ScoobyWell Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

pointer165 in any movie, no matter who the actors are, the script is very important to me , as it should be for everyone involved, especially the actors.This script, story, is so beautifully written..in the first lines"the sloping stairs " of that beautiful staircase..always takes me "home" to anytime in my life, when I felt safe, at home, wherever I was living or visiting at the time or whatever relationship I was in...it's truthful for most of the story...I just do not see a person with AIDS being accepted into the USA from the UK ..but all done for the story...and the stage version must have been just as incredible..it takes you from a beautiful summer, from several different couples, that have been invited to a a summer home in the wilderness(it seems), through several seasons and what happens at the end..allot happens in this story that spans lifetimes but done so beautifully

lambiepie-2 I am a huge fan of much of Terrance McNally's work and I remember back in 1994 when this play was staged at MTC in New York. It was a compassionate ensemble piece with a group of gay friends, vacationing throughout the summer at their choreographer friends' lovely lakeside home. What you catch onto quickly as well is this is not just about these friends getting together for fun times during the major summer holidays, but by the end of the summer, they are to do an AIDS-benefit performance of 'Swan Lake' that the choreographer was to stage.Within this, you'll see the workings of the human opinion in this set of friends...or in one case, so-called friend. While the backdrop is about the staging and performance of these friends doing 'Swan Lake' for the AIDS benefit performance - tutus and all - you get to see the personalities of each about the subject. Buzz, opting to hide his HIV status while faced with one who could not.The character development is good in the play, and much transfers to film - the stand out brilliance is of the English twins - played both by John Glover - portraying evil twin and lovable twin. Both who are gay, one in the final stages of AIDS who came to America for treatment and is the most endearing person you ever could meet, and the other one you just want to tie in a sack and throw into an ocean because he's so mean and callous. The character of 'Buzz' who wants to ignore his disease and pain behind singing and quoting Broadway Musicials and "being the life of the party" queen is a stellar performance as well.What I found interesting was the competition level between two other characters in this work. There is the choreographer who is the host - he's older and he's staging the "Swan Lake" performance; and a young 'buck' (Ramon) who's a dancer as well thinks he's immortal and a bronze Adonis gift to the gay male, always providing house tension and competition - not just in dance, but with the choreographer's blind partner(Bobby).As with many Terrance McNally's plays and screenplays, what'll grab you are the mind and personal feelings of the characters that's projected to the viewer and how they are adapting to the current events of the day. This film is no exception. For example, I find a wonderful exchange between the characters about a certain famous photograph that made me feel like a 'fly on the wall' as I listened - And not just that, it also touched heavily on how EVERYONE who knows about this famous photo was feeling at the time.That's the beauty of this film - you can take out "homosexual men" and replace them with "heterosexual women", "heterosexual men", "homosexual women" or a mix of all....and there would be very little change in the actions. But this is about a group of homosexual friends, their fears, their loves, their anguish, their humanity which is why I think the title Love! Valour! Compassion! does say it all.

jotix100 It's amazing the fate the great play by Terrence McNally suffered on its way to the movies. The fact that it's basically the same team that produced this moving theater piece at New York's Manhattan Theater Club and later transferred to Broadway with basically the same cast, and with the same director, Joe Mantello, doesn't give the film viewer any idea of what "Love, Valor, Compassion" was so effective on the theater in comparison what one watches this version on the screen.First, and foremost, the replacement of Nathan Lane, the originator of the role of Buzz was the first mistake. In fact, Jason Alexander, a good actor otherwise, throws away the balance of the film as he portrays Buzz. Mr. Alexander is out of his element in the movie. He seems to be acting in a different film, rather on this one.The rest of the brilliant cast is repeating the roles they originated on the play."Love, Valor, Compassion" deals with a lot of serious topics in a matter of fact way. AIDS is at the center of the story as this group is affected deeply in one way, or another, by the plague that is killing most of these men gathered at a summer house. There is also a subtext in the movie about relationships, friendship, and loyalty.John Glover playing the twin brothers, John, and James, gives one of his best performances in this picture. Mr. Glover is an actor who has a long background in both theater and films and he is a welcome addition to anything he decides to grace with his presence.Stephen Spinella and John Benjamin Hickey, are Perry and Arthur, a gay couple that has managed to stay together fourteen years, a record for this type of life where relationships tend not to last at all. Stephen Bogardus and Justin Kirk, are Gregory and Bobby, the host of the house and his sweet blind lover. Randy Becker plays Ramon, who appears to be a hustler and has been brought as a guest and ends up betraying his companion and the host.Finally, the fact the film doesn't work rests with the direction of Joe Mantello, an excellent theater director for casting the wrong man in a key part in the movie and perhaps his unfamiliarity working in films.

chris-baldock-1 Having nearly all of the original cast in this film, makes it an excellent record of the Broadway production even if the powers-that-be decided to eliminate Nathan Lane and replace him with Jason Alexander. Alexander does a credible job although you do spend the film wondering "what if.....?" I'm sure now that Lane's name is bigger than ever, the producers must be kicking themselves. I have directed a production of the play and must say that although the essence has been retained, the film loses some of the stage version's heart. Must admit though some of the performances are excellent particularly Justin Kirk and Stephen Spinella. Terrence McNally is my hero so having anything of his on celluloid is worth cherishing. Now if they'd only make a film of Master Class............