Matt Porter | Flex / 2020

bowflexability

by Douglas Messerli

 

Charles Gould (screenplay), Matt Porter (director) Flex / 2020 [16 minutes]

 

Were that everyone was so easily flexible about their sexuality as Charles (Owen Morgan), on the phone describing to a school friend how hot Mariah Carey when suddenly his TV set focuses in on the guy in the Bowflex ad.

    20 years later he (now played by Charles Gould) seems to be quite settled down, however, in a heterosexual relationship with Michelle (Ellington Wells), his girlfriend with whom he shares a small house. Suddenly, however, she announces to him that she’s gotten into the three-year teaching program in Spain and she wants to breakup. Despite a momentary collapse, Charles takes the situation on the chin, so to speak, enjoys pizza in bed—the one thing Michelle declared would out of bounds even her departure—and, spurred on by his memory of the Bowflex Guy (Max Aria), decides to change his dating app from female to male.

     A young man, Alex (Charles Rogers), looking quite similar to ill-groomed to our central character, shows up to his front door, abides even Charles’ weak imitations of Jerry Seinfeld, and proceeds to fuck him, Charles taking in the new experience with some obvious delight, if also with a little pain in the butt.

     The Irvine, California doctor decides to spend the night, and the two agree to meet up again, despite the fact that Charles seems to be attempting to rent out the house.

     Although I find it hard to believe any teenager spends his time with his bro discussing the attributes of Carey and Katie Holmes and that any heterosexual male can realize he’s a bisexual on the spin of a dime, this film certainly does make it clear that bisexuality is a valid possibility for many a lonely man.

      Based on his own life experiences, Charles Gould argues that he’s fought most of his life to prove to other gays that there is such a thing as bisexuality, he being exhibit A.

      Not a profound film in any sense, Flex is one of an increasing number of short films and videos—bisexual singer Doug Locke’s music video #ThisCouldBeUS (2014) and Carolina Quinteros’ Atracción (Male Affection) of 2021—that focuses on bisexuality.

 

Los Angeles, April 13, 2023

Reprinted from World Cinema Review (April 2023).