Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
Everything is Free is a drama about homophobia, sexual identity, and acceptance.
Ivan (Brian Jordan Alvarez) is an American artist living in Colombia whose best friend, Christian (Peter Vack) visits with his brother, Cole (Morgan Krantz), who are both straight. Everything is going well until Cole comes on to Ivan and ignites Christian’s once hidden homophobia. And from there, the drama begins.
Some Thoughts:
Everything is Free is a departure from comedy for Alvarez, who wrote and directed the film. Alvarez’s previous projects, The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo, and most recently the FX show, English Teacher, have earned him much deserved praise for his comedic whit. However, his first foray into drama shows the extent of his talent.
The look, mood, and pacing would be more at home in a comedy than a drama, and the plot feels forced. The film is filled with the same quirky characters Alvarez is known for, but they don’t fit in with a serious movie. And because of that, the story feels disjointed from its surroundings.
In order for this story to work, you have to believe that Ivan’s best friend, Christian, is homophobic and that Ivan never knew it. And to make the story more confusing, why would a homophobe who questions his brother’s sexuality have them stay with his openly gay best friend? If this was a comedy it might work–although that’s also a stretch–but this is a serious film.
There’s also no chemistry between Alvarez and Krantz, which makes the story feel even more fake. And since there’s no heat between them, their desire to be together is suspect.
Then there’s the issue with Christian threatening to beat up Ivan if he has sex with Cole. Why would Ivan allow them to continue living with him if his life is in danger? The threat comes out of nowhere and feels quite real, so why would he not throw them out?
I think Alvarez had something he wanted to say with this film, but didn’t know how to go about it. So instead of telling a story with a clear message, he gives us a sloppy, disjointed mess. The plot makes no sense and the characters lack motivation. It’s a shame he didn’t play to his strengths.
The Final Verdict:
Everything is Free is a drama that fails on every count. If you’ve seen English Teacher and want to see what else Alvarez has to offer, look elsewhere.