Longtime Companion (Widescreen)

We first encounter the characters in Longtime Companion during the 'gay heyday' of the early 80's. Fun was seemingly had by all, and the acceptance of gay men was at an all time high. Then we see news filtering out through the newspapers about a 'gay cancer'.The rest of the plot is obvious - the 'crisis' gets worse and people die.

Longtime Companion seemingly recreates those first few years in accurate detail, which is of particular interest to those of us who were too young to experience it. But one theme that this movie really hons in on is the uncertainty of that time and the fear resulting from that uncertainty. No one really knew where all this was heading- so called experts constantly giving false claims as to what was causing the 'gay cancer' certainly didn't help. We take it for granted that at the time of writing this, a huge amount of information is readily available to us concerning HIV and AIDS. Gay men in the early 80's were not that lucky and had to experience the onset of AIDS, with not only the health and mortality concerns, but also the associated negative stigma. This is what Longtime Companion deals with in a wonderfully sensitive and emotive way. Once you see the final scene - a truely emotive experience, you will realise how wonderful this movie really is.

The performance of the cast is simply breathtaking. There are no stereotypical characterisations of the gay man - the characters have been well flushed out and we get an eclectic, three dimensional group of gay men.

The DVD itself has the movie with excellent picture quality, a trailer and nothing else. It is a shame that no extras were included - even static screens of texts with additional information would have been welcome. But we have such a wonderful movie available to us on our favourite media, and that is something to be thankful for.

Longtime Companion is a sad movie, but one that is very important in the history of homosexuality. You will feel sad and need a box of tissues handy, but you will also get to see how these brave men came face to face with something that would turn out to be so devastating to our community. The gay men of the AIDS era as is depicted in Longtime Companion need to be historically acknowledged and I have yet to see a movie that does this as well as Longtime Companion. A brilliant piece of film.......

My assessment of a great film is that it makes you relate to a world that is completely foreign to you. Being a straight woman with a circle of gay, male friends, this was not a subject I was unfamilliar with. I have, however, screened this film for several friends who weren't so familliar with gay culture and the issues that surround it. They were astounded at how powerfully this film conveyed the lifestyle and terror in a way that never bordered on melodrama.

There are two scenes that are gripping, one of which comes near the end and I won't destroy it's intent by revealing it here. The first scene that will just leave you numb is Bruce Davison's character at his lover's side urging him to 'just rest,' as he essentially begs him to die. It is quietly and poigniantly stoic and will break your heart. Davison's Oscar nod for this performance was WELL deserved.

This is a movie that requires an open mind, but if you are looking for a film that will give you an enlightening view of a lifestyle you don't live, this is a great film for you and will not disappoint.

My assessment of a great film is that it makes you relate to a world that is completely foreign to you. Being a straight woman with a circle of gay, male friends, this was not a subject I was unfamilliar with. I have, however, screened this film for several friends who weren't so familliar with gay culture and the issues that surround it. They were astounded at how powerfully this film conveyed the lifestyle and terror in a way that never bordered on melodrama.

There are two scenes that are gripping, one of which comes near the end and I won't destroy it's intent by revealing it here. The first scene that will just leave you numb is Bruce Davison's character at his lover's side urging him to 'just rest,' as he essentially begs him to die. It is quietly and poigniantly stoic and will break your heart. Davison's Oscar nod for this performance was WELL deserved.

This is a movie that requires an open mind, but if you are looking for a film that will give you an enlightening view of a lifestyle you don't live, this is a great film for you and will not disappoint.