Strapped
(Dir. Joseph Graham. US, 2010. 93 mins).
It’s down the rabbit hole in this highly recommended gay movie blending influences from David Lynch, My Own Private Idaho and Alice In Wonderland into a weird and wonderful one night stand.
The first hurdle
Strapped has to clear is how to make something fresh and original out of such a hackneyed gay movie subject: the young hustler. It does this by turning each of his successive tricks into a mysterious piece of a larger puzzle, keeping you hooked until the end.
We are introduced to the handsome hustler played by Ben Bonenfant (we never learn the character’s real name) as he breaks the ice with a nervous and inexperienced male client by relating a shocking personal story, which we later realise is probably fabricated and part of a temporary persona. It does the trick, though, and the client gets a memorable servicing.
Job done, our sexy anti-hero leaves but soon finds himself lost inside a labyrinthine apartment building, its maze of corridors, staircases and dead-ends leading him into a series of profound and sometimes strange encounters which test the man beneath all the masks.
Strapped is a fun movie to watch and writer/director Joseph Graham brings a playful approach to storytelling, making it in turns sexy, funny and thoughtful. The way the film simply moves from one apartment to another is a clever narrative structure which creates anticipation and delivers drama in the details.
Actor Bonenfant gives a stand-out performance as the hustler who subtly alters his personality to fit each client, adding to the intrigue and ensuring we never quite know who this guy is.
Strapped also has one of the sexiest scenes I’ve ever seen in a movie – gay or straight.
At one point in the film a worldly-wise character explains the subtle difference between a labyrinth and a maze; a labyrinth treacherously leading to just one, final destination. If you stick with this movie past its early Mad Hatter-esque scenes, you’ll be very glad you did.