Peter Michael | Consequence / 2016

 suburban sexual melodrama 2016

by Douglas Messerli

 

Peter Michael (screenwriter and director) Consequence / 2016 [20 minutes]

 

I have to admit that I first saw this short 20-minute film several years ago, but resisted on writing about it. I saw it again just recently, and still resisted. I usually try to immediately review such films before they disappear, but perhaps I was hoping that this one might. The IMBd introductory statement summarizes all of my dislike of this little cinema:

 

“When Ty makes the biggest mistake of his life, will it be possible to fix it? Or will he be forced to finally accept the consequence of his action?”

   Frankly, I was already determined right then at there to abandon this film. But you know that I can’t (won’t) ever do that, committed as I am to give account to the entire LGBTQ+ scene.

   In this work, Sam (George Goldfeder) comes home early to discover his lover, Ty (Matthew James French) in bed with another boy. Can you believe it?

    He not only vomits on site, but gets back in his car and drives off. You see, there are consequences for this kind of cheating.

    Both men, of course, are very upset, pretending to tear up, and regret the entire situation. But Sam is in the right, after all. He has been innocently away while his lover has openly cheated!!

    Back to earlier in the day when Jordan (Jordan Grant) has asked Sam to cover for him in the office while he meets up with an awesome date. “He owes him one,” as he admits.

    Meanwhile his partner Sam, clearly overworked at the office, is simply too exhausted to have sex, and we already see Ty checking out the Grindr listings. Sam assures Ty that it won’t be forever.

    Jordan’s date with a girl meanwhile has not worked out, and it soon becomes apparent that he’s meeting up with Ty to discuss the fact—or just perhaps discuss other options. Sam is already disturbed that his “boyfriend” has returned home a bit late.

   Already there is a deep tension, Ty suggesting that he will stay locked in the bedroom and the inattentive Sam might keep him prisoner. Sam is already determined to sleep on the couch for the night.

    I am not a sexual psychotherapist, but I certainly already might have off-handedly suggested to Ty, if he were my friend, to seek out someone with just a slightly more open viewpoint regarding their sexual (in this case non-sexual relationships). But I did not know Ty, and am not able to enter this concrete fiction.

     His best female friend Julie tries to make Tyler see it Sam’s way, and Tyler tries to correct his behavior.

     But—well frankly by this time I’d already had enough of his heteronormative corrective vision of what gay relationships are all about! Ty can’t resist himself, and goes for it.

     Sam arrives and grows very angry, and given the strictures of this little moralistic fable, cannot possibly forgive it. After all, there are consequences! Get out of the suburbs I wanted to scream!

     As a consequence, I will not yet again watch this little piece of shrill heteronormative tripe. And I most certainly will not recommend it to anyone else to watch.

     I have lived with another man, the same man, for 54 years, and yes we’ve both experienced jealousies, been worried about where the other might be wondering; but there were never, given our love for another, such consequences set on our behaviors.

     This short film belongs to the world of heterosexual romances and sagas of divorce, but to the world of LGBTQ+ existence. Good, I’m glad I got that off my chest.

 

Los Angeles, June 24, 2024

Reprinted from My Queer Cinema blog (June 2024).