The trick is to love somebody

review

BLUEPRINT

LAST TIME WE talked about Wrecked, a film with more sex than a Guys Go Crazy video, and about as much soul as Paris Hilton. The opposite is true of Blueprint, a film as notable for its lack of sex as it is for its enormous heart.

Funnily enough, I'd watched Spencer Schilly's The Houseboy just days before, the best thing about which was the charming Blake Young-Fountain. I wanted to see more of him, and lo and behold, here he is as one of two leads in Kirk Shannon-Butts' directorial debut, Blueprint.

Damion Omar Lee plays Nathan, the brash opposite to Young-Fountain's introverted Keith. Initially its hard to like either character: Keith is uptight and conservative, Nathan rude and crude. But as their journey progresses, the viewer can't help but quickly warm to the polar opposite college boys (mirroring, perhaps, the slow-burning course the boys' relationship takes). By the film's conclusion, we're fully immersed in their story, desperately hoping for a happy ending.

Lee and Young-Fountain carry the film on their shoulders - it's essentially a two-hander - and do so admirably, each slowly betraying their characters' vulnerabilities. Lee is particularly strong, his telephone conversation with his father a particular highlight in his performance.

Blueprint isn't what you might expect it to be. Understated, thoughtful, and thought-provoking, this taut little gem is more than deserving of your attention - and, perhaps, a place in your heart...

(Oh, and the record playing over the closing credits is To The Moon With Uche by Baron. Few things can win a movie buff's undying devotion more than a really smashing closing theme!)

Visit Flickeria to watch Blueprint.

Eduardo Guize interviews Kirk Shannon-Butts.

Blueprint on Facebook.

Blueprint on MySpace Films.

Title quote: "The trick is to love somebody... If you love one person, you see everybody else differently." James Baldwin, American writer, 1924-87.