Strapped (2010) User Reviews

Lost and Found

[j-penkair · 7/10 · 11 September 2014]

There is no warning on how good this little film turns out to be. With a simple theme of a young handsome hustler getting "lost" in an apartment building, it goes on to portray different lives all familiar to an experienced gay man, and yet not dull and never predictable. A night in this young hustler's experience can analyze gays' psyche anywhere. Raw, sexy, emotional, without being too indulgent. At the end, one gets to ask oneself if he is getting lost, wanting to be lost, or simply arriving at home. Ben Bonenfant, as the hustler, is well-acted and well-directed. The boy is so believable as someone to be paid for sex. His facial expressions tell some complexity of being gay quite right. It is so nice to watch a film we can totally relate to. Thanks.

A very cerebral, intense character study

[Coralknight · 8/10 · 6 February 2017]

For a gay themed movie, this is extremely polished and well-done; perfect acting, great editing, compelling sound-track and most of all an excellent script with on-point dialogue. Given my review is "late in the game" I won't bother with a synopsis. I will say that for a plot of the day in the life of a male prostitute, this absolutely gave the viewer something extraordinary and atypical of the genre (because yes...it's been done before, as admitted in the film itself with the references to "My Own Private Idaho"). There are many layers to this film and in fact to the lead character, as we find out through his acting AND the dialogue that he indeed takes on the personas of the people he is about to have sex with (and he could only accomplish this if he were a very polished actor...which he definitely appears to be). This film delves into the human psyche and asks the question if we are ALL pretending/trying to be someone we are not/putting on a show for others. A very well done and IMHO underrated film.

Great little film

[jynx242 · 8/10 · 30 December 2011]

Saw this last night from Netflix. I'll be honest, I rented it because of male nudity (I'm not proud.) I am happy to say, that although the nudity was at a minimum really (especially for a film about a gay hustler) the film itself was just delightful. It was definitely a journey in self discovery and I enjoyed it from start to finish.

One little think kind of hit me the wrong way... Everyone in the film kept talking about the lead as being "So beautiful." I'll agree that he is handsome, but the longer haired gentleman in the final scene with him would qualify as "beautiful" for me. I know, I know...beauty is subjective, but that is the only not "glowing" thought I had after the film was over.

I would highly recommend this to, well, anyone.

Ignore the "Don't Watch" review

[niklioncourte · 26 July 2011]

It kills me when someone attempts to classify a movie as "gay" and/or "straight". If it falls into either of those categories it fails at being universal. I found this one, minus some of the raunchy dialogue, to be universal. If gays can love "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Pretty Woman", why can't straights love this? Hustler pretends to be whatever/whomever his male clients need, and discovers himself along the way. Is that really so taxing? Brief nudity in the beginning, sex that focuses solely on the facial expressions for the rest of the film, and some pretty rough/real dialogue. Really, too much for straights? I don't think so. The lead is perfect, the rest of the acting can be spotty, and there's a lot of verbal exposition(redundant?) Still an awesome film no matter the genre. When I saw the term "hustler listed in the description I almost passed, as I would "Coming of Age" or "HIV Positive" themed films, but this one is different. A gay guy figuring himself out. Cool flick.

Rather good - if it were a student's creation...

[BeneCumb · 6/10 · 25 January 2016]

Stories concerning different minorities include always some intrigues and scenes not comprehensible to "majority" audience, but if they are subject to general ideas and values, they obtain wide popularity and understanding. Here, in Strapped, the leading character becomes serene within a limited space and time, but still continuing hustling, and all this is not convincing to me. The types he meets are distinct and colorful, but the balance of their deeds and thoughts is often illogical (particularly with aging Sam, although their dialogue is the most interesting in the movie), and combining stereotypes, gay-4-pay elements and sophisticated reasoning does not always fit.

True, if we had do with a student work, it would be rated high, as the idea is distinct and most of acting is good, but as for a creation by a "ready-made" filmmaker - too pretentious and fabulous. Of course, I realize that I do not belong to the target audience, but so it seems that Strapped does not deal with human values in a general manner without leaving gay elements and attitudes too visible and "constraining".

