Sordid Lives (2000)

The laughs are cheap and few in this satire based on director Del Shores' theatrical play. The gay themes, which resonate most honestly, are overwhelmed by crude and predictable characterizations that don't just capitalize on the eccentricities of Texas stereotypes but go so far as to make them sympathetic to the viewer. The result is a sagging sensation of discomfort. Before long you just want Shores to get to the point and get these people out of your face, which he is painfully slow to do. The staging is uncertain, as if they didn't know where to put the camera in some of the scenes, and the sets are flat and uninventive, with most of the dialogue recited with nothing but walls -- tavern walls, living room walls -- in the near background. It's saying a lot, but the most entertaining moments are when Olivia Newton-John, looking fabulous as a cowgirl singer, takes the microphone. Unfortunately, she's compelled to sing the same song not once but twice in its entirety. Gay audiences -- it won several gay film fest awards -- seem the most likely to appreciate the black comedy, but widespread appeal is unlikely. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide