Peridot

The narrative of a sex worker with a heart of gold has been explored many times now in many films, but this feels like a sanitized version of the trade. He is a polished speaker, dealing with his own issues and problems; but the film never rises beyond what it should. The heart is in right place, but there is never any drama to have audiences get more invested in the plot. It has a very hot camera film feel and somewhere feels way too simple of a story to be made a film of.

Handsome young hustler Gabriel works the grimy streets of Los Angeles with a group of colorful friends. He even steals money from his male clients, something that he has made a habit of, since he needs to send money back to his mother for financial support. One day at a train platform, he meets Martha, a friendly older widow who hires him to spend time with her during the holidays to just sit and talk. The first meeting goes fine and it's the first time, Gabriel leaves the money on the table. He eventually finds out that she is a writer and famous author and he reaches out o her again. Escaping their separate situations, the two take a trip to the coast. As he reads her memoir and learns more about her, Gabriel makes notes in his journal and begins to think about his own future. Turns out Gabriel likes to write and in Martha he finds an unlikely mentor, a guide and a friend. But he also continues to feel like his life is heading toward a dead end. He got beaten up by a client from whom he regularly stole. In a short of events, he lives hustling and gets a job of bartending and in an emotional finale learns that Martha passed away of sickness.

Almost nothing in the film is properly built up. We are shown everything from far. Gabriel never really is shown to have sex with his male clients, instead he is now an expert in dodging sex and stealing money from them, which feels way too easy. But the film never explores or shows us the harsh reality of street hustler's life. It's only when a friend of Gabriel does of overdose, Gabriel rethinks his life. Similarly, even his relationship with Martha never gets fully built up. It all just feels very superficial. The performances also were quite average. Gabriel seems like a very polished individual, extremely good looking, but we never get to know why he is working streets, why does he insist on sending money to his mother or what his character's background is. As a result, you never really connect with the audience. It's a shame since the actor playing Gabriel is also the director of the film, and it seems he is too busy not to hide his good looks. Much of the film is assembled from random clips edited together into montages, often in slow motion. But overall the film is clunky, with a half-baked plot (I am not sure what was the messaging) and some awkward performances; I am not even sure if the film qualifies to be reviewed as a queer film, because all we see in the film is Gabriel catering to gay clients for sex, which actually never happens. The romantic comedy version of a similar subject 'Good Luck to You, Leo Grande' was lot more fun. This one can be missed. (3.5/10)