trett-1
Just caught up with this film on DVD from my local video store. For the first two thirds of this tale I was engaged but not attached to this story, but something made me want to keep watching and I'm glad I did. As I started to get what this story was about i grew more and more engrossed in it, the final scenes were masterful and moving. For those of us who attend to rage and hate, this movie takes us to the heart of the experience. Without surrender to sentimentality it exposes human frailty, sadism, rage and connection and salutes complexity rather telling us how to feel. Rare to find this depth of story (and execution of story) within gay genre movies. Congratulations to the writer and director, you guys are heroes
ThrownMuse
Urbania starts out with the protagonist asking us: "Heard any good stories lately?" Next, we see a couple well-known urban legends played out, and this sets the tone and theme for the rest of the film, which starts out to be about a man trying to come to terms with recent past events, while pursuing a potential love interest (but you don't really learn much about this man until the plot unravels.) This movie was so fascinating I watched it twice in one weekend. I rarely do that, but this seems to demand multiple viewings. This is easily the best movie I've seen about urban legends. It utilizes a bleak urban setting to weave this popular folklore with the story of one man's night and the difficult time he has struggling to face his past and gain control of his life. Fantasy and reality are appropriately difficult to separate, just as it is with urban legends. The cinematography is excellent and innovative, the script is tight, the acting is perfect (Dan Futterman is outstanding as the lead), the character development is exceptional. This is quite brilliant, really. Like a David Lynch film, every second, every sound, every word, every image tells you something important. Finally, this is a film that (going along splendidly with the urban legend theme) questions assumptions some groups of of people have about "the other" (and vice versa). My Rating: 9/10.
deanburnell
I first saw this film when I was travelling in USA and was blown away by it in every respect! I was sad it wasnt released commercially in the UK§ Probably the gay theme stopped it having massive success with broadcasters over here.The acting is top notch. Dan Futterman is brilliant but in my opinion, blow away performances come from MATT KEESLAR and ALAN CUMMING (in a very underused role). They seemed to have such strength in their performances and the bonds in their characters worked so well! The romance between the 2 guys was so convincingly and beautifully played that you would have a heart of stone not to melt whilst watching it and Alan Cummming as the still mourning friend was a perfect addition.I cannot recommend this film enough....Its not easy to watch; in terms of how its put together but once you get through the initial change of style from your normal film then you will be glad you kept with it......... Anyone who wants to talk about this film is always welcome to speak to me. I rank it in my top 5 films ever!!!
pbmorgan2002
I just caught "Urbania" on IFC. What a terrific surprise! I had no idea this film even existed."Urbania" is one of those rare films that grabs you by the back of the neck and holds holds you hostage until the final credits. It's as if one were shadowing the lead character as he plays out the fate of a lonely and harrowing night, facing demons of circumstance as well as a few monsters he creates himself.Watching this film, I felt as if I was being forced to examine some disturbing sides of life when all I wanted to do was turn my head and look another direction. Much like driving upon a tragic car accident, it's hard not to stare but, by the brute force of some macabre fascination that lives deep in the human psyche, one feels compelled to do just that.While "Urbania" is a tragedy, the content is handled with a sense of grace and humility. During the final frames, one is left with a feeling of relief and healing, although tainted with the bitterness of loss.The direction, screenplay and style of "Urbania" is superb. The acting is fantastic. This film is a must see!
AD
