Synopsis
Ivan is a US painter residing in Colombia. His best friend, Christian, and younger brother, Cole, come to visit. Somewhere along the way, Ivan and Cole hit it off although Cole is not gay. Will older brother Christian be okay with that?
2017 Directed by Brian Jordan Alvarez
Ivan is a US painter residing in Colombia. His best friend, Christian, and younger brother, Cole, come to visit. Somewhere along the way, Ivan and Cole hit it off although Cole is not gay. Will older brother Christian be okay with that?
Tout est possible, 一切皆无, הכל בחינם, 에브리띵 이즈 프리
i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again: gay people have such a delicate balance with the universe, of love and hatred of themselves and other people, that it manifests itself into powerful conversation and art. this movie is one such example. maybe it’s the 1:30AM lesbian in me talking but i still fight for my place in the universe and for the girls i’ve loved and for myself. i don’t think that’ll ever change. but i wouldn’t want my life to be any different.
There's a really interesting, inherently compelling idea at the center of Brian Jordan Alvarez's film. But the execution of this idea is just so off that the whole thing comes through bizarrely. While the actor-writer-director (who feels miscast as the lead here) found the perfect offbeat tone for his superlative 'The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo', here it seems as if his thematic footing is shaky, something that can admittedly itself be interesting in bursts. The complex ideas explored in 'Everything Is Free' are engaging but between takes that run far too long and an awkward amalgam of heavy-handed melodrama, incongruously sober characterizations, and the silly air of Alvarez's more comedic creations, this is one head-scratching film.
P.S.…
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Written, produced and directed by Brian Jordan Alvarez, Everything Is Free feels short in its slow pace and over the top drama. Although it offers interesting characters and decent performances by a few supporting actors, Everything is Free needs more redemption for the stubborn Ivan, who persistently follows his best friend Christian’s supposedly straight younger brother Cole, even after being beaten up and threatened by Christian so many times.
The scenery in Colombia is gorgeous and the supporting actors are amazing in their roles!
This movie was baffling. I don't understand why none of the characters acted like actual human beings. Its like aliens have been watching gay angst movies and wanted to make their own but they don't understand the little details in how humans react and respond to things.
I may disapprove of this self-indulgent gay trash movie, but I'll defend to the death my right to half-watch it while gazing listlessly out an amtrak window at the fall foliage, angling the screen awkwardly away from the aisle during sex scenes
The first half of this film is an incredibly solid and pretty inventive queer classic.
Halfway through, the brutal turn the story takes doesn't mesh well with the comic interludes and loose technical experimentation that keep being present.
The ending makes everything officially fall apart, at least somewhat.
I know two things for sure:
I am so, so intrigued to see Brian Jordan Alvarez's second film, or web series, or whatever he decides to make next.
And something about this movie, fascinatingly made though it is, definitely unsettles me.
It's really nice to see an ensemble of familiar faces from Alvarez's previous videos. I'm really looking forward to seeing Alvarez's future content, I think he is heading in a really good direction.
I really think the poetic scenes complimented the idea behind the film of being against strict labels, and as a result did not feel at all incongruous to the rest of the film.
It would be nice, however, to see some of the cast take on more varied roles. That is not to say that they do not work well in their carved out character roles though, Freckle will always amuse me.
Final thoughts: Cole is gorgeous.
Every single frame with Freckle in it, every time BJA spoke Spanish, every single strand of Stephanie’s hair — a masterpiece and a gift. Everything else? I have the right to remain silent.
"What I don't know is if we fell in love, or if it was a trick"
Brian Jordan Alvarez has delivered his first feature film straight to YouTube, popping off the page like cheap chewing gum, so cheap in fact that you can watch it in full for free.
If you're gay or gay-adjacent and on the internet you most likely caught wind of his web series The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo, a manic comedy that consists of five short episodes which frequently constitute genius thanks in large part to one of his stars Jason Greene (who should be cast in everything from here to eternity).
The series landed him a Gotham Award nomination and a development…
Really unsure how to rate this one because on the one hand, I absolutely love Brian Jordan Alvarez and everything he touches, but on the other hand, this film had some painfully bad moments.