Review of Race You to the Bottom

Okay, first the bad news for anyone like me.  I hate when a movie sends a message that gay men are actually interested in having sex with women.  This movie “sort of” says that.  I also hate gratuitous editing, which this film possesses in abundance.  The clumsily handled flashbacks are intended to provide some back story and reveal additional depth to the main characters.  Neither goal is necessary in this otherwise well edited film.

Having aired my complaints, you may question my eventual four star rating.  I’ll let you in on some of the things that changed my mind, albeit begrudgingly.

The performances by the two main characters are superb.  The others are barely on screen, so I can overlook the lackluster casting.  Amber Benson turns in a convincing performance as a woman, Maggie, who finds herself in the unenviable position of being deeply in love with a man with a different sexual orientation.

Cole Williams nails his portrayal of Nathan as a self-identified gay man, who is homophobic and wants to be straight but is actually bisexual.  Any character who needs to be described in such an oxymoronic sentence is a challenge.  Williams manages meeting that requirement without any apparent effort. 

The struggle Nathan faces with his self-contradictory urges is the meat of the plot.  He wants to be with Maggie, but he knows he would never want to give up men (plural).  Maggie recognizes that Nathan can’t provide the fully committed relationship that she seeks, given his serial monogamy in the homosexual form of his identity.  The tension between the competing goals results in escalating barb, approaching the self-destruction of The War of the Roses.    

This DVD is well worth getting even if your only interest is the wonderful short film that is also on the disc.  “Reality USA” is an engaging poem set to surrealistic images resulting in a terrific little piece of video art.

Trailer is below.

Genre: Gay themed and bisexual themed romantic drama

Director: Russell Brown

Language: English

Availability:  DVD

99Gay-Men.us Rating: ****

(Need an explanation of our rating system?)

Trailer of Race You To The Bottom