A refreshing and amazing change from the typical

[jryer-962-449447 · 10/10 · 28 January 2011]

I love 'gay themed' indie films. But so frequently the story line is a drag, the characters often fuel those stereotypes about folks who lead alternate lifestyles.

In addition, I often find the acting to be blasé.

Such was not the case with Strapped. This is by far, one of the most beautifully written and acted films I think I have seen in awhile.

Newcomer Ben Bonenfant does an amazing job as he plays a young hustler 'finding himself' in a crazy mixed up world called 'life.' He is sexy and tender in this film and truly breathes life to the various facades he puts on as he 'hustles' his way lost through an apartment building.

The parallel of him being lost in this building and being lost in life really weaves an amazing balance as the story unfolds.

I truly was mesmerized by this film and felt it really was very well written, directed, and acted.

In fact I would add, I truly fell in love with all of the characters who each played their roles perfectly and well acted.

An excellent sexy but tender film.

So far my favorite movie of the film festival...

[CharlzNine-1 · 10/10 · 7 November 2010]

I just saw this film today at Reeling 29, the Chicago LGBT Film Festival. It's my favorite so far and I've seen MANY good, even great, films already. This one was just... great. Ben Bonenfant is an excellent lead in this film, too. I've never seen the short he was in before this, but going to try to find it somehow.

His acting was so good, I felt like I was watching a documentary. He/we learn something with every encounter in this film. I don't want to give anything away. I'm buying it as soon as it's out - actually I'm going to see if/when it's available.

Seriously, watch this movie and you'll feel like you accompanied Alice down the rabbit hole - except Alice is a hustler and the rabbit hole is, well... use your imagination.

Don't waste your time

[aleksandarsk · 1/10 · 30 December 2010]

I promise you I've seen porn movies with better plot. Actually, don't expect a plot, there is no any. No scene worth remembering either. The dialogs are the poorest you'll find in cinema. The characters lack any depth whatsoever. They are all one dimensional. This movie is intellectually offensive, visually poor, artistically waste of people's time. An eclectic, dysfunctional sum of terrible gay clichés (the hustler for example does everything except kiss. We haven't seen that before).

You may think, well, it might be a sexy movie worth watching for the actors and the sex scenes. Wrong. There is hardly a sex scene that the average gay viewer will find sexy. You will not see men making love or anything of that sort.

Shallow, empty, and very unintelligent movie on all levels. One highlight - the Russian guy in the first scene is beautiful to watch. Watch the first scene if you can and walk away.

The best gay movie I've seen in years.

[jim_baclagon · 10/10 · 2 January 2011]

the BEST gay-themed movie I've ever seen in a long time . Three words- Elegant, Erotic and Profound. Some might critic about the stereotypes in this movie, the episodic plot and the ambiguity of it all. But the amazing acting moves the episodes so smoothly, the Honesty of its material makes it more then just your run-of-the-mill gay themed movie.

Another plus for this movie, all the guys are hot and great acting. The ending scenes alone are quite awesome and the beginning scene really pulls you into what the movie is all about. It's a rare movie where it will make you horny and make you weep at the same time (if you get emotional at movies lol).

Ben Bonefant said in an interview: "It's like a gay man's Christmas Story" I couldn't agree more. Gritty and real and sometimes Dream-like Strapped manages to be This Unexpectedly moving movie about a gay Hustler, an emotional experience HIGHLY recommend it A+

Trapped

[jromanbaker · 3/10 · 11 October 2020]

Anyone trapped in a house prevented from leaving will feel a little bit claustrophobic about this film. Everyone is or seems to be improbably either bisexual or homosexual, and the most boring ' hustler ' I have ever seen portrayed on screen, except perhaps the miscast Warren Beatty in ' The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone '. Vivien Leigh made that film almost a perfect film, but there is no one in this cast of that calibre. There is a gerontophile scene which was heartening, and clearly well meant, but an image of an arrow filled St, Sebastien ruined it. Clearly this is an LGBT film, but it it did not work for me. I lost count of the number of people our lead actor bumps into and the dialogue seemed endless. There is nothing visual that interested me and somehow I found it incredible that everyone the lead actor meets wants sex with him. A very, very strange microcosm of the homosexual world that I did not respond to, and I give it a 3 for the actor who wants a kiss. I will give no spoilers how that turns out. Some people I know love this film, so reviewers I could well be wrong about the kind of original concept of the scenario.

