Adam & Steve (2006)

The long procession of mildly diverting gay relationship comedies continues with this sweet-and-sour date movie from indie mainstay Craig Chester. Adam & Steve doesn't purport to be anything but a trifle, no matter what its high-concept title might lead audiences to expect. Sure, the screenplay reaches for topicality with some vaguely political chatter about gay marriage. But the film's at its best when it bypasses such window-dressing to serve up comforting cliches with a modicum of panache. Although his approach as a writer/director can be fairly broad, Chester plays things pretty straight as one of the gay protagonists. Instead of camping it up, he lets his supporting cast do most of the comedic heavy lifting. Parker Posey, in full Party Girl mode, has a hoot enlivening fag-hag cliches. Chris Kattan does his best to match the indie queen beat for beat. Throw in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance by future Flight of the Conchords sidekick Kristen Schaal and you've got enough quiet chuckles to justify the film's existence. From its Wedding Singer-esque snapshots of '80s excess to its by-now-familiar West Village locale, Chester's film doesn't exactly break the mold. Still, despite the glut of similar movies that have crowded video-store shelves for a couple of decades, Adam & Steve more than manages to entertain. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide