snrobertson I'd like to defend this as a wonderful film, one of the best I've seen in 5 years or so. Other reviewers obviously have a different take on the film and I can respect those views but I'd suggest a different interpretation from the one they present: The story revolves around David, a handsome and macho construction foreman who is in love (secretly) with his childhood best friend Theo. David has acclimated to casual sex on the side as long as his primary emotional bond with Theo is intact. When Theo becomes seriously involved with a woman David is in a crisis.David O'Neil is a man who has reached the age of 23 without having had an adolescence. Like a lot of us gays he has hidden his true feelings until well past the era when there's something of a 'safety net' around him in the form of friends and older siblings who help most teens navigate treacherous the waters of love and the pain of rejection. David has the usual flaw which comes with growing up gay in a homophobic society. He's been prevented from gaining emotional maturity by expressing love for the person he loves when he's 14 or 16 years old. So he's making the sort of blunders which most people make when they are 16 years old, though unfortunately with adult consequences.I think Aisling Walsh (director) and Mark Burt (writer) are highly sympathetic with David's plight and they understand him quite well. The film is unflinching in its treatment of its subject and certainly does not end with a rosy soft focus closure. We last see David bloody and rejected by most everyone, and yet smiling and saying, "This has been the best day of my life." That is the central theme of the film.Steve John Shepherd gives a riveting wonderful performance as David. John Simm (as Theo) is one of the most effortlessly naturalistic actors I've seen, comparable to Russel Crowe in his early-90s Australian films. Acting does not get much better than this.-Steve Robertson

guilfisher-1 This 2000 made for TV film is a sham for gay people. It promotes gay bashing, degrades coming out and gives homosexuals a dated persecuted life style. I could have sworn when I saw this trite work, it must have been done in 1960. For certainly gay issues deserve better than this dribble. The fault lies in the writing and directing. Mark Burt writes a trivial and lack-less script with absolutely no compassion for any of the major characters. Aisling Walsh, a woman, directs with no understanding of how to bring any hope to her leading players. She certainly has no understanding of gay life. If she herself is gay, than shame on her. If not, she needs to go to a gay bar or march in a gay pride day parade and surround herself with today's gay people.The actors do what they can to give believability to this nonsense. Steve John Shepherd plays the young man tortured over his homosexuality. Afraid to come out to his best friend and to his parents. Why he chooses to do so in such a public way, beats me. But he does. I'll say no more as to the outcome and let you see for yourself. Believe me, you won't be surprised. John Simm, hardly, in my eyes, worth all the suffering, is the attraction to Shepherd as his best friend. Simm has his own demons to deal with. And again, you really don't care. He earns his oats. As the unsympathetic and sometimes just down right annoying girl-friend to Simm, Laura Fraser is a real possessive bitch (can I say that word?) A control freak, she deserves losing any guy who would put up with her antics and games. I was hoping she'd lose the guy in the end. Again, see what happens yourself. Again, no surprise.Then there are the parents that contradict themselves all over the place. An overbearing dad, played by Maurice Roeves, knows nothing but anger and screams through most of the film. What's with this guy? Sometimes overacting, he suddenly has all this tear jerking at the end? And you don't believe it anyway. "Let him go", says he. I would have been gone from this dad a long time ago. And the mother, played by Ger Ryan, sits and bakes pies. Probes her son most of the time to see what's wrong and when she discovers the truth, over public TV, completely disowns him. She begs him to be honest and then slaps him in the face. Give me a break.I liked Shepherd's work in this and wish he could have had a decent venue to work with. For he gave the most convincing performance. Simm was one level, Fraser was just awful as were the parents.I give this dated movie a 2 star for Shepherd's performance attempt.

Remco van Schellen (vanschellen) A person can do strange things when in love. David is a working class boy. His friendship with 'mate' Theo seems to be indestructible. Until Theo is starts living together with his girlfriend Hannah. Nobody knows David is in love with Theo. And very jealous, as it turns out…David plays 'hard to get' by trying to break up Theo and Hannah's relationship. He succeeds, but his lies are uncovered at the end. Especially after the weekend in Brighton when Theo can only think of Hannah who has left him, while David wants to make fun. When David, still very deep in the closet, expresses his feelings for Theo in a Jenny Jones-like program on television the shit really hits the fan. David is kicked out of the house by his father and Theo's friendship for David turns into pure hate.Forgive and Forget is a film about friendship an jealousy. You can really wonder why David doesn't come out of the closet earlier: his life would have been easier. The end of the film is quite sudden and the question pops up why there has to be a fight involving an iron bar. Where did Hannah come from in the last scene? Even though: Forgive and Forget is a nice and very well performed film that makes you think.

mjmarkic Forgive and Forget, is a rather well done film exploring the relationship between a straight man and his closeted gay "best mate" who's been in love with him secretly for many years. Some viewers thought the film was slow and biased from a heterosexual point of view.I feel the film portrayed the anguish of closeted, David, extremely well. The difficulties of accepting one's differences were clearly and painfully drawn, with an outstanding performance by the handsome lead. Personally, I could identify with his inner conflicts in making an extremely difficult decision. David appeared to be the ideal picture of straight, handsome male that fit in well with accepted straight images he was raised with. He knew differently.The so-called, stereotypical, reaction by the gay man's parents is very easy to believe, since many gay children are still rejected by their parents, in our "enlightened" world.The crude sexual talk and "fag" camaraderie amongst his "straight" coworkers was typical of the heterosexist viewpoint. In contrast, it's extremely interesting that the "straightest" of these coworkers displayed a lot of skin, (always in shorts, open vests, muscular chest display, shirtless with pierced nipples), to show what a man he was? He would have been right at home in a great many gay clubs or pride festivals.Comments found in one review that the "Forgive and Forget" hostess' reaction of how brave David was; was an indication of pity and shame that he was gay. The real world is still not politically correct. Coming out isn't an easy step, and some individuals, never do so, due to lack of courage. I felt her reaction was simple and honest, not condescending, in her limited position as interviewer.Theo's female love, Hannah obviously has some real problems... She was dumped before and hurts...! Well, she's rather selfish, self centered and possessive and wants David out of the picture. Is it any wonder he'd fight back? I lost sympathy for her, I felt for Theo who seemed to really care, and really wasn't aware of Hannah's real nature (Blinded by Love).Mixed feeling arise with the ending of the film. At first, I HATED IT. Then upon review, perhaps it was too real and I wanted a different ending. Was the bashing and almost murder by Theo really necessary? All sympathy for him is lost here. And the convenient rescue, (prevention of Murder by Hannah?), was too patently heterosexist. Hanna saves her man, gets what she wants, and the fag gets his just deserts for lusting after a straight man? Isn't this reality in some cases...? (Even California's liberalness couldn't prevent several recent severe bashings and a couple of murders.)The closing shot of David wants us to believe that David is happy with his decision and, all will be well. Nice sentiments but too quick and easy after what's just been portrayed...?? Rent this film and decide for yourself...