Stevenson318 Review of Strapped

Strapped (2010)

"Strapped" is worth the visit: beautifully constructed and emotionally touching.

[10/10 · 17 November 2011]

The only flaw in the movie "Strapped" is its title, which elicits a gay porno more than the sweet emotional narrative it actually is. Yes, the story of a man allegorically making his way through life and finding himself in the end has been done before, but the framework of this story is beautifully constructed, and beautifully polished. It's unfortunate that this film is "strapped" with the classification of gay genre, and many straights will see it only as a disgusting homo erotic porn flick, when in actuality it is one of the better, if not the best, journey of life allegories I have ever seen. Unlike most straight guys, I am not bothered by gay sex. This allows me to transfer the emotions of the film into my own heterosexual domain, and allows me to see that love is love, and in a perfect world it wouldn't matter who you loved, nor would anyone mind who you loved. This movie touched me, and where some see ambiguity (an oft repeated criticism of the film), I see a precious vagueness which is the crux of human existence. "Strapped" is worth the visit, just like the apartment building, and life in general, is worth the visit. If the goal of the producers was for the audience to experience love, the mission was accomplished.