Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | Final Verdict
The Story:
Trick is a gay romantic comedy about two guys in New York City looking for a place to have sex. It’s fun, witty, and delightful.
It starts with Gabriel (Christian Campbell) workshopping a song he wrote and his best friend, Katherine Lambert (Tori Spelling), performing it. The song, Enter You, is about two people falling in love after one kiss. Enter You is poorly received, and one of the critiques is that it doesn’t work because Gabriel doesn’t believe it. When Gabriel is leaving, he’s talking to a friend about inspiration and is told that he needs to go out and grab life by the balls, that it’s the only way to get the good stuff.
On the street, Katherine asks Gabriel if he wants to hang out with her, but Gabriel goes to a bar instead and makes eye contact with a go-go boy, Mark, (JP Pitoc). On his way home, he gets picked up by the go-go boy while at a subway station. Gabriel’s straight roommate is out, so he takes Mark to his apartment, only to find Katherine using his computer to print out her resume. Instead of taking a hint and leaving, she stays and chats.
By the time Katherine leaves and the two are about to get it on, Gabriel’s oversexed roommate arrives with his girlfriend and the two are kicked out on the street. And so begins the series of unfortunate and outrageous events that keep Gabriel and Mark roaming the city streets and falling in love in the process.
Some Thoughts:
Spelling plays the wannabe actress Katherine Lambert with annoying delight. When she’s in a scene, you know you’re going to grin and chuckle. Although Katherine knows that Gabriel is gay, she harbors a love for him. Spelling does a great job conveying Katherine’s feelings for Gabriel, so it’s never quite clear if she stays in Gabriel’s apartment to cock block him or because she’s clueless.
Campbell is perfect as the innocent Gabriel, who’s going out of his comfort zone to have sex with Mark. Campbell’s fresh face and wide eyes really drive his innocence home. He spends most of the movie either nervously chattering on or giving it his all to make the trick happen.
Although Pitoc has the look needed for the role of Mark, his acting leaves much to be desired. Luckily it doesn’t ruin the film because everything else works so well. The tight script and cast of quirky and horned out characters that inhabit New York nightlife make up for any shortcomings.
I also like that the setting is realistic. The apartment Gabriel shares is one room, with a bed and a sleep sofa. The studio where Gabriel workshops his music is old and needs a paint job. Gabriel also has an entry level office job to pay the bills.
As with most comedies, the laughs come more from the supporting cast than the main character. And the supporting cast in Trick is a delight. Every one of them knows the type of movie they’re in and plays it to the hilt.
Final Verdict:
Trick is a movie that builds upon itself. Each scene tops the pervious one for laughs and outrageousness before wrapping everything up between Garbiel and Mark. It’s a highly entertaining must-see comedy.
