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Longtime Companion (1989)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 3/14, 7/20

LongC
3/14: Longtime Companion is a terrific period picture about the nascent AIDS pandemic; in fact, it's the very first mainstream picture to touch this topic.

What's interesting is the preservation of the initial fears and misconceptions by heterosexuals and homosexuals alike about AIDS. I can see how the disease was once labeled as "gay cancer." People thought it was spread by a simple contact through touching, kissing, and breathing; simply put, nobody knew what was going on.

As for the victims of AIDS, it's too bad and unfortunate. Seeing the scenes which involve homosexuality, I'm surprised, although it's unfair to say that, these actors risked their careers, yet several of them are well known today.

Regardless, the performances are outstanding, and Bruce Davison earned an Oscar nomination, which is well-deserved, for playing David. I like to think of it as a representation of the cast because everybody is more or less as good as he. I'm knocking a couple of points from the rating because the film can be a little uneven, causing me to struggle to keep up with many characters at once. Regardless, it moves forward without tying up some loose ends yet is never melodramatic.

All in all, Longtime Companion is an outstanding picture that has a sad story to tell.

7/20: The first of its kind to deal with the AIDS pandemic, Longtime Companion is a sad picture that highlights the devastating aftermath of the sexual revolution among homosexual males in San Francisco and New York City.

Covering the "Before" and "After," Randy Shilts' And the Band Played On is probably the best book to understand what it was like during the time. Of course, the aggressive sexual behavior of homosexual men is the main culprit why AIDS spread so quickly, especially in bathhouses.

It's also about the victims who are caught in the pandemic, try their best to deal with the disease, and are, sooner or later, forced to pay the ultimate price. The ending is depressing, showing a lot of people who have succumbed to AIDS and can't wait for a cure which unfortunately hasn't happened yet and probably never will.

One negative is that the dialogue isn't enlightening by any means, making some scenes go slow. Nevertheless, the acting is strong, and everybody is sincere about the issue with endearing sensitivity. Another is the weak secondary thread which concerns two jocks. They aren't given much attention while the primary one has many characters involved who are more well-developed. It's better to drop the two jocks unless the filmmakers want to further strengthen their story.

All in all, Longtime Companion paints a realistic picture of what it's like to be a homosexual male during the middle of the AIDS pandemic.