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

[Stevenson318 · 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.

Astonishingly good

[jm10701 · 13 January 2011]

An astonishing, spectacularly good little movie - much, MUCH better than anybody has words to say. Sexy and poetic, lyrical and heartbreaking and soaring. It is as mundane as a leaking roof and as wide and glorious as the universe. To say it is about a hustler turning tricks is like saying the Odyssey is about a guy who got stuck in traffic on the way home.

Its minor flaws, so tiny they are almost insignificant - sloppy camera focus in crucial scenes, occasionally ponderous dialog, the total lack of tongues during the all-important kiss - simply make it better, realer, more human, as tiny flaws in great works of art always do.

If I could have seen only one gay movie in all my life, this is the one I would want it to be.

Hustler-saint

[Laakbaar · 9/10 · 7 October 2012]

What is it about prostitutes? Their beauty, of course. Another part of it is their easy sexuality and availability. They have no hangups. (Well, not many anyway.) Everyone wants to do it with them, so why not charge for it? Another part of it is this ridiculous fantasy about "converting" them from sex machines into cuddling lovers.

I'm sure someone has written about this as a cinematic theme. It's not a gay/straight thing. It's a prostitute thing. Gays are as fascinated by prostitutes as anyone else. And of course a hustler movie is always going to have some decent eye candy and eroticism.

Well, this is a particularly good example of the genre. We follow a young gay hustler (well played by Ben Bonenfant) as he meets, and has sex with, a number of people who live in a single apartment building.

Our nameless hustler is disingenuous and guileless (for a hustler) but engaging and quite adorable. He is not an injured soul to be used and discarded. Fortunately he seems to lack the background traumas that drive most hustlers. He is a blank slate as he f*cks his way through the apartment building, learning and growing as he goes along. Each client is a revelation. Yes, he's doing it for the money--but there's something else going on there. He's devastatingly good at his work. Our innocent beauty may be a little lost, but he bestows each client with the sacrament needed.

The director slowly reveals some of the face behind the mask, as the hustler-hero explores the various interesting aspects of this gay world. Is he trapped in the apartment building? Is it actually his home? Or is it a temporary way-stop on the journey to a conventional life? You see, he's gay, but not gay gay.

In one memorable scene, when asked how old he is, he compares himself to fresh-cut flowers; that's how he feels of course. In the bloom of his youth. However, his older, wise and worldly client points to a painting depicting a beautiful St Sebastian and points out that the hustler is more like that, young in body but an age old theme, the beautiful but wounded saint.

A captivating and surprisingly intelligent and moving movie. Let's hope Joseph Gordon makes more like this.

So why does this film get only 6.5 on IMDb?? It's inexplicable. Don't let that dissuade you from seeing it.

Hilarious

[yourmamanumber · 1/10 · 31 August 2018]

It's so funny! Even though it's not supposed to be lol.

Eerie and romantic

[dwp-08886 · 10/10 · 28 January 2016]

Eerie, expressionistic tale of a young hustler who somehow can't leave the building where he has come to serve a client. Hallways twist and turn and dead-end, and instead of finding his way out, he keeps stumbling into one odd, desperate life after another. Yet the point of view is compassionate and curious. The young man matures and learns as he goes, an especially touching and wondrous process. The film is driven by a superb, understated performance by Ben Bonenfant, a regional theater star (with a specialty in Shakespeare) who is not often seen in films. He helps bring it all together beautifully. Director Joseph Graham (Beautiful Something) makes a powerful visual statement about the tenderness, vulnerability and need of lives that seem perverse or on the edge. Dare I say it, in the end the weirdness becomes heartwarming. A stunning achievement.

