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A delightful comedy!

Mark Twain | 06/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Friends and Family is a delightful and clever comedy. The plot, and many subplots actually, are a bit far-fetched, but they provides pure escapism, which we all need sometimes. The characters, as unbelievable as they are, come out as totally outrageous, much needed in a comedy of this nature. The story becomes so over the top, it borders on ridiculous, but manages to entertain, while being totally hilarious. I really enjoyed this film and smiled throughout at the pure absurdity of it all. The cast was good, the acting okay, but the characters were terrific in my mind. Yes, some people might consider these people stereotypes, but the stereotype came about for a reason....these people actually EXIST! The only real problem I had, and for a movie like this it's a big one, is the displays of affection between the two leads. I don't need to see full on gay sex, but it would have been nice to have seen the couple at least share a light kiss or two. The end did have them hold hands, with beautiful dialogue expressing their love for each other, and I would have liked to see more of that throughout, just a couple more times at least. It showed a human side to these killers that we just needed to see more of. This is a cross between La Cage Aux Follies (The Birdcage), The Sopranos, and Mambo Italiano, but is too Disneyfied for it's own good. Actually, it's one 'gay film' the whole family can enjoy-- no sex, no profanity, and only very mild violence. I'd definitely rate it a PG. This isn't a perfect film, but it's a perfectly enjoyable one. Grade: A-"

Stylish, fun, intelligent, and whimsical

M. FUSCO | NEW YORK, NY | 04/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are many fun twists of plot and character in this amiable little comedy.

A young, handsome, successful, cosmopolitan gay couple live in a chic New York townhouse. Stephen (played by seductive, stunningly built Greg Lauren) is horrified when his over-the-top force-of-nature mother announces her arrival from Indiana to celebrate his father's 60th birthday. Stephen and his lover Danny (funny, sweet, sexy, incredibly endearing Christopher Gartin) are still in the closet - not sexually but professionally. They have pretended to be caterers but are really enforcers, protectors, and trusted allies of Don Patrizzi, a mafia godfather.

The boys need help, and everyone joins in to throw a swanky birthday dinner party for Stephen's father. Patrizzi's own sons are more interested in cooking and sewing than the family business, so they plan the affair. The macho mafia `muscle' chip in as high-spirited cater waiters, and adopt very stereotypical gay personae for the evening, with hilarious results. The plot twists and turns, involving the Don's daughter, her bland midwestern fiancé, his surprisingly unconventional parents, and a senator.

In addition to beautiful Greg Lauren and Christopher Gartin to gaze upon wistfully, the film is remarkably replete with extraordinary New York landmarks and interiors for a small independent film. Director Kristen Coury has designed her film in a rich, urbane, airy style which harks back to the great technicolor farces of the 50's.

Stephen and Danny, refreshingly, are not typical movie/TV gays. No Will and Grace. No camp. They are reserved, deferential, and loving. One yearns, at first, for the couple to be more openly affectionate with each other, but when they finally do touch, at the end of their affable story, it is a moment of pure poetry."

Frothy foolishness

Brian Watson | New Westminster, BC, Canada | 03/18/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"What I liked best about this film was the matter-of-factness with which everyone dealt with the gay characters. I kept thinking, this is how it should be.
Of course, I don't think anyone, gay or straight, should be working for the mafia, but the comedy that results of the juxtaposition between two of New York's wonderfully eccentric cultures, mafiosi and marys, is wonderful.
The scenes in which goons are taught to be gay, and the results of their tutelage, are hilarious, and when I got a lesson in internal homophobia as a result (from the film's gay tutor), I was very much impressed.
No, this isn't Woody Allen, or even Mel Brooks. The ever increasing number of oddball characters was a little distracting. But it was a very fun way to pass ninety minutes."

Light Amusing Comedy

SereneNight | California, USA | 10/27/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Friends and Family is the story of two gay men who work for the mafia. When one man's father (an FBI agent), comes to town, the guys must pretend to be caterers in order to prevent trouble. But all is not what it seems, and this film culminates in an elaborate feast with several different groups trying to trick eachother. While I enjoyed Friends and Family, I found the main couple lacked chemistry. If possible, they were just TOO good looking. The pair looked like they belonged in an advertisement for GQ rather than in the mafia. (I'd much prefer a more homely pair with stronger acting talents), I did think the actor who portrayed the mafia boss, did an excellent job, and the cooking scene and the scenes with the drag queens were amusing.Overall, this movie reminds me of a combination of "Wedding Banquet and the Bird Cage." Fun, light comedy, but nothing too original."