2024 Entry #31 02-12-24 “Just Say Love” is 2009 romantic drama film which was co-written by David J. Mauriello (based on his play); directing & starring co-writer Bill Humphreys. It’s essentially a filmed version of the play in which Guy (Matthew Jaeger) & Doug (Robert Mammana) meet and begin a sexual relationship that grows into much more.
So, I watched this months ago (I’m writing this in April) and I remember enjoying it. I had owned it for many years but never seen it. I was surprised to see the way it was filmed and its artificial setting. The performances were pretty good and I was entertained. I would have known it was a play even if it had been produced more like a film; there’s something about the dialogue. I often know when a film is based on a play, or I at least suspect it, based on the dialogue. I also remember not feeling like all of the dialogue works, unfortunately. It’s definitely trying to make a point and it’s a valiant attempt but I just don’t think it resonates with the power that it is obviously meant to, and that discrepancy hurt my reaction to it, even if I enjoyed the piece overall. If you really like plays, this is worth checking out, but I can’t totally recommend it either.