A gay young boxer from the North finds love and disillusionment in trendy London in "Like It Is," a respectable lowbudgeter from first-time director Paul Oremland that mostly steers a refreshing middle path between gaucheness and grandstanding.
A gay young boxer from the North finds love and disillusionment in trendy London in “Like It Is,” a respectable lowbudgeter from first-time director Paul Oremland that mostly steers a refreshing middle path between gaucheness and grandstanding. Though the story is hardly original, natural perfs and smooth production values help to bolster the slim pic, which has been ticking over on one London screen since mid-April following its preem at the London Lesbian & Gay fest the month prior.
Related Stories
VIP+Generative AI & Licensing: A Special Report
Dana Carvey Breaks Down 'SNL' Biden Impression: How Saying 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and Channeling His Dad Led Him to the Perfect Voice
Craig (British amateur featherweight champ Steve Bell) is an introverted guy who scrapes a living in illegal bare-knuckle fights inbetween mooning around his home town, Blackpool, and spatting with his brother (Christopher Hargreaves). He knows he doesn’t like girls but has yet to discover men — until he meets record producer Matt (Ian Rose), up North to promote sexpot club singer Paula (Dani Behr). Matt and Craig’s coitus is suddenly interruptus when the latter has second thoughts, but Matt extends an open invitation to the kid if he’s ever down south.
Popular on Variety
Craig takes Matt at his word and turns up on his doorstep one day in London, and soon the two are a pair — much to the growing discomfort of Paula, who lodges platonically in Matt’s house and feels he’s being sidetracked from developing her career. A further fly in the ointment is Matt’s predatory gay boss, Kelvin (Roger Daltrey), who tries to split up the couple and promises Matt a management job at a new club he’s opening. Matt’s philandering tendencies also strain his relationship with the naive northerner.
The movie’s biggest plus is the complete naturalness in the way gay relationships are depicted, sans the usual angst and mostly without any preachiness. Occasionally, Robert Gray’s script falls off the wagon — as in a scene of gay-baiting in a bar — but generally the story is played lightly and with good humor. Rose is fine as the assured Soho-ite, and newcomer Bell gives a good showing as the shy but steely Blackpooler. Behr, a well-known tabloid personality in Blighty, adds color as the temperamental club diva, and veteran Daltrey, overacting just a tad, has some good-natured fun as the ruthless diskery exec. Pic is pretty light on substance, and doesn’t plumb any depths, but overall is an OK time-passer.
Read More About:
Jump to CommentsLike It Is
British
More from Variety
Michael Che Warned Colin Jost About One ‘SNL’ Punchline and Said ‘If You Tell That Joke on Air, I’m Quitting the Show’; the Joke Then Became a Hit: ‘I Was Furious’
Virtual Production Growth in Focus at IBC Event
Spirit Halloween Playfully Roasts ‘SNL’ After Fake Ad Sketch by Calling It an ‘Irrelevant 50-Year-Old Show’ With ‘Shrinking Ratings’ and ‘Unknown Cast’
‘Saturday Night Live’: Weekend Update Takes Aim at Diddy’s Legal Troubles, Daniel Day-Lewis’ New Acting Role and More
New Live Music Data Suggests Cautious Optimism
‘SNL’ Reveals Jim Gaffigan as Tim Walz, Andy Samberg as Doug Emhoff, Dana Carvey as Joe Biden in Cold Open With Maya Rudolph’s Kamala Harris
Most Popular
Inside the 'Joker: Folie à Deux' Debacle: Todd Phillips ‘Wanted Nothing to Do’ With DC on the $200 Million Misfire
‘Kaos’ Canceled After One Season at Netflix
‘Menendez Brothers’ Netflix Doc Reveals Erik’s Drawings of His Abuse and Lyle Saying ‘I Would Much Rather Lose the Murder Trial Than Talk About Our…
Kathy Bates Won an Oscar and Her Mom Told Her: ‘You Didn't Discover the Cure for Cancer,’ So ‘I Don't Know What All the Excitement Is About…
Saoirse Ronan Says Losing Luna Lovegood Role in ‘Harry Potter’ Has ‘Stayed With Me Over the Years’: ‘I Was Too Young’ and ‘Knew I Wasn't Going to Get…
‘Joker 2’ Director Says Arthur Fleck Was Never Joker: ‘He's an Unwitting Icon’ and Joker Is ‘This Idea That Gotham People Put on Him…
‘Joker 2’ Axed Scene of Lady Gaga’s Lee Kissing a Woman at the Courthouse Because ‘It Had Dialogue in It’ and ‘Got in the Way’ of a Music…
Andrew Garfield Says Sex Scene With Florence Pugh in ‘We Live in Time’ Went a ‘Little Bit Further’ Than Intended: ‘We Never Heard Cut…
‘Skyfall’ Director Sam Mendes Says James Bond Studio Prefers Filmmakers ‘Who Are More Controllable’: ‘I Would Doubt’ I’d…
Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried to Star in ‘The Housemaid’ Adaptation From Director Paul Feig, Lionsgate
Must Read
- Film
COVER | Sebastian Stan Tells All: Becoming Donald Trump and Starring in 2024’s Most Controversial Movie
By Andrew Wallenstein 3 weeks
- TV
Menendez Family Slams Netflix’s ‘Monsters’ as ‘Grotesque’ and ‘Riddled With Mistruths’: ‘The Character Assassination of Erik and Lyke Is Repulsive…
- TV
‘Yellowstone’ Season 5 Part 2 to Air on CBS After Paramount Network Debut
- TV
50 Cent Sets Diddy Abuse Allegations Docuseries at Netflix: ‘It’s a Complex Narrative Spanning Decades’ (EXCLUSIVE)
- Shopping
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Sets Digital and Blu-ray/DVD Release Dates
Sign Up for Variety Newsletters
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Variety Confidential
ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9mhnqEjp%2BgpaVfp7K3tcSwqmikmaCybrXTZqCsZWFnfXGAlGxtbmxf