No Night Is Too Long (2002)

Finally, a gay film that openly displays passion and romance, with a strong storyline and without graphic sex. It is a love story, with many deceptive facets, and yet it is so true to life. It was with a great deal of relief that the love scenes were not done in darkness or dim light, like in "Brokeback Mountain" (such depictions give a false impression that gay sex is something to be ashamed of).At the start of the film, Lee Williams (Ivo) gives the impression that he has no feeling whatsoever for Mark Warren (Tim)--but, as the film progresses, the viewer realizes that Ivo loves Tim very deeply. Ivo lacks self-confidence, and is jealous of anyone who show any kind of affection for Tim. In what appears to be an accident, Tim leaves Ivo for dead, and Ivo realizes that Tim has no love for him. The film gives the impression that Tim is a selfish bastard--but, in fact, Tim is insulating himself from being molested as a child. After being molested, or after a one-night stand, many people say 'I love you' to the person they are having sex with. Sadly, life does sometimes leave you with harsh realities, and shattered dreams. And, you find that your partner only wants lust or sex, but is not willing to make a commitment. When people treat gay relationships as if they are less than legitimate and totally worthless, it becomes very easy for a partner to treat you as a valueless sex object, without making any kind of commitment whatsoever. That is why I am glad that more and more people, today, are seeing the value of gay marriage. Such a bond encourages commitment and 'stick-togetherness'. Gay marriage offers legitimacy, as well as legal/religious/spiritual recognition and sanctioning of a gay relationship.The cast-members supply superb acting, the film is well edited, the direction is exceptional (the director offers his own unique brand of Alfred-Hitchcock-style direction), the lighting and photography is excellent, and the writer provides a script with a clear, focused, and strong storyline. And, the film remains faithful to the book.Agreeing with another user's comments, I quote from three paragraphs: "The pacing of the film moves along, until we get to the character Isabel, then it seems to drag. The the love Tim professes for her doesn't seem as heated as what he had for Ivo. I don't think the actress cast for Isabel was the right person, because she and Williams had no chemistry. All of their scenes felt contrived. But then again, maybe that is the point, she is a way out from Ivo for Tim. His passion for her isn't real. The tempo picks up and keeps going once we get to the "murder" of Ivo. The twist where we find out Isabel is Ivo's sister (is) interesting. Ivo and Isabel's scene in the bedroom was creepy--but she, too, (is) unable to resist Tim's charms, even though she knows who he is from the beginning and what he meant to Ivo. Maybe this (is) her form of rebellion against Ivo and her husband. Otherwise, her character is shut down and devoid of the ability to change her nature. She is...damaged goods, just like Tim, Ivo, and her husband. They all suffer from weaknesses they are aware of, but choose to swim in them anyway, instead of making internal changes.""I think this film is fantastically erotic, and well acted. Lee Williams and Marc Warren do an excellent job of making you care about their characters, despite their flaws. This film is (quite) a journey into the the various stages of love. Quoting from an old saying, there is a 'thin line between love and hate'--(and, in the film, 'hate' does become) an examination of the duplicity of love." Yes, these quoted comments are so true to real life. "Through flashback scenes, the audience finds out Tim was molested as a child. When someone tells him they love him (as his molester did) he shuts down. Tim is aware of this fact, but does nothing or maybe can't do anything to change this sadness within himself. Ivo walks around the university and seems shut down also, which could explain their attraction, beyond the physical. However, the audience comes to find out that Ivo, despite being the elder, is the vulnerable one in the relationship, though you fear for Tim at the beginning. Ivo realizes Tim doesn't love him, yet hangs on anyway, just as many people do in real life." I couldn't agree more with these quoted comments.I am thankful for the film's honesty, truth, and integrity in showing people with their true-to-life complexities. The film reinforces a familiar cliché: "Oh, what a wicked web we weave, when we practice to deceive." Without further explanation, I shall reveal no more because I do not want to reveal the film's specific content, and spoil the dynamic twists of this exceptional and well-made film. This film is riveting, and will hold the viewer spellbound from the movie's start to finish. This film is highly recommended, and I rate it a 10 out of 10. This is the kind of film that you will want to see more than once. By all means, buy it for your personal collection. Bravo!

