Beautifully directed by Q. Allan Brocka (Eating Out), Boy Culture is fast paced and maintains a visually rich, assured rhythm throughout. The stylistic choices underscore the sometimes harsh, but always seductive narration provided by the film's lead, a charismatic callboy known only as "X." You see, these are his confessions.

Wait, "callboy" may be a little severe. X (Derek Magyar), is no street trash. He's well educated and articulate, a savvy sexual entrepreneur who charges top dollar for his expert services. This hunk knows how to push anybody's buttons, and maintains a very limited list of select clients. While he'd clearly have what it takes to succeed in some other line of work, X just happens to prefer selling his bod. Or so he says. But could it really be that simple? And if so, what seems to be eating at him lately? Is it boy trouble? Wait, more complicated... He seems to be falling in love with his roommate, Andrew (Darryl Stephens) a somewhat diffident and distant beauty who disapproves of X's hustling. Not that he'd mind sleeping with X. But X doesn't want just a casual affair. Sex is his business, in his private life he wants the real deal: a man who belongs to him, body and soul, and vice-versa. Except meanwhile, he doesn't want to give up hooking.

Then there's the other roommate, gorgeous 18-year-old Joey (Jonathon Trent), who could not be more sweetly adorable despite having morals somewhat looser than an alley cat's. And check out that ass--there's a total bare-butt scene. But Joey of course is crushing on X. (Or as the author of the source novel, Matthew Rettenmund, put it: " The movie is a classic love story, except everybody has their hard-ons pointed at the wrong people." (A confession of my own: I lifted that quote from Michael Musto's column in The Village Voice.)

But the real catalyst that's gonna stir things up is X's new client, an elegant old gent named Gregory (Patrick Bauchau), with more than a few issues of his own: he hasn't left his luxurious home since the death of his lover, years ago; he is clearly attracted to X, but while he pays for his services he is unwilling to have sex with him until the attraction is mutual, and, well... let's just say that there's a lot more to Gregory than meets the eye. The reminiscences X and Gregory exchange during their chaste sessions (we see flashbacks of each of their first loves) provide some of the most poignant moments in the film, probably because it's impossible not to have a bittersweet flashback of your own. And of course these scenes give us hints at what informs these two characters' psyches. (Oh, and speaking of psyches, just so you're not wracking your brain wondering where you've seen Mr. Bauchau before, he plays the blind mystic in the HBO cult fave "Carnivale".)

At 26, with 10 years of hustling under his belt, X seems poised at a crossroads, in both his professional and personal life. How this transition plays out will determine more than one fate. While the story itself takes place (mostly) within the confines of Seattle's "Boys Town," the story explores universal issues--like love, and trust and being brave enough to take a chance. The direction is sure and skillful, the acting amazing, the dialogue real and fresh and funny. Fueled by sex and punctuated with tons of laughs, Boy Culture grabs you from the get-go.   From beginning to end, I was entertained, inspired and moved by this film--which seems to be the majority opinion. With rave reviews and building buzz, it seems poised to find the cross-over success it deserves.

Related Reading
Eating Out
Latter Days
You I Love

Review by Gordon Wallace