Weekly Review -- Love before all

Longtime Companion (1989) -- The first wide release film to deal with the subject of AIDS and its impact on the gay community, this Norman René work is a heartfelt ode to the lost generation. René takes an intimate approach to the story, examining the early years of the epidemic through its devastating effect on a group of friends. 

The story starts in 1981. We are introduced to the protagonists, including personal trainer Willy (Campbell Scott), screenwriter Sean (Mark Lamos) and his partner David (Bruce Davison) and actor Howard (Patrick Cassidy). As the group find out about a new virus that is reportedly only attacking gay males, they alternate between fear and aloofness, panic and dismissal. Without information or assistance from the medical community, they slowly start succumbing to the virus, as their families are forced to helplessly watch them wither away...

The title comes from the era's description of AIDS victims' surviving same sex partners, who would never be acknowledged outright. Craig Lucas's screenplay pays a lot of attention to the ignorance surrounding the outbreak -- from the cruel, offensive and illogical "gay cancer" handle to the initial segregation of patients. Contrary to works like And the Band Played On, which delve into different perspectives on handling the crisis, René's film focuses on a close-knit group of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary, horrific circumstances. The chronicle set-up marking the passage of time is the perfect way to show the urgency and tragedy of the situation. As the years go by, the men realize that death is inevitable, and that there is no way to tell when it will strike next. From some of the neutral exchanges among the friends and the occasional optimism that they express, one can extract shreds of hope nestled within pure shock and denial. How can one ever lose hope, even in the midst of demise? It is in our nature to stare adversity in the eye and order it to move out of our path. Hope and longing is the good omen that carries Longtime Companion, making it not only a timeless cinema piece, but also a contemplative slice of history.

On another note, René offers a unique view of grief, always a complex emotion for art to examine. Ever-present throughout the storyline, the sentiment shows the group's isolation and, symbolically, the isolation of the gay community during the outbreak. Not only are the friends dealing with the danger of HIV and general prejudice, it also seems that their pain is insular, restricted to their inner circle. Apart from one of the characters' sister, they appear to be closed off from a world that does not understand their circumstances and does not particularly want to. Their anguish appears to be a foreign entity to the heterosexual and heteronormative populations, which fail to realize in the beginning that a virus does not choose sexual orientation. 

The cast is, for lack of a better word, brilliant. Davison creates an engaging, sympathetic character with his portrayal of David, a carefree socialite whose boyfriend becomes ill. Davison and Lamos's last few scenes are extremely poignant; Lamos himself is incredible as a creative, vivacious man whose life is cut short. Campbell Scott is excellent as a man who sees his circle of friends come apart and the always affecting Mary-Louise Parker is both subtle and ferocious as a sister of one of the men.    

Sometimes beauty is mere aesthetics, a sight pleasing to the eye. Sometimes it is internal or external, a factor that adds to the joy of experience. Real beauty, however, is courage within heartbreak and hope when none is given, both elements that make Longtime Companion the captivating and important film it is. In the past three decades, we have come far in our search for the AIDS cure and in recognizing same sex relationships, but not far enough. There are still longtime companions out there; there is still irrational fear, blind hatred and silent judgment. Until the world wakes up and until some people realize that love cannot be defined by gender, we are going to remain hostages to ideas that drag humanity into the past instead of propelling us into the future.

10/10