? Jack suddenly losing his work visa after 20 steadily productive years in the US? Why? His lawyer says it's "because of 9/11"? Was every gainfully-employed British WASP deported ten years after 9/11? It makes no sense. And after all those years of obviously successful employment (just look at his fabulous Manhattan loft apartment!), why doesn't he already HAVE a green card, or even citizenship? That's just the beginning; the contrived, nonsensical crises, one after another, are just too absurd to swallow. It's also hard to sympathize with affluent people who repeatedly make stupid choices. But this is Hollywood (or might as well be). So while I found the movie mostly annoying (a few dynamite turns by Jamie-Lynn Sigler are the only exceptions), I strongly recommend it to my less cynical and more romantically-inclined brothers who've been waiting an unfairly long time for a movie just like this.

I didn't know what to expect from this film. I was informed by the writer (David W Ross) that it had sad moments, and I should bring the tissues. So many 'Gay' films are depressing, and always seem to have a sad ending. So I went in thinking, it would be a typical 'gay film', and I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy it. However, the film had a nice little story, which keeps the viewer interested throughout. There is a good balance of characters, whom you get to know well and how they effect the main character, without overloading you with back stories. It's no secret that it covers the debate about gay marriage and equal rights, which is very much in the now, with #DOMA in the USA and the Gay marriage debate in the UK. But even though that's the main point of the story, its not all heavy political jargon and debate. It's about equality, but told in a way that is enjoyable and easy to digest. The film also brings up a few 'what would you do in that situation?' subjects, which promotes conversation with friends and family, long after the credits roll. The film also looks well shot, and some great cinematography. The script is good, with some great funny one liners (apparently it was originally a comedy, in a previous incarnation). It moves along nicely without moving too quickly, or plodding along too slow. It has a nice ending too, which restores my faith in 'gay' cinema. So all in all a great film, with some heavy subjects, but told in a way that keeps you entertained, some giggles and some great characters. It shows you can educate the viewer, without preaching or overloading. Thoroughly enjoyable