Like You Mean It

2015

Drama

Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 44%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled 44% · 50 ratings
IMDb Rating 5.7/10 10 823 823

relationship problems relationship lgbt gay theme

Plot summary

When Mark commits to falling back in love with Jonah, he is forced to look at himself with unprecedented courage and honesty.

Director

Philipp Karner Photo
Philipp Karner

Top cast

Denver Milord Photo
Denver Milord as Jonah
Kimberly Alexander Photo
Kimberly Alexander as Newscaster
Adrian Quinonez Photo
Adrian Quinonez as Craig
Jeff Lorch Photo
Jeff Lorch as Auditioner
720p.WEB
828.18 MB
1280*546
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 30 min
Seeds ...

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by 7 / 10

Holding out

I've been giving this film a bit of thought since I saw it last week. Like You Mean It is a subtle, interesting film and I definitely recommend that you see it. Philipp Karner, writes, directs and plays the lead role in a slice-of-life about a gay couple whose relationship is put under the microscope as frustrated actor Mark starts to withdraw from intimacy, leaving his long-suffering boyfriend confused and hurt. The script is naturalistic with some sparkling, well-observed dialogue and strong performances from the actors, particularly in the cameo parts. The film is lovingly crafted and the use of audio to create ambiance and a sense of space is outstanding. The narrative pace is nicely judged and is punctuated by scenes of Mark driving around his home town, alternately attempting to save and sabotage his relationship, all the while ignoring calls from his sister back in Austria. The niggling flaw with the film is what gets left unsaid. There are hints of past medical issues, there are hints that Mark's relationship with his family is problematic but none of this is called out explicitly. When the resolution comes we're left unsatisfied and wondering why. Like Mark, the director is holding out on his audience, and while on the whole the unfolding tale is subtly and elegantly told it just falls short of creating sufficient motive to explain his character's actions. That said the film is an absorbing 90 minute window onto the world of a struggling couple, raises some interesting questions about how we undermine ourselves and is elegantly sketched. I'll definitely be looking out for more from Philipp Karner.
Reviewed by 7 / 10

Slow - but interesting

Reviewed by 7 / 10

Thoughtful drama of a gay couple at a crossroads.

This is a good film. On the surface it is about a gay couple struggling to stay together, but it is actually about one-half of this couple.Mark, played by LIKE YOU MEAN IT'S writer/director, Philipp Karner, doesn't merely have difficulty committing, he has increasing difficulty communicating with anyone. His character is interesting, especially in that, as a professional actor, auditioning generally for voice-over assignments, he must use a wide variety of voices. That English is not his native language, and though he has mastered an infinite variety of American accents, he is finding himself unable to continue.Jonah, his boyfriend, played by Denver Milord, is a struggling musician. What is very subtle about this movie is that it shows us typical tensions a gay couple experiences but demonstrates a unique element: Post-traumatic stress disorder. Jonah, an intelligent man, is helpless to reach Mark, whose relationship to his estranged father is the backdrop to this couple's crisis.It is well-acted and photographed, and unlike a lot of movies which have entertainers as main characters, it shows what they do. We see that Mark isn't just an actor down on his luck. We see him auditioning and we realize he's good. When Jonah sings to Mark one night, at Mark's request, we are shown that he is good and that he is doing the sort of music heard today. This adds to the realism.LIKE IT IS is as thoughtful as any story by John Updike or Joyce Carol Oates. The short story may be the form which has most influenced this film. In my view, that is a plus.
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