Is It Just Me? (2010)

Directed by: JC Calciano | 90 minutes | drama, comedy | Actors: Nicholas Downs, David Loren, Adam Huss, Michelle Laurent, Michael Donahue, Bob Rumnock, Bruce Gray, Christopher King, Keith Roenke, Bryce Blais, Christopher Tisa

If we have to believe what ‘Is It Just Me?’ trying to tell, it is very difficult for gay young men to get into a long-term relationship. At least in LA, where people in the gay scene are mainly out for one night stands and where looks are the only thing that counts. Leading actor Blaine (Nicholas Downs) has a hard time with it. Unlike his wildly attractive roommate Cameron (Adam Huss), who works as an actor in gay movies and dances in a Gogobar and who picks up one guy after another only to dump them just as hard the next day, he’s looking for something for it. in the long-term. And that is not easy if you are insecure and shy and struggle with a negative self-image.

When Blaine is on a gay dating site one night, he doesn’t really care, but he still ends up chatting with someone who turns out to be worth the effort. Like him, this Xander (David Loren) is not immediately out for an adventure, but turns out to be serious and rather interested in friendship, because he has just moved to Los Angeles. The boys agree to call each other and before they know it six hours have passed and they have not only gotten to know each other well, they also seem to have the same taste in music and film. They also spend the next evening on the phone. They agree to meet the next day, but when Blaine tries to log out, he is shocked to see that he is logged into Cameron’s account. That means Xander thinks he looks like his handsome roommate. Instead of calling him back and explaining the misunderstanding, Blaine sees no other way out than asking Cameron on the date and pretending to be him…

This implausible premise may be equally fun and interesting, to stretch this misunderstanding to fill the entire playing time, that is too much to ask. This was also apparent from ‘The Truth about Cats & Dogs’, which has a similar starting point. Cameron is his insufferable self, barely making an effort to pretend he’s Blaine. That Xander does not immediately recognize the voice of the boy with whom he chatted into the middle of the night two nights in a row is still up to now, but the biggest flaw in the plot is why Blaine does not immediately open up.

As improbable as the scenario, ‘Is It Just Me?’ looks away easily thanks to the reasonable acting and the sometimes nice dialogues. The two main characters deserve our sympathy and although you can predict the outcome, there is still some satisfaction when the happy ending follows. It’s just a shame that the other characters are so cliché: not only Blaine’s roommate Cameron, but also Xander’s older gay landlord knows nothing to surprise. Blaine’s straight best friend is also frustratingly trite. The film looks neat, despite the probably modest budget. Because the sparse jokes also miss the mark, ‘Is It Just Me?’ scores. not enough, but if you’re in the mood for a gay romcom that isn’t too deep, you should give this film a chance.