This film is based on one of those psychological thrillers by Ruth Rendell writing as Barbara Vine. Like "Gallowglass," and others, it betrays her fascination with all things homo-erotic. Every thing here is ambiguous, from Tim's "love," first, for Ivor, and second, for Isabel. Is he capable of love? Does he even know what it is? The casting of Lee Williams (Seth, from "The Wolves of Kromer") as Tim is a stroke of genius; as anyone can sense his attraction, whether they respond to it or not. Marc Warren as Ivor is a bit more problematic; it was not too many years ago that he was being routinely cast as a street hustler or a cop, and he doesn't fit into a paleontologist's shoe's very comfortably. But he and Williams make a convincing couple. Mickela Mikael is attractive, in a feline sort of way, but her character's motivation is often obscure. The important thing is that she is blonde and seductive enough to be an appropriate stand-in for her brother, who also figures in the plot. The most interesting aspect of the story to me is Tim's self-destructive nature. He is only a kid when the story starts, in his first year of college. Yet he enters into a love affair that obviously has no future. Just as he falls magically "in" love, so does he fall "out." Some of the plot contrivances that follow are hard to accept (Ivo just allows Tim to go traipsing about Cananda and Europe on his dime?), but they all work as counterpoints to Tim's psychological development. This is an intriguing story, one that raises more questions then it answers, but I dare anyone to see it and not be affected by the conclusion.

I think this film is fantastically erotic and well acted. Lee Williams and Marc Warren do an excellent job of making you care about their characters, despite their flaws. This film is a journey into the the various stages of love. It is also an examination of the duplicity of love and the old saying "there's a thin line between love and hate." The pacing of the film moves along, until we get to the character Isabel, then it seems to drag. The the love Tim professes for her doesn't seem as heated as what he had for Ivo. I don't think the actress cast for Isabel was the right person, because she and Williams had no chemistry. All of their scenes felt contrived. But then again, maybe that is the point, she is a way out from Ivo for Tim. His passion for her isn't real. The tempo picks up and keeps going once we get to the "murder" of Ivo. The twist where we find out Isabel is Ivo's sister was interesting. Ivo and Isabel's scene in the bedroom was creepy, but she too was unable to resist Tim's charms, even though she knows who he is from the beginning and what he meant to Ivo. Maybe this was her form of rebellion against Ivo and her husband. Otherwise, her character is shut down and devoid of the ability to change her nature. She is walking damaged goods, just like Tim, Ivo, and her husband. They all suffer from weaknesses they are aware of, but choose to swim in them anyway, instead of making internal changes.Through flashback scenes, the audience finds out Tim was molested as a child. When someone tells him they love him (as his molester did) he shuts down. Tim is aware of this fact, but does nothing or maybe can't do anything to change this sadness within himself. Ivo walks around the university and seems shut down also, which could explain their attraction, beyond the physical. However, the audience comes to find out that Ivo, despite being the elder, is the vulnerable one in the relationship, though you fear for Tim at the beginning. Ivo realizes Tim doesn't love him, yet hangs on anyway, just as many people do in real life. The final scene between Ivo and Tim, where Tim tries to return Ivo's money and coat he gave Tim, is touching and sad. Ivo realizes how unreceptive to love Tim is and rightly calls him a selfish bastard at one point during their conversation. Yet there is still something between the two. Tim seems to reach a point of clarity and understand that Ivo did love him. His childish attempts to make amends (returning the money/coat) are correctly rebuffed by the wiser Ivo, who doesn't want to dance to Tim's tune again. Tim wants to play the chase game again. When Isabel, "they only person he's loved" comes to see Tim at the end of the movie, she looks like a mirage, she is blurry and unreal. The love of his life comes to him, yet he won't open the door, because she isn't the love of his life (Ivo) which Tim realizes too late. Tim is holding Ivo's pictures and perhaps finally on a conscious level, realized he loved Ivo. This realization paralyzes him and you know he can't open that door.As far as settings, Alaska was the right place for a love that was on its deathbed. At the end of the movie, it was appropriate for Tim to go back to his dank little town, where he constantly ran into reminders of his real self. There was also some humor, e.g. when Tim questions Ivo going off to teach a class in a leather jacket and when Ivo forces himself on Tim on the boat, the announcer in the background says "No one knows glaciers like Dr. Ivo Steadman." Kudos to the actors for showing the complexities of people and relationships. This film lets you know you are responsible for your actions and the people who choose to love you, whether you love them or not.

I'm talking about the British/Canadian co-produced film titled: "No Night is Too Long". I live in Mexico City and on May 8th, on one of my cable TV channels --"The Film Zone", I just happened