Customer Reviews

Longtime Companion (Widescreen)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It is always a concern with me when viewing movies based around the 'AIDS crisis' that many seem to go overboard with the fake sentiments and they basically end up being nothing more than a 'movie of the week'. Luckily for me, Longtime Companion turned out to be a quality movie that deals with the subject matter in a sensitive and realisitic manner.

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.......

I had seen Longtime Companion in it's first release, and, ironically, have received it as part of my home collection from a friend who passed from the disease.

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.

I had seen Longtime Companion in it's first release, and, ironically, have received it as part of my home collection from a friend who passed from the disease.

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.

We saw this in the theatre when it first came out. Over the weeks it was playing we dragged everyone we knew to see it. It was a first for us. The first time we'd seen gay people portrayed accurately, the first time we'd seen the effect of AIDS documented well, the first time we felt respected by moviemakers. So when the DVD came out we had to have it. The movie is a bit dated but the performances are not. Campbell Scott is terrific in his role - brillinat even.

This drama is filled with possitive messages but has a darkness to it that will make you angry, in a productive way.

This moview will make you laugh and cry. It show that love and care that a group can give.

This film is a wonder for many reasons: beautiful performances, sharp writing and directing, and SAD. When I first saw this - the sobbing in the theater was so intense that I thought I'd have to build an ark to get home. Now, Longtime Companion is still all of those things but a little dated. Advances in medicine haved moved us to a point where AIDS is not an immediate death sentence. Watching this film years later it does play a bit like "And Then There Were None" - but it still works. Watch it and remember if you lived through that era, watch it and be greatful if you did not.

I remember liking this film much more when I saw it the first time when it was released. I cried from the cathartic experience of watching beautiful young (and even beautiful middle-aged!) men die of this dread disease. It was an important film that NEEDED to be made.

Re-watching it now, however, with 13 years distance, it comes off a bit heavy-handed and lacks plot and character development. I hope we can now study the film as a film with a slightly more critical eye. Most notably, "Longtime Companion" does an injustice to its characters by focusing more on the "topic" of AIDS, paying special attention to the fear and the "cures" that were beginning to circulate in the 80s. Characters get sick and die, but I get the feeling that we are supposed to care about them simply because they are victims of AIDS.

If I had known these characters like they ostensibly know each other, it would be much more emotionally powerful. There was much potential in the relationship between Willy and John that was only hinted at. Their "reunion" at the end of the film still packed an emotional punch, but I wanted more story-telling. I want to mourn with these men, but I guess I have to do so vicariously by thinking of the friends I've lost to AIDS. In some ways AIDS is a more developed character than many of these human characters.

Time skips by too quickly, and I also felt the ending was rushed and does come-off a bit forced. I'm not asking for a three-hour film or a miniseries, but I just didn't "connect" with many of the characters like I hoped I would.

A similar film I now find more compelling is "An Early Frost" which takes more time to develop its characters and has (for me) a stronger emotional core.

"Longtime Companion" is a good and powerful film but the director and writers needed to linger in the rooms and by the bedsides of these wonderful characters much longer.

I agree completely with the Boston Phoenix, "That this film got made at all is a cause for celebration."This starts out in the early 80's when there was a wave of terror known as the "gay cancer." The film follows all through the 80's, as it concentrates on a circle of homosexual friends.Little by little they die off, and the surviving members have a harsh reality to deal with around them. This movie is so brutally honest that it's hard to sit through at times.The most touching part of the film is at the end when two lovers that survived the decade along with their female friend stroll on the beach talking. One man says, " I just want to be around when they find a cure." Then all the people who died from the disease all come together on the beach, hugging and smiling. Then we realize that it was just a dream as it pops back into the future with the three of them still standing on the beach, silent and sad. Again, the young man says, "I just want to be around when they find a cure."Straight or gay, you have to watch this. Talk about a wake-up call.

When I first encountered this movie, it was on TV and I caught the very end, and watched my best friend cry. I asked him what it was, and he told me. So, I went and rented the movie, and knew exactly why he was crying. I found the DVD and bought it instantly. I love playing it for my friends who haven't seen it so I can cry with them. The song "Post Mortem Bar" at the end caps off a great film.
I am glad there were no stereotypical gay men in this movie, because it helped to show the universality of the disease. It can hit anyone. There were some scenes that could have been deleted (I.E. the deer on the beach, the "hot date" line) but they helped add length to an otherwise very short movie. In any case, a great movie that has, and will continue to stand the test of time when dealing with AIDS. And, on a lighter note, if you are gay, and haven't seen this movie, I'm taking away your gay card and not giving it back until you do!