TLA Releasing both gets particularly politic and expertly melds traditional dramas and gay melodramas with the recent DVD release "A Place to Be." This tale of the impact of the Trump administration taking a tough stance on a 20-something gay couple is in line with modern gay-themed films that mirror mainstream fare. The Logo Channel style melodrama near the end adds an old school gay movie element.
Common gay and straight ground exist regarding hunky Mexican grease monkey Diego spilling coffee on B cup bro office worker Abel when the two literally bump into each other on a Chicago street. Diego hearing radio news reports about the increasing crackdown on illegal immigrants provides further foreshadowing.
Things do not go much better the second time that our star-crossed lovers cross paths. The figurative worlds of this odd couple further collide when Diego convinces Mr. Right Now to spend the night in his stereotypical basement bedroom in the house of the 'rents. A rude awakening the next morning reinforces the concerns of Abel.
The relationship of the boys deepens to the extent of each of them hanging out with the quirky best friend/sidekick of the other, This blissful ignorance lasts until Diego comes out to Abel.
A family crisis in Mexico prompts Diego to plan a trip back there despite knowing that leaving the United States precludes legally re-entering this country. Actual separation anxiety and a desire to stand by his man prompts Abel to insist on going on this trip.
All initially goes fairly well when Abel is introduced to the heritage and the family of his boyfriend. The trouble begins when it is time for the boys to make a run for the border.
The extent to which the experiences of the boys having a coyote guide them on an arduous and dangerous trip back to America is unknown. The long walks and night in a crowded dumpy motel room either are exaggerated or show what some people endure to come here.
The true melodrama occurs during the final leg of the trip. It seems highly unlikely that the depicted brutality is realistic; it is even more improbable that our boys would step in to the degree that they did and pay the price for their intervention.
All of this leads to an outcome that prompts mixed feelings. The relative Hollywood ending seems rather staged and highly unlikely to succeed. In other words, pure Logo. The better news is the ratio of quality indie cinema to basic cable garbage is 4-to-1.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Place" is encouraged to email me; you also can connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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