Trick (1999)

Trick (1999)

Director: Jim Fall
Writer: Jason Schafer
Genre: Romance
Country: USA
Language: English
Duration: 89 min
Year: 1999

Stars: Christian Campbell, John Paul Pitoc, Tori Spelling, Brad Beyer,Will Keenan

 

The misadventures of two young gay men, trying to find a place to be alone, one night in Manhattan.

 

 

Gabriel, an office temp by day and aspiring Broadway composer by night, becomes smitten with Mark, a go-go dancer, in a gay bar with whom he makes eye contact. The two meet again in the subway that very night, and go back to Gabriel's place to have sex. They're thwarted in the attempt, however, first by Gabriel's aspiring actress friend Katherine, who is obsessed with her role in an adaptation of Salomé set in a women's prison, and then by Gabriel's roommate Rich, who returns home with his girlfriend Judy, with similar (and conflicting) plans for the apartment.

Gabriel and Rich argue over which of them should get to use the apartment that night, and decide to settle the matter with a coin toss. When Gabriel loses the coin toss and he and Mark have to leave, Gabriel seeks out his friend Perry to request the use of Perry's place. Unfortunately, as Perry escorts Gabriel and Mark there, they run into Perry's ex-boyfriend. Perry and his ex tearfully reconcile and they go back to Perry's, frustrating Gabriel and Mark yet again. The two then decide to hit a gay club for some dancing. There, a malicious drag queen, Miss Coco, corners Gabriel in the restroom. She badmouths Mark to Gabriel, telling him of the time they tricked – which sounds very much like how Gabriel and Mark met – and how Mark left abruptly after climaxing, leaving her with a fake phone number to boot. Crushed by this news, Gabriel decides to take off.

Mark follows Gabriel back to his and Rich's apartment to talk – and also because he's left his house keys there. They go in to look for the keys and try to talk things out while Judy mediates topless. Mark asserts that while he did indeed trick once with Miss Coco, it was actually the latter who tried to take advantage of him by secretly videotaping their encounter without Mark's consent. Gabriel accepts this story, but still doesn't trust Mark, so Mark angrily leaves. Judy then finds Mark's keys, and Gabriel chases after Mark with them down into the New York subway system. Just when it seems that Mark is gone forever, he reappears; he and Gabriel made a connection after all.

Having reconciled, they decide to get something to eat but – in yet another turn of events – run into Katherine and some of her theatre friends at a diner, where Katherine proceeds to monopolize the conversation. Gabriel finally blows up at her, and Katherine, humiliated, melts down and leaves in a huff. Gabriel chases after her and apologizes; they smooth things over and Katherine and her friends depart. As the new morning dawns, Mark gives Gabriel his phone number, they kiss, and Mark heads home. Gabriel calls the number on a nearby payphone, and is relieved to learn that it's Mark's actual number. While they never found a spot to trick, Mark and Gabriel instead formed a budding relationship beyond the simple one night stand they'd first been trying for.