Honest and intelligent, as the poster says

[sandover · 6 September 2011]

In fact I would call it a triumph for TLA (for the company is as conceited as FOCUS, on another level): this is a nice little film, obviously crafted with care, even if it has its missteps, and a problematic end.

Ben Bonenfant, is truly a good boy! He can put on his various personas in a way the film profits from, and does not get obvious, or too allegory-laden. As it is the Lynch smell of the labyrinthine building is as much allegory one wishes for, and, hey! now that I think of it, Eraserhead as a pun may give us the guideline of this pilgrim's progress.

The most touching, in fact the film's anchoring scene was the encounter with the old gay man who almost glows with polemical significance when on screen; a really magnetic presence. And since I get weary with the word wisdom, the exchange between the two of them, gives us I think a graceful moment, when two generations almost at the edge of the spectrum meet. I have rarely encountered it in a film ringing so simple and true. Thank you.

All the stories that revolve around are well done, but the end is somewhat problematic. Was I the only one to get the comic effect when the writer gets what he wants and jumps onto his writing, inspired and - actually - self-absorbed? The irony here is too strong to be saved, or convinced by a happy ending. Even the protagonist seems reluctant about this, having made his choice. In the end he seems more of a worthy erotic object than the somewhat pathetic writer. The pitch of the pre-kiss scene seems borrowing on the sensitivity after "Shortbus", and comes off too good for its sentiments. I for one was more in tune with the haunted peregrinations tonality, or at least I would prefer the irony, or rather the common need to bond, not to fall back halfway on our amiable protagonist.

A must for your collection.

[rafiii · 9/10 · 2 February 2011]

Having never heard of this film or any of the actors, I was hesitant to sit through another "gay hustler" story. I'm thankful I did.

Ditto on all the adjectives used by the other reviewers who enjoyed Strapped. This film is fresh. I knocked off 1 star because of a few technical flaws, though they don't detract from the story. This is a definite DVD purchase for my library.

I don't believe they were, but I question whether or not the themes may have been too Americanized. Our esteemed reviewer from Russia doesn't share my opinion and I accept that people are looking for different things from the movie experience.

Does not disappoint!

[phil-penny · 8/10 · 20 May 2020]

A little bit of everything. Including an ending I enjoyed very much.

Beautiful

[Remy_Azhary · 10/10 · 6 November 2013]

The whole man-whore/hustler theme about this film is just a backdrop to what is more important as a message put in this film.

Sure, there are scenes of sexual escapades but there's also an analytical perspective to the story. This film is more of a journey of a young man as he 'hustled' through the supposedly maze-like apartment building (as he'd called it) and met with different and interesting characters throughout the movie, and of course his sexual escapades ensued.

The brilliance about this film is that it's more like an anthology account of the man's journey from sexual encounter to the next and lessons in life that he gained from each one of them. Even though the story took place at a span of one night we could see the man's growing maturity and his take on life and love. And what's clever about it is that his learning phase never felt rushed.

To add to that, the hustler showed that he was quite a learned person as he could read body languages and even recognize a small figurine of a griffin that I suppose not many people would know about.

As hot as each of the sexual scenes was the 'sex' part served as merely the backdrop to the man's incredible journey in finding purpose to his life.

All in all, I'd say this is one film critics and people should not overlook. I just wish I could see the continuation of the relationship between the young man and Gary.

Fantastic

[moiestatz · 23 September 2011]

We sometimes feel like we are lost, alone, and confused. Why not? Life is a labyrinth of trials, much like the building that the protagonist gets lost (literally and figuratively) in. Mistaking one path for another is easy, terrifying, and painful. Each path has friends and enemies, angels and demons. But if we're lucky enough, brave enough, we just might let someone in. Getting lost finding the way seems less scary.

Strapped is one of the most excellent films I have watched in quite a while. The writing is excellent, the direction is excellent, the acting is excellent. I have so much more to say about the intelligence, the symbolism, the honesty, the multi-layered profundity, the heart, and the life-affirming testament that is this film; however, why spoil all the fun for you?

