![[box cover]](../reviewimgs/t/trick.jpg)
Trick
Jim Fall's Trick feels like it was created to be a social statement rather than a piece of entertainment. It's not that this gay romantic comedy is lacking in the charm department -- it just doesn't have enough to elevate the rather mundane story above commonplace mediocrity. The story allows us to tag along on one of the worst "first dates" in history, as the personable Gabriel (Christian Campbell) and his potential lover, Mark (J.P. Pitoc), find their attempts to consummate their budding relationship repeatedly thwarted by well-meaning friends, unpleasant roommates, and a string of disasters that would make Murphy himself break down in tears. All of the performances in Trick are solid (and Tori Spelling's appearance as Gabe's remarkably ditzy best friend is not to be missed), but the story simply doesn't go anywhere. The same preliminary set-up is repeated ad naseum: hopeful lovers make googly-eyes at each other, hopeful lovers almost have sex, hopeful lovers are interrupted and must start over. Trick isn't terrible, but there's just not enough variety in the presentation to sustain audience interest, despite the movie's relative brevity. Good widescreen transfer, trailer, snap-case.
—Joe Barlow
