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time when the condom might have broken or maybe that one time when I was so drunk that I may have forgotten,” or probably the worst thought of all, “that time I chose not to protect myself, or my partner.” These are times and thoughts which we all sweep under the rug and never admit to that this movie forces us to recognize.
Even after all of the emotional and physical turmoil that Dan endures, he’s still so set in what should be the “truth” that he almost believes it himself.
By the way, when you head to the theaters to see this movie, don’t expect to find the answers to any of these questions. The director made the bold commendable choice to leave much of the conclusion of the film up to the individual audience members to wrestle with.
The final thought that I’m going to leave you with is a quote from the film that really stood out. Tom tells Dan, “I put my life in your hands, someone I didn’t even know and I’m getting what I deserve.” A bit harsh? Yeah. But it does make you ask yourself, are random sex partners worthy of bearing that responsibility? It can after all, as we have seen, be a life or death decision.
Movie Grade: A+
*Just a side note, the movie is not Nearly as preachy as my review turned out. These have been some of the questions and conclusions that it brought about in me; You have to see it for yourself and discover what it evokes in you.*
The 24th Day opens here in New York on May 14th at the Village East on 2nd Ave. and will also be shown at OutFest in LA in July.
Synopsis:
It’s the 24th day after Tom (Scott Speedman) has found out that he is HIV-positive. A married man who has lived his life as “straight,” he has had sex with a man only once in his life. Consumed with sorrow and rage about his situation, Tom sets in motion an outrageous plan.
Finding Dan (James Marsden), the man he slept with five years earlier, Tom lures him to his apartment, ties him up and forcibly takes a blood sample. If Dan’s test comes back negative, he will let him go; but if it is negative, he will kill him.
The stage is set for an intense battle between the two men, with Dan using every method at his disposal to try to escape. Both of them are in top physical condition, while Dan seems to have the intellectual edge. Will that be enough for Dan to trick his way out of his bonds?
Still, as the two men face-off and gradually reveal themselves, the question becomes: who is the true victim or victimizer? Tom’s violent kidnapping and murderous threats clearly pass the bounds of legal and rational behavior. And yet, if Tom’s conviction about Dan is true, then Dan is accountable for more than a minor moral lapse. But is Dan in ...
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