Interior. Leather Bar. (James Franco & Travis Mathews, 2013)

With Interior: Leather Bar on the living room table, teasing me with it’s presence I had to watch William Friedkin’s Cruising again, just to prepare me for James Franco’s and Travis Mathews experimental docu-drama. I love Cruising so much, it might be one of my top twenty favorites of all time actually, and I think I’m pretty sure of that after seeing many times over the years. The big thing has always been the lost 40 minutes, minutes even Friedkin claims to have been shot and included in the first cut, but was cut on the orders from Warner Bros - who probably was shocked to see graphic sadomasochistic gay sex in seedy leather bars in New York splashed up on the screen.

Friedkin wanted it to be real. And Pacino is said to have been in these scenes to. Awesome is the only word I can find. But this footage have never been found, maybe it’s destroyed or rotting in some storage somewhere and will never be found in our lifetime. Here’s where Franco and Mathews comes in, wanting to examine both the rumors about the lost footage and make a short movie about dealing with non-mainstream sexuality. Franco feels he have been raised to think a certain sex and love is unnatural and he wants to get over it once and for all. He hires Val Lauren to play Pacino’s part, a bunch of actors with experience from pornographic films and sets out to shoot the lost 40 minutes.

First of all, don’t expect 40 minutes of footage from Cruising, which some people seem to have misunderstood. This is a drama with the actors playing themselves, but still playing actors, improvising and discussing sex, personal dilemmas with dealing with gay sex and just the world around them and the reaction they will get. Franco is there as a hyperactive producer/director, often discussing with others what meaning this movie has, but no one is really sure. Which is also part of the criticism it’s gotten in reviews - but I think it’s just a part of Franco’s game. He wants that to happen.

Because why do there have to be a clear meaning with movie, as long it shows something, long it tells at least part of a story.

Interior. Leather Bar is actually very similar to Cruising: both men slightly reluctantly signs up to do a job they don’t know so much about, going more or less undercover, having a steady contact with their boss and the reflects over what they really are towards the end. The big difference is how Franco more or less abandons Val here, while Paul Sorvino is there, somewhere, in the background at least.

So make no mistake, this is an experimental piece of cinema. I personally loved it, G didn’t. He liked it, but felt it didn’t feel finished. There’s a poetry in something that’s not dealt with completely. We’re left alone with our thoughts (much like in the orginal movie by Friedkin, which some viewers finds frustrating), and that can make us feel quite helpless in a situation like this. Oh, and also expect graphic sex - not overly nasty, but there’s enough cock in action to make John Travolta happy.

A curious, quirky film. And very good.

Comments

[Megatron]

"The big thing has always been the lost 40 minutes, minutes even Friedkin claims to have been shot and included in the first cut, but was cut on the orders from Warner Bros"

I didn´t know that.....that´s interesting.

I haven´t seen this one yet.

"Franco is there as a hyperactive producer/director, often discussing with others what meaning this movie has, but no one is really sure. Which is also part of the criticism it’s gotten in reviews - but I think it’s just a part of Franco’s game. He wants that to happen."

I see.....creating a discussion while making a metafilm....or just recreating something that is lost, perhaps for all time.

"So make no mistake, this is an experimental piece of cinema. I personally loved it,"

Franco was brave to do this one, he could have picked something more wellknown.

"Oh, and also expect graphic sex - not overly nasty, but there’s enough cock in action to make John Travolta happy."

Whoa, careful young man......church of scientology might be reading....hahahhahhahahha...well, I hope the rumors are true about Mr Saturday Night Fever, Kelly Preston still looks hot as hell!

Good review and thanks Fred.....will I be seeing reviews of Trance (2013) , The Counselor (2013) soon?