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If you were going to write a script based
on Dickens' "Oliver Twist" and set it in modern
times, how would you change it? What's the most
obvious answer? Make the boys young male gay
street hustlers and make Fagin their pimp. That's
what any screenwriter in college would do, right?
Well, that's exactly what scripter and director
Jacob Tierney (star of the cult 80's flick "Josh
and Sam") does. He does exactly the most typical
thing you would expect and the result is a humdrum
and cliched film that bores you throughout.
Tierney has apparently seen every gay male
hustler movie ever made because he follows the
basic premise of "Johns"
and every other gay teenage male hustler movie
that was every made. The premise is simple:
Tired, old male hustler junkie who is sick of
turning tricks lucks into finding a cute new
runaway and takes him back to his pimp. Old
hustler is "golden boy" for the moment for procuring
"new meat." The older (or at least "more experienced")
male hustler gets to take the new kid around
and show him the ropes but eventually, of course,
he has to go back to work. He is so sick of
being having sex for a money that he cannot
continue and he doesn't make any money forcing
his pimp to beat him until he eventually reaches
his boiling point and kills the pimp or someone
else. That's pretty much the premise here. There's
nothing new and original going on and the film
is absolutely nothing less than the typical
homophobic crap we usually get about male hustlers.
All the clients are sick perverts who are portrayed
as really frightening and troubled individuals.
(No, I don't want a script about happy teenage
male hustlers and their happy well-adjusted
johns. I just want a script that is fresh and
original and unique and unlike the cliched genre
prototype that has been done to death for the
last 20 years).
How about this for an idea for the adaptation:
Instead of male hustlers the boys are modern
day petty street thieves (just like the original
text) who forge a family and find some happiness
being together. In this version Oliver is gay
and has a crush on the Artful Dodger (called
Dodge as he is here) and the boys form a bond
based on wanting to care for one and other that
is sweet and homoerotic in nature (as was the
relationship between the boys in the adaptation
of "Nicholas
Nickleby" was) The boys make a pact to care
for one and other forever and run off and live
happily ever after. Doesn't that sound like
a better movie?
Instead in this version, Oliver is gay
and has a crush on Dodge - who is only gay for
pay - and when Oliver continually tries to kiss
Dodge, the older boy rebuffs him. In his climactic
heroin-induced, homophobic and utterly sick
scene at the end of this film, Dodge beats the
shit out of Oliver and repeatedly kicks him
when he is doubled over on the floor. Lovely.
This is a hateful and despicable film.
In addition to gay male hustlers, homophobia
and heroin addiction, we also get to see and
hear about molestation, foster homes, gay bashing,
and incest. Even the pivotal scene in the film
isn't done correctly. Tierney is trying to be
dark and bold and disturbing but he just doesn't
have the balls to really go for it. The scene
where Dodge is forced to suck his own brother's
cock for heroin money isn't disturbing enough.
This is not due to lead actor Nick Stahl's performance,
which is right on target, but rather due to
Tierney's inability to direct a film boldly.
His scene is cut far to quickly when it should
linger and stare and make us utterly repulsed
and horrified. Tierney can't even make the setting
look right. The boy's housing looks more like
an Ikea catalogue than a dilapidated warehouse
shack.
Ladies and gentleman, "Twist" is the perfect
example of what happens when you have a great
lead actor stuck in a film that is poorly directed
and badly written. Stahl gives a performance
that is riveting and daring. He is amazing here.
Stahl's performance builds to a climax that
Tierney is utterly incapable of handling as
a director. Stahl is an amazing actor and it
is a shame his gut-wrenching performance in
this film is wasted on a piece of shit that
doesn't deserve to have him in it. Stahl deserves
better and so does the gay audience who is bamboozled
into seeing this film thinking that it will
be something more than just your standard, cliched
male hustler film. It is not.
Notes:
Also with Joshua Close, Gary Farmer, Moti
Yona, and Stephen McHattie.
The nepotism factor: The director's sister
Brigid plays Betsy. Kevin Tierney, who may be
related to the filmmaker, is a producer.
Filmed in Canada. The film was nominated
for several "Genie" awards in 2003 and a song
in the film won the award.
The film debuted at Toronto in September
of 2003 and although it is available on DVD,
was showed at the Austin Gay and Lesbian International
Film Festival in October of 2005.
Viewed in Austin at the Arbor in October
during Agliff
2005 with Johnny Oh!
Report Card
Script: F Acting: A+
Cinematography\Lighting: D-
Special Effects\Make Up: D-
Music: F
Final Grade: F
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