Why does every "gay" movie seem so much the same? Gay life is enormously varied but you'd never know that from the movies about gay life, most of which rehash the same clichés of father-son angst and trite rites of"coming out." "Leather," whose title might lead viewers to think it's something it's not, is yet another film in that long, tiresome line. I suspect the filmmakers' hearts were in the right place. There are moments when you suspect something heartfelt and meaningful is going to happen in this rural tale of a New York City boy who falls in love with a boyhood friend who's morphed into an idealized woodsman - but the writing and acting and are so amateurish and the production work so slipshod the emotions of the film never gain traction.
Plot summary
Andrew's a gay city-dwelling man who takes his lover Kyle to the mountains to clean out the estranged father's home. The father was known to be a hoarder. They arrive to find Birch, a leather worker, living there in a nicely-maintained and clean house. Birch has just ended a straight relationship with a woman who moved away. He has been forging the father's name on checks. He claims to have a new will giving him the home and property. Andrew disputes the value of this claim and the two, who were once childhood companions, fight. They come to an understanding and come to very erotic sexual encounters in the woods while Kyle's finding a gun, a huge cache of money and some paperwork (which remained not viewed). The forged checks, gun, cash are part of the viewer's instinct to believe Birch may have killed the father to gain control of the house, land and funds. The father's hand-burial on the property without doctors, death certificate, and without autopsy, also allow the viewer to wonder if Birch has killed the father and hidden the evidence. Is Birch an innocent who just takes what life hands him or a conniving monster up to no good? Birch has a way of making people feel at ease and trust him, so it's possible he truly was a caregiver to the father and an unaware wanderer/hippy who doesn't know how legal issues work. Kyle goes back to the city knowing his lover, Andrew, is having an affair. Andrew is left in a sexual relationship with Birch. Birch writes to the ex-girlfriend to encourage her visit. The viewer has to wonder if Birch is truly bisexual or is using Andrew to get Andrew comfortable-enough to allow Birch to remain in the house (and not question the circumstances of Andrew's father's death),or is plotting to kill Andrew to eliminate any other claim to the inheritance.
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Amatuerville
Hilarious, weird and wonderful
Truly I think Birch was such an interesting character in the film because it really reminds you of what life would be like without living a modern life but a really basic one living in the middle of nowhere! Seriously Chris Graham really did a pretty good job in playing a strange country boy and like Christ, how did he manage to sleep with that beard ha ha. It looked really awesome on him!
Then there was Andrew, he was like a really caring and a very cool dude that is so devoted to Birch! However the fact, he brought his boyfriend Kyle along to his childhood home. It made the storyline a bit edgy with that involved with cheating behind Kyles back!
We met Kyle. His character has a sense of humor that he would really make you laugh along with this film. The funniest scene was when he got so drunk with May (the puppeteer that embarrassed Andrew with the blast from his past) and the fact he didn't agree with Birch's lifestyle.
This movie is brilliant, you have to watch this!
Some weak acting, but funny and HOT, too...
Have seen this twice. Yes, the acting is a bit weak at times and it's obviously a low budget movie, but I still liked it. Both leads are in good shape, which helps when they do their nude scenes, and they are both attractive and likeable enough to hold the viewer's attention. The stereotypical "sissy" with the beloved bunny, did not seem to be a likely boyfriend for the muscular, manly blond. But beyond that, it had some funny scenes and some sexy scenes and I was glad it didn't take place in either LA or NYC or some other entrenched gay urban area. Leads weren't reaching for a cigarette every five minutes or snorting crack. That's refreshing for me!!! Sweet little ending!!!