The largest takeaway from “Three Months,” an open-hearted new teen drama on Paramount+, is that Troye Sivan has actual performing chops.
THREE MONTHS
Working time: 104 minutes. Not Rated. On Paramount+.
The relatability and cheeky boyishness that make the “Bloom” singer such an interesting musician leap effortlessly to the display, and would knock ’em lifeless in numerous different roles. (He additionally appeared within the movie “Boy Erased,” however in a a lot smaller half that didn’t seize his persona.)
Right here, Sivan performs Caleb, a homosexual highschool senior in Florida, whose life is upended when he discovers any individual he slept with has HIV. Terrified, Caleb must be examined commonly over the following three months to make sure he didn’t additionally contract the virus.
At a assist group one evening, he meets Estha (Viveik Kalra), who’s additionally awaiting check outcomes. Estha has a dry humorousness and conventional Indian dad and mom who don’t know he’s homosexual.
The pair start a flirtation — first by means of jokey texts, then enjoyable Florida time-wasting — that’s made extra highly effective by their secret. It’s additionally refreshing, for as soon as, to see a talky, charismatic, creative character (Caleb wears white Converse sneakers so he can draw footage on them) chase after the quiet, sensible one. The dynamic is nearly at all times reversed in films, and particularly LGBTQ ones.
Some heightened plot traces in writer-director Jared Frieder’s movie don’t land in addition to the tender moments do. The romance is admirably by no means overplayed for sentiment. As an example, Judy Greer performs the married, straight proprietor of a comfort retailer Caleb works at, and he or she begins an affair along with his finest buddy and co-worker Dara (Brianne Tju). That arc by no means fairly rings true.
Regardless, the wins outweigh the issues. It’s a pleasure to see Kalra, who made such an enormous impression in “Blinded by the Gentle” (a film that extra folks ought to see), again in a powerful position and doing completely completely different work. His character in “Blinded” couldn’t wipe the grin off his face; with coy Estha, Caleb has to earn each smile. Sivan and Kalra have trustworthy chemistry collectively.
The solid listing is spectacular for a style loved largely by excessive schoolers. After being ditched by his mother for being homosexual, Caleb lives along with his accepting grandma, performed by Ellen Burstyn (Louis Gossett Jr. performs her husband). At this level in her profession, Burstyn doesn’t get sufficient credit score for the way large she persistently is. Following up “Items of a Lady” with “Three Months” is an actual one-two punch of energy and poignancy.
Frieder’s calm ending may shock some viewers (let’s simply say it doesn’t finish with a Ferris wheel finale like “Love Simon”). Although, with out ramming it down our throats, the ultimate scenes categorical how typically the precise particular person enters our life for so long as they should be there.
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