In one desperate night, four disparate gay men cruise Philadelphia in pursuit of ever-elusive human connection. The film follows them as they navigate the night filled with hot hook-ups, lingering resentment and falling in love.
This film, about six Philadelphia men whose lives criss-cross overnight, works like poetry. It is a figuring-out of various desires through movie codes and poetic form.
Graham pulls off a nimble hat-trick, fusing throwback, unapologetic queerness (frank sexuality; a world of tricks, one-night stands, and no moralizing about any of it) and unbridled romanticism.
Bits and pieces of the gay-themed drama "Beautiful Something" feel real and essential. But this slow-going film often suffers from a forced, navel-gazing quality that can prove exasperating.