A life time played in one building

[guanyuu · 8/10 · 18 October 2013]

I admire TAL-Releasing brand in the entertainment business and their dedication to focus on LGBT issues in their work; we still need that in our era but I got to admit that some of their titles are way too shallow and depend on mere sexual plots without a solid core; this movie isn't one of them.

The movie start chic with a good-looking, even sexy, main lead (even guys who are not into twinks would agree) who work as a hustler. After his session with a client, he tried to locate the building exit not knowing that the next turn would bring him more existing encounters.

I should firstly praise the director's work, he really tried to squeeze the talent from his actors, an effort quite shown throughout the film. The lightning might be a bit dim but I found it matching most of the atmospheres in the movie. The movie has a timeless vibe - watchers from different times could still relate to the movie stories and the events has a sense of dream-like effect which add to the artistic value of this work. The sex scenes aren't really explicit comparing to other movies in the same genre or with similar story-line. I'll give them in terms of intensity 6 out of 10; I find this quite refreshing.

The movie has a message, for viewers who like this kind of things. Still, you could enjoy it with no need to analyze the events. It could be a personal story for the protagonist or for you, it is your choice.

I recommend it for a quite night view or with a new date.

This is not your average hustler movie...

[sammie-hartman · 10/10 · 23 November 2012]

If you have seen one gay hustler movie you have seen them all, right? Well, not any more! For the past year I have seen the movie "Strapped" come up in my searches over and over but never had the desire to watch it after reading the synopsis. Finally I gave in and watched it and am soooo glad that I did.

"Strapped" is the story of a hustler(Ben Bonenfant) who somehow gets lost in the hallways trying to leave his john's apartment. The people that he encounters during his 'loss of direction' provide him with little tidbits of realization that eventually leads him to a turning point in his puzzle of life.

An hour into the movie I found myself verbally cheering when the old man says, "guys like me fought on the front lines (of the gay movement) so guys like you can feel so ambivalent". The script is beyond phenomenal with actors that deliver it in a superb fashion. The lighting, direction, cinematography, editing and all the other aspects that make a great film are there as well.

Ben Bonenfant, 21, is a college student in Colorado with an extensive background in theater which shows in his portrayal from the moment the movie opens right up to the life changing end.

Amazing.

[ifebada · 8/10 · 26 April 2016]

A hustler who works his way through an apartment complex shedding each layer of himself to appease his lovers. The film explores man's sexual appetite. From physical lust to emotional longing, it uncovers the different types of sexual relationship. Amidst this hustler's apathetic sexual transactions lies the potential for love. This movie is not for everyone. If you're eyes demand a quick f*ck - look to porn. If you're looking for a mind f*ck - a complex and gripping emotional hurricane that is both raw and unapologetic. This is your movie. One that tells a story yet leaves much to interpretation. It requests of its audience to do more than gaze but engage in this work of art. Truly Amazing.

Boring at first, but improves steadily

[Gordon-11 · 9 March 2011]

This film is about a hustler who gets into one encounter after another in an apartment building, somewhere in America.

The writer of "Strapped" put a lot of effort into making a plot that has a message. It is about a man who looks for sexual adventures continuously. He never looks back on his past encounters. Fortune has it that he has five encounters with different individuals who are wildly different from one another. These clients, and the different ways the hustler interacts with them add depth to the plot. The final encounter is the emotionally satisfying, as the hustler finally finds that special magic that transforms him. "Strapped" is a little boring at first, but steadily improves throughout the film.

One To Watch

[HoldenSpark · 10/10 · 19 December 2019]

There's something about "Strapped". For those who enjoy movies with a gay theme, this is a very good movie to take time and watch. For those who are gay you will recognize certain things in this movie. For those who are gay and old you will most certainly recognize things in this movie.

"Strapped" doesn't answer all the questions it poses, but it doesn't need to, as you'll see.

Watch "Strapped". It's worth the look.