Elliot Loves ***½ (2012, Fabio Costaprado, Quentin Araujo, Elena Goode, Guillermo Iván, Robin de Jesus) – Classic Movie Review 12,997

Elliot Loves (2012, Quentin Araujo, Elena Goode).

The 2012 American gay coming-of-age comedy drama film Elliot Loves is a funny, touching movie with a sweet vibe and two appealing performances from the young actors playing Elliot.

Writer/ director Terracino’s 2012 American gay coming-of-age comedy drama film Elliot Loves is a sweet, funny, touching movie with a really nice vibe, and two extremely appealing performances from the young actors playing Elliot.

It intertwines the two crucial stages of a Dominican-American boy’s life. Firstly as a young kid (Quentin Araujo) trying to bond with his attractive young single mother (Elena Goode), who makes all the wrong choices, especially in men, and is so desperate for love that she looks in all the wrong places and can’t offer it to her son. And then secondly as an idealistic 21-year-old gay man (Fabio Costaprado) living in New York City and desperately looking for true love.

Continually described as cute by men he meets, Elliot is always likeable, even adorable, but sometimes infuriating. He is so naÏve that he falls in love with just about any nice looking man he meets in no time flat, not bothering to check out their situations or who they really are. This is almost an A1 game plan for getting hurt. But, hey. he’s 21 years old.

His love gets quite dark and even violent when it isn’t returned, injecting a flavour of realism, though for all its cinema tricks, it remains entirely, convincingly realistic. But the film is a comedy, so most of it is upbeat and amusing, with a slightly sassy, satirical edge, and there’s going to be a happy, if bitter-sweet ending, with loads of tears to shed in a big final sequence emotional surge.

The film belongs to Fabio Costaprado and Quentin Araujo, but Elena Goode is outstanding too as Ma, the soul of the film if Elliot is the heart, and Elaine del Valle is a lot of fun as mouthy, campy Aunt Carmen, understandably Elliot’s favourite. Terracino’s writing is witty and wise, and his direction resolutely quirky, with animated sequences and boldly intercut scenes. It all works s treat.

It was made on a microbudget. All this for $77,000.

Actors: Fabio Costaprado, Quentin Araujo, Elena Goode, Alfredo Narciso, Elaine del Valle, Erin Fogel, Guillermo Iván, Jermaine Montell, Rafael Sardina, Robin de Jesús, Tillman Norsworthy, and Will Bethencourt.

Terracino’s next film is 10 years later, the 2022 Waking Up Dead.

Gary Michael Terracino was born on January 23, 1969 in Queens, New York.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,997

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com