westerner

We find ourselves in Quebec, in 1952. The local Roman Catholic bishop has come to a local prison to hear the confession of a dying man, a man he knew in his childhood, that had been in prison for 40 years for committing some heinous crime.

When he gets there, the inmates, local chaplain, and prison guards imprison him, and force him to watch his former school-mate, who is not terminally ill, put on a play that re-creates the events that led to his imprisonment. This movie moves between the crude props and costumes made from scraps and rags and the elegant, wealthy past with flawless precision.

It's a story of a love gone awry, of twisted values, self loathing and lust, jealousy, murder, and vengeance.

Many may be put off by its overtly gay cast and story line, or the fact that male and female roles are played by men (as they were years ago, and still are in all-male schools overseas).

If one can get by these prejudices, and prejudices regarding what "gay behavior" is supposed to be (this movie has feminine and masculine acting men, in both gay and straight roles), this movie will keep you riveted to your seat.

Working on a remarkably low budget, this film company managed to produce a damn good film. The story is about the lives of two clerks, in minimum wage dead-end jobs, who have to deal with a rather warped public.

The banter that goes back and forth between these friends is what makes the movie great, it's fast paced, similar to movies like "Get Shorty" or "Pulp Fiction".

Anyone that has worked in a convenience store or gas station will instantly recognise the customers and characters in this movie, it really does capture what its like.

Ian McKellen, and Lynn Redgrave gave performances worthy of an Oscar, and Brendan Fraser gave one of the best performances of his career.

The story takes place in the 1950s. McKellen plays a director called "James Whale", who was in vogue in the 1930s, but has since retired, and lives with his old German housekeeper. Hanna (Lynn Redgrave) hires Clayton, (Brendan Fraser), a

drifter, to do lawn work, but McKellen has other things in mind for the good looking Fraser.

What he has in mind though isn't the obvious thing though, although that's certainly on his mind. The relationship between them is far more complex than one of simple lust, and they each end up filling an important part in each other's lives, and find they are a lot more alike than different.

This movie shows that when two people really care about each other, or need each other, that the lines we clearly think delineate us from each other, such as sexual orientation, just don't mean as much.

This is a very well done movie that didn't fall into any of the traps and cliches most movies of this type fall into.

Some people may find this movie hits too close to home, and be disturbed by it.