HOLLYWOOD JE T'AIME [Import]

Romantic comedy? I didn't see much romance or comedy. "Will make you fall in love with LA all over again"? It made LA look depressing and dirty to me. "Hugely entertaining"? Mildly entertaining, somewhat boring.

Good cinematology, fine acting, interesting characters. But when the movie was finished, we looked at each other and said, "What was the point?" A French gay man comes to LA, has a few experiences and meets a few people, most of whom aren't very pleasant, and then goes back home to Paris. Hang on, it's a rollercoaster of emotions! NOT!

"Hilarious and touching" I didn't find anything hilarious, and the only thing touching was Jerome's innocence, or perhaps the sad, sad people he encountered. I can say I did enjoy the few nude scenes in the movie; they almost made it worthwhile.

Smarting from a hurtful breakup with his twinkish lover, 29 year old Parisian Jerome (Eric Debets) decides a change of scenery is needed, so he decides to pursue his dream of going to Hollywood and try to become an actor. He takes a room at a seedy Hollywood hostel, takes the bus to the beach, where he meets Ross (Chad Allen), a stoner who hangs out at the beach and introduces Jerome to someone who gets him an audition for a commercial. In the interim, Jerome befriends a tranny prostitute and, through her, meets an older, bitter drag queen who lets him stay in a room at her big house in Silverlake. Jerome samples the gay nightlife, plays at a sex club, has countless flashbacks imagining his ex Gilles is with him, and gets very disillusioned with the prospects of staying in the States.

The film shows the gritty side of Los Angeles and West Hollywood, and I give it credit for being brutally honest in showing how Americans are often not welcoming of people from foreign countries. I'm guessing the filmmaker was going for a "Wizard of Oz" effect in having the film change from Black&White to Color when he left Paris, but the film was poorly edited throughout, in my opinion. I thought the characters were poorly developed and came across rather bland, especially Debets' deadpan, emotionless delivery. Chad Allen is wasted in his role, but Michael Airington steals a few scenes as Jerome's drag queen landlady "Norma Desire." Unrated, but would likely be at least a heavy R for full frontal nudity and simulated sex. DVD extras include commentary, a brief featurette and a few short deleted scenes. I give the film three stars out of five.

Jason Bushman's 'Hollywood Je t'aime' is full of charm. The depiction of a French gay man coming to the world of Los Angeles is whimsical, poignant and funny. And as he traverses this new world, his outsider perspective, on a place I think I know so well, is often hilarious. The film reminded me of Truffaut with its subtle humanity, funny moments, and charm.