Colin Farrell: Sexually Ambiguous Manchild
Of course, this would lop off the heart of the film and discount the film's major star: Colin Farrell. I have no complaints regarding his performance. The Irish actor is tender and convincing in the role of the beautiful, sexually ambiguous manchild. As the adult Bobby, Farrell has the same haircut and the same open, wondrous gaze. He moves to New York to crash with his old friend Jonathan (now played by Dallas Roberts), a worldly gay man who lives with his closest girl friend Clare(Robin Wright Penn), decked out in full eighties punk rock regalia.
The three come together to form an unlikely, unconventional family, and unfortunately, the result comes across as hackneyed melodrama. Mayer covers long stretches of narrative with montage sequences and unfortunate music. Themes are earnestly handled: Jonathan's promiscuous gay lifestyle, Bobby's ambiguous sexuality, AIDS, and the question of what makes a family. Unfortunately Dallas Roberts, in his first film role, is not an appealing man, and Penn is shrill and repugnant instead achieving the desired quicky charm her character calls for.
