After Louie (2017) User Reviews

Saved by the acting

[euroGary · 5/10 · 25 March 2017]

Sam (Alan Cumming) is a self-centred artist working on a video tribute to a friend long-dead of AIDS. Sam's homosexuality is very political: a veteran of the gay rights protests and anti-bigotry campaigns of decades ago, he embraces the self-imposed outsider, 'rage against the machine' status it affords him, as witnessed by his tirade against a gay couple who marry. But it's not all politics: one night he takes home a young man (Zachary Booth) he meets in a bar. Their relationship is the hook on which the film hangs a wider examination of Sam's life.

So far, so talky American gay movie. What saves the film is the acting. I agree with Samuel L Jackson - why hire a Briton to play an American - were all the American actors busy? But there is no doubt Cumming is good in this, eschewing the queenliness he sometimes uses and instead delivering a character who is a strong, opinionated, not-particularly-likable ordinary guy. As for Booth, while he has the looks of a vapid Valley boy, he turns in a natural, realistic performance as the younger man intrigued by the older man, but not blinkered to the latter's faults. Amongst the supporting roles, Everett Quinton has fun as the ageing, gently flamboyant queen who is the oldest of the circle of friends.

So full marks for the acting, but considerably fewer for originality.

Imperfect People Are Real

[mylittlebronco · 7/10 · 25 February 2021]

Do good people do bad things or bad people do good things? Who knows? We do expect our heroes to be perfect. The main character is not a perfect man, but he was an activist. If you take this movie as a documentary or full examination of activism, you will be disappointed. If you look at it as a man's middle-aged struggle, you might get it. The story starts out slow; it takes a while to get to know the characters. Nobody in the movie is great or perfect; neither is the movie. However, it's enjoyable if you sit back, watch, and listen. It's inter-generational.

If you hate gay movies or are a prude, don't watch it. If you're looking for an action movie, this isn't it. Although, I believe the movie is worth watching even if it isn't the greatest movie.

Not Saved by the Acting

[jaronb94 · 3/10 · 25 June 2017]

With fine actors including Alan Cumming, Zachary Booth, and Wilson Cruz participating, I expected a far better film. This is the director's first feature, and it shows. By turns maudlin, self-congratulatory and incoherent, the story purports to be an examination of how an aging gay man - who lived through the worst years of AIDS - now finds himself in a time in which his activism is under-appreciated. Unfortunately, as written, the protagonist (Sam) is self-absorbed and unlikable, a privileged New York artist who treats the hustlers he hires badly and who whines relentlessly to others that, for some reason, put up with him. He is, essentially, a narcissist that the filmmakers present as if he were sympathetic.

The conceit of the film is that Sam is not afforded by young, cute gay guys the respect and honor he deserves for having lost friends and loved ones in the eighties and for having participated in Act Up in the nineties. As a survivor of those times myself, I appreciate the work of activists, but I fully understand that what they accomplished should be gratification enough. Of course younger gay men can't understand what Sam went through. The whole point was to work toward a future when they wouldn't have to.

Sam is stuck in the past, as is the film. The protagonist seems to learn nothing, and watching his journey becomes increasingly frustrating.

One final point (and this truly bothered me): throughout the film, Sam voices particular venom toward the few non-white characters - a latino hustler he stiffs, a black artist who has replaced him in popularity, and the latino boyfriend of an old friend who the friend wishes to marry. This isn't quibbling; his behavior is pronounced and consistent, leaving the impression that, in his mostly-white world, people of color are people to be disparaged.

Why is this so underrated and unpopular?

[apeneva · 10/10 · 9 November 2019]

This is a pretty great A-list movie that in my opinion is super underrated. Seems like it didn't get any publicity AT ALL. I wonder why... Well, it's a simple story, a character study, but it I loved it. It has beautiful cinematography, very believable acting and it made me feel for the main character. And Zachary Booth is such a sweetheart... Nostalgic and very human and relatable, not just if you're a gay man. It makes you think about the meaning of life and death, relationships with your friends, growing older etc. Highly recommened if love a good moody film.

Finally a new theme

[WatchedAfew · 9/10 · 4 November 2017]

This film is refreshing because it addresses the generational gap between those who lived through the plague before the HIV cocktail was deemed effective and those who came of age afterwards.

The protagonist is not a sympathetic character. He is unable to move beyond the era of his AIDS activism, to develop new relationships or to adapt to new social movements. The trauma of his 20s and 30s is unresolved. He treats everyone badly; he does not discriminate on gender, gender identity or race. I am not troubled by the slow pace of character development because his inflexibility is a function of his age. He does learn to juxtapose his experience with contemporary gay life. He also is able to find some resolution to what he has lost.

I would contrast this film with the generational conflict in When We Rise, the recent television mini- series.

Drags on and on

[Gordon-11 · 15 September 2017]

This film tells the story of a passionate gay activist who spent years to fight for gay rights. He is stuck in the past, and finds himself clashing with the ideals and the way of life in the modern gay world that he has helped to shape.

"After Louie" perhaps is very personal to the director and the producers. It focuses on the activist who is still very much in the fighting mode,unable to enjoy the fruits of his labour. The story unfortunately is told in a very slow pace and in a rather uninteresting manner. The only scene that is poignant is the argument scene at the dinner gathering. Those five minutes are really the only minutes that stand out from the rest. I find myself wondering when the film is ending, and indeed why the film is not ending. The film feels very long, and drags on and on at the end. The film could have stopped right after the party started. We did not need to see the birthday cake, the bathroom scene and then the woman talking about not helping to clean up. There are a lot of redundant scenes, which may be important to the filmmakers but they do not add to the film unfortunately.

Slow, but real...

[mokegent-33546 · 10/10 · 16 January 2022]

It's a slow movie but a real movie... You can actually think this could be your story... or life or... :)

It's realistic, and its like you are looking into somebody his life trough a window...

A solid film - well worth watching, and not just once

[pik923 · 10/10 · 30 September 2019]

I'm always on the look out for films that deal with the subject of AIDS - not only as a teacher of film, but someone who remembers how the island city of Key West was devastated - almost 20% of the population died of AIDS, and what Bailey House meant to New York in the 80s and 90s, and how the Republican Party who ruled the White House and the congress did nothing until the late great Elizabeth Taylor kicked Ronnie in the butt....but let's get back to the film - it's an important film - well acted - good solid cast - truthful in its portrayal of male gay life, a good script, and an interesting slow build up - this is not an action film folks so for those of you who are addicted to comic books on screen - wake up - film making is also an art - and this film is just that - it's art. Congratulations to everyone associated with the film. And sorry that so many of the main stream media types of reviewers were so ignorant and stunted. This film should be on the INTERNATIONAL AIDS DAY list of films to be screened all around the globe.

Positive hiv movie

[henray71 · 8/10 · 12 March 2018]

As a lot of movies of hiv has been made the majority leaves me depressed. After Loui for me is different : I really liked the story