Trick (1999)
Starring: John Paul Pitoc, Christian Campbell
Director: Jim Fall

Sweet-natured romantic comedy about two gay twenty-somethings searching for a love nest in Manhattan. Despite some awkward moments and annoying musical numbers, the plot's genuine charm should win over art-house crowds. 

Rating:

Sporting more heart than skill, freshman director Jim Fall's gay romantic comedy

Trick follows the story of Gabriel (Christian Campbell), a nice-but-neurotic music student trying to write his first Broadway musical. Despite his youthful good looks, the lad is eternally lonely, with his skinny physique and taste for old-time show tunes increasingly out of touch with Manhattan's pumped-up, techno-scored gay scene.

Forced to sleep in the hall half the time by his breeder roommate's libidinous excesses, Gabriel is less than eager to rush home at night. One evening, he decides to stop in at a nearby cruise bar, where he first sets eyes on Mark (John Paul Pitoc), a bulging go-go boy who hypnotizes the young composer with his gyrating hips (among other physical features).

After spending a good hour yearning for the pole-dancing Adonis, Gabriel takes the subway home, only to find that a certain well-formed fella is on the same train. A stare passes between them, and Gabriel hops off, only to be followed by Mark. "You live around here?" asks the dancer to the student, who barely manages to stutter, "Yes," before sprinting back to his (hopefully unoccupied) apartment, beefcake in tow.

So begins the perfect one-night stand, or at least one would think. But for the next 12 hours, the pair search high and low for a secluded make-out nook, only to have a convoluted chain of events keep them from getting their groove on. Following the two lovebirds, Trick leads us on a tour of the full spectrum of NYC's gay nightlife, from middle-aged piano bars to bare-chested beefcake clubs. In the process, the film paints a genuinely affectionate portrait of two different but equally lonely souls coming together.

Alternately hilarious and touching, Trick is not without its problems. Many of the scenes seem to drag on too long, probably the result of first-time director Jim Fall's reluctance to cut his beloved project. Especially grating are some of the musical numbers, including Tori Spelling's three-minute song solo and newcomer Steve Hayes' lounge act, which is reminiscent of a broken record stuck on a dirty limerick.

Trick is saved by screenwriter Jason Schafer's realistic dialogue and moments of fresh hilarity. Two scenes in particular -- a topless sex counseling session and two elder queens' tearful reunion -- are not to be missed. Christian Campbell's performance also provides the film with a sympathetic cornerstone: combining youthful charm with neuroses worthy of Woody Allen, he proves utterly likable and funny, even if you hate his show tunes. Spelling is aptly annoying as Campbell's clingy sidekick and Pitoc is suitably hunky as the obscure object of desire. Director Fall should also be credited for capturing the feel of a crazy midsummer New York City night better than any movie since After Hours.

Whatever its faults may be, Trick is certainly a crowd-pleaser. The audience at its Sundance premiere was quite enthusiastic, laughing and sighing in the appropriate places, and giving Fall an ovation when he appeared onstage afterwards. And to anyone looking for a realistic and charming romance, this endearing slice of New York life should prove more treat than trick.

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