Gurlyndrobb
While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.
Neive Bellamy
Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.
Billy Ollie
Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable
johnffurth
I watched Parting Glances last night after seeing it 30 years ago. I had forgotten how much this movie played a part in determining the course of my life. The power it had over me then came back in a rush last night.I was living in Germany in 1986 and after watching the film I knew I had to break up with my boyfriend at the time return to NYC and get my MBA. After another stint working in Germany post-MBA I met the man who has been my life partner for 22 years now. He grew up on the UWS and I thought he was the most handsome man I had ever met. I returned again to NYC. I hate to say something so cheesy but I felt we were like Michael and Robert in the film - although my love for Curtis hasn't changed in all the time we've been together.The characters and the situation in the movie capture the mood in NYC of the mid-80's - both the good and the bad. NYC has changed so much since then and in many ways I long for what seems to me to have been a freer time and place, despite the tragedy of AIDS that was taking place.
avgjoedc
It's hard to believe how cutting edge this film was in the '80s. It dealt with a disease that was still misunderstood and not given its final name, but it explored so much more. The fact that the central couple is gay is irrelevant in the way it shows the effect of strong friendships in the wake of true, committed relationships and the sacrifices both endure to remain strong (gay or straight). People now watch it for Steve Buscemi - who was excellent - but the brilliant Richard Ganoung, subtle John Bolger, Kathy Kinney, Adam Nathan, and highly natural Kristin Moneagle are memorable. While it captures the feel of the 80s, it's truisms are timeless.
Merely
Not often do films come across as truly real. Not scripted, or acted but as if a day in the life. In no way could it be described as Over the Top. Steve Buscemi was the reason I bought this. I am a big fan of all of his work and had missed this one. He was good here again. I love how it is so eighties. I was 23 when this movie was made and I could get right into it as if in a time warp.Dated also by the scene where Michael said he needed to get a word processor and the man told him it was around $4,000 dollars and he should wait until the prices fell. Another scene I liked was two deaf men signing at a gay bar. Cleverly flamboyant.I can't add anything that hasn't already been said and said better than me.
timleemail
This is my absolute favorite movie of all time. Concerning the last 24 hours of a couple's relationship before one leaves for a job in Africa, Parting Glances offers a simple slice of life look at New Yorkers in the mid 80's. What makes it truly remarkable is its use of realism to convey the complexities of various relationships. Steve Buscemi claims this early work in his career is his best performance ever and I don't disagree. Kathy Kinney as the most realistic fag hag ever put on film (besides Mary Louise Parker in Longtime Companion) adds layers of meaning. The stairwell scene Buscemi and another actor ranks as my favorite individual scene in any movie as well when it shows the differences of age and experience between young and older gay men. The film seems simple upon first viewing but watch it again top fully catch all the nuances of character and situations. A classic!
