Familial obligations interfered with my film schedule Sunday so I only made it to one. Fortunately it was a damn fine one, Love and Human Remains. The movie is primarily about that four-lettered word that starts with "L" in its greater and lesser forms. But lurking not too far in the background is a threat in the shape of violence to women. We see pieces of this threat mainly on the tv news as channels are surfed and on newspaper covers. As the story progresses, the mystery becomes more and more significant until it comes to the forefront to shatter a life and leave bruises on others.
It all sounds so serious but in fact this film contains a lot of humor. It's the kind where characters say funny things to each other and funny situations occur but it's good comedy like what you actually experience in life, not what you watch on a sitcom. The movie focuses on David and Candy, two roommates who were once lovers until they broke up and David fully realized he's gay (or he realized and then they broke up). That's history now and David is cruising through life with glib remarks and casual (but pretty safe) sex. Candy, on the other hand, still believes in love and the need for love. It's her expectations which lead to the problems she experiences in the film. David is a waiter who used to work as an actor and did well enough to get on a tv series. He walked away from it but his friends keep prodding him to "get on with it" as if by his succeeding they can have some success vicariously. It's primarily the expectations other have for David which leads to his problems.
The most interesting friend is one of David's, Anita, who in her work specializes in domination/submission and other out of the ordinary sexual fantasies. We see her with a number of clients, telling them stories about children in danger while they are deep into infantilism. It's not clear in the beginning how Anita will fit into the story but we learn she is psychic and becomes pivotal to the plot. I should remark that none of characters have traits which seem gratuitous, merely there to make them different. They all seem whole in that sense.
Some may remember Thomas Gibson, who plays David, from the PBS mini-series, Tales of the City (he was the smarmy, cheating, bisexual husband of the boss's daughter). His presence made the similarities between this movie and the mini-series spring to mind. Both movies have a network of friends and acquaintances who have varying sexual preferences, both focus on people "finding themselves" particularly when it comes to love, and both have a mystery which, for most of the movie, plays second fiddle to the stories of the characters. If it weren't for Gibson's presence in both movies, this comparison might not have immediately sprung to mind because the mood of Love and Human Remains, as the title might suggest, is much darker. Tales of the City is more light-hearted due, in part, to the nostalgia factor. Love and Human Remains is a modern tale, there's no nostalgia here unless it's a personal nostalgia for times when the viewer was going throughout similar times (or for techno fans remembering when T-99 was regularly played in clubs). But even that nostalgia seems unlikely. Throughout the film it's made clear that Things Are Not As They Were, whether it's Candy and David's past or friends who've gone away.
The only criticism I can think of is that perhaps the ending was rushed a little, David's immediate reaction to the tragedy in particular. But this might have been unavoidable for if it went on too long the shock might wear off too soon.
So, remember this movie. If it's not possible to catch in a theater, look for it in finer video stores in the future.
3/13/95