{image1}If only the message alone was enough to make a success of a film, then C. Jay Cox's "Latter Days" would be a smash.
Alas, despite its message of love and acceptance, "Latter Days" is often marred by painful dialogue, excessive earnestness and a dearth of quality performances.
Christian (Wes Ramsey) is a waiter in L.A. and a hunky, 20-something West Hollywood party boy, who plays loose with his gay dates and is always on the make. His roommate Julie (Rebekah Jordan) is an aspiring musician. Evenings, they work together at a restaurant run by Lila (Jacqueline Bisset).
When a group of young Mormon men moves in next door to begin two years of proselytizing, Christian sets his sights on one, Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss), and soon has a $50 bet going with his co-workers that he can get the uptight Davis into the sack.
But it will prove no easy task. Davis' religion is vehemently anti-gay and when Christian starts to expose Davis' latent homosexuality, or sexual curiosity, Davis steps back and calls Christian shallow.
So, the latter begins doing charity work, but it's not enough to convince Aaron. All the while, of course, Christian is beginning to really fall for Davis. But if they get together -- even if the sparks were to fly in bed -- such a relationshop would certainly ignite serious conflict in the life of a young Mormon.
Although "Latter Days," written and directed by Cox has won a bevy of awards at gay film festivals, it's hardly a great film. The story is a decent one, but it would have been better served by a quality script.
Ramsey is suitably over-the-top and Sandvoss looks the meek sheltered boy let out among the Los Angeles philistines, but there is little complexity to be had from anyone, including veterans like Bisset and Mary Kay Place, who plays Aaron's mother.
The film's not-so-underlying themes ("underlying" would suggest a subtlety painfully lacking here) of acceptance, acting on true love despite societal pressures and being true to oneself are admirable. But, alas, they're not enough to make "Latter Days" a successful film.
"Latter Days" opens Fri., May 7 at Landmark's Oriental Theatre.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
