12 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 12, 1999

EVENINGS OUT

A street fighter and a rock promoter form an unlikely pair

Like it Is

Directed by Paul Oremland

Cleveland Cinematheque

Reviewed by Eric Resnick

Cleveland-There are only two opportunities to see the British gay club scene film Like it Is; February 18 and 19 at the Cleveland Cinematheque. The film was featured at the Out in Akron film festival at the Highland Theatre in October.

The film stars Who front man Roger Daltrey as Kelvin, a gay club owner and ruthless recording industry executive. It also features U.K. Amateur Boxing Association featherweight champion Steve Bell as Craig, a gritty "rough trade" street fighter from Blackpool. Ian Rose, who stars on the British television show EastEnders, plays Matt, the cool and sophisticated employee of Kelvin, and caretaker of his most successful pop star Paula.

The film begins in Blackpool, a resort town similar to Atlantic City, where Matt and Craig meet while Matt is traveling. They have a brief and unsuccessful sexual encounter, which is later revealed to be Craig's first. But there is an attraction, and Matt leaves his card, telling Craig he should look him up if he's ever in London.

Attempting to break away from his rough life as a bare-knuckles street fighter and come to grips with his sexuality, Craig travels to London to find Matt. Once there, he finds the gay world of Soho, with all its clubs and freedom, which Craig is excited about but never feels a part of.

Matt is pleased that Craig has found him, but struggles with how his professional ambitions align with the possibility of being in love. Worse, Kelvin, who is Matt's boss, sees Craig as a liability and feels

FIRST RUN PICTURES

manipulative pop star, who shares a flat with Matt. She is the quintessential "fag hag," and grows increasingly jealous that Craig is taking more and more of Matt's time, which she considers hers.

Both Paula and Kelvin devise schemes to drive Craig and Matt apart. Kelvin sends Craig on a long road trip north to help promote Matt's new pop group, while Paula just doesn't give Craig's phone messages to Matt. Both justify their intervention as being

in Matt's best professional interest.

All the characters freely use cocaine except for Craig, who protests and never feels comfortable around that scene either. Craig's character shows much compassion in a world which does not value compassion or honesty. The story pivots on the forces which

Craig (Steve Bell) gets ready for a fight, with men betting keep pushing Matt

on the outcome.

threatened by his presence.

Paula, played by Dani Behr of the British TV show The Word, is the cocaine-addicted,

and Craig closer as lovers against the incredible forces of everyone else's ulterior motives. Matt and Craig learn to care for each other and take risks to deepen their

love. Matt ultimately risks his economic future for Craig, while Craig risks his life for the money he thought he needed to win Matt's affection.

Along the edges, the plot gets to the process of Craig's brother Tony learning of his sexual orientation, which is accelerated when Matt shows up at his door in Blackpool.

Like it Is is more than just a boy-getsboy love story with a happy ending. It is a very realistic look at aspects of the gay club culture. It is very British. The accents are thick and the viewer may not catch every phrase or understand the idioms. Also in the British style is the lack of plot detail, leaving the audience to come to many conclusions on their own, but the story is universal enough that you don't need to hear every word or have every detail.

And the sex scenes are hot enough.

The film also deals with two other social conditions very frankly. It does not run from showing classism or the internalized homophobia and self-loathing that come from a life of fear and oppression. Both are present when Craig gets tired of the rejection and condescending attitudes of the fortunate, and runs back to Blackpool where he tries to harm himself by setting up a street fight in which he bets against himself.

The characters are neither complex nor unpredictable, which lends to the realism of the plot. The actors each deliver excellent performances. It is a good movie to see as entertainment and escape.

Showtimes are 8:55 pm on Thursday, Feb. 18, and 7:30 pm on Friday, Feb. 19. The Cleveland Cinematheque is located inside the Cleveland Institute of Art at 11141 East Blvd. in University Circle; 216-421-7450.

Violinist to perform work of two gay composers

Cleveland-Violinist Joshua Bell is appearing as soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall on February 11 to 14, when the orchestra performs a program of film music that includes works by two gay composers, John Corigliano and Samuel Barber.

Bell will be soloist in Corigliano's "Red Violin Chaconne," which is drawn from

missioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra while he was in residence there, his Symphony No 1. The work is the composer's impassioned response to the AIDS crisis, and it captured the 1991 Grawemeyer Award

PAINT THE TOWN RED! Masque Ball TO BENEFIT THE OPEN HOUSE

Casual to Costume Catered by Sammy's

What: A festive, fun-filled Valentine Party to benefit The Open House, a non-profit center located in Cleveland Heights that is dedicated to meeting the day-to-day psychological, spiritual, physical and social needs of persons living in Northeast Ohio who are affected by HIV/AIDS, as well as their family

members and friends.

When:

Friday, February 12 8 p.m. to midnight Where: Historic Halle Building,

Downtown Cleveland

Tickets are available by calling The Open House at 216 229 6722.

T

ICKETS

Guests may enjoy the evening as a: CUPID: $55.00 per person (2/$100) Cupids will receive one ticket to Paint the Town Red! SWEETHEART: $110.00 per person (2/$200) Sweethearts will receive one ticket to Paint the Town Red!, valet parking, and will enable a member of the HIV/AIDS community to attend the event.

PARAMOUR: $250.00 per person Paramours will receive VIP-program listing, one ticket to Paint the Town Red!, a special edition Open House pin, and will enable a member of the HIV/AIDS community to attend the event. Paramours will also receive valet parking plus an optional discounted hotel room ($50 for Wyndham, $100 for Ritz).

KISS: $45.00 donation

A Kiss donation receives a commemorative glass "Kiss" and enables a member of the HIV/AIDS community to attend Paint the Town Red!

John Corigliano

music he wrote for soundtrack for The Red Violin, which opened the Venice Film Festival last September and traces the fictional history of a rare violin through three centuries. Bell performed all of the violin sound for the film.

Corigliano is also known for a work com-

Joshua Bell

for Best New Orchestral Composition. A recorded version of the piece won both the Grammy awards for Best New Composition and Best Orchestral Performance.

"Of Rage and Remembrance," a choral work that pays tribute to those who have died of AIDS, is another work by Corigliano. The February 11-14 concerts begin with one of Samuel Barber's best-known works, the Adagio for Strings. Also on the program are Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky Cantata and John Williams's Three Pieces from Schindler's List (also featuring Bell).

For ticket information and concert starting times, call 216-231-1111.