DVD Review - Lady Peacock
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| KC Comeaux (left) and Alec W. Seymour in "Lady Peacock" |
What they are are totally hot for each other, but there is an acute triangle at work here. The story is simple. Two guys fight over a third, forcing the third to choose which one to whom he'll ultimately give his virginity.
That third guy is named Devin, and he's played by the very cute KC Comeaux. Devin is the object of desire between two boys but is also a lot more than that. He's comparable to Andrew Keegan's character in The Broken Hearts Club (2000).
It's no question that Devin is gay but he seems not to hit the obvious gay clichés or stereotypes. In the gay club, Devin is very straight-acting. The aspiring architect wears a baseball cap. He doesn't talk or carry himself with the same air as the other more effeminate men, not that that's a bad thing.
On one side of him is Conner, a former nerd who's savvy in the gay scene but who has a bit of a confidence problem. On the other side is Edwin, a Latino who isn't shy about anything and certainly goes after what he wants. Conner isn't shy either. He voices his opinion but is sometimes hesitant. Edwin is just a lot stronger. Some might call him bitchy.
Alec W. Seymour plays Conner who first eyes Devin in the club. The two connect but don't have sex. They have a bit of respect for each other. Joshua Cruz plays Edwin who eyes Devin the next night and doesn't share Conner's restraint. He just wants to get Devin in the sack.
Who wouldn't? But, that's when the fight for Devin begins. The gay bar called Club Calais, somewhere in New York, hosts drag queen competitions. Edwin and Conner use that competition as a way to settle the rivalry over who will have Devin's chastity. A turn of events takes the competition off the stage and into the streets or at least the parking lot in front of the club. Yes, things get violent.
Yet, the performances of the peacocks are full songs with director Jana (AJ) Mattioli not doing a lot of coverage for them. Mattoli just keeps the camera straight on. It allows you to fully appreciate the performances as they're happening.
The songs for the most part are lip-sync. I don't think it's out of a lack of ability for the boys to sing. As KC Comeaux proved with a brilliant YouTube video, he can definitely sing. Check it out here. Lip-sync just comes from a long tradition in the drag world.
The B-story involves Conner's friend Mathew, played by Simon Vargas. Mathew is in an acute triangle too with an older white guy who's in a 15-year relationship with a cupcake maker. It sounds pretty funny, but there is a strange sweetness to it that goes to age disparity in dating with a genuineness and a gentleness that you don't often get in films.
Three Stars out of Five.
Not Rated but recommended for mature audiences.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 39 mins.
When gay men dress up as women in colorful makeup and costumes in order to impress potential mates, it's called being a peacock. Yes ... cpeacockwomen.blogspot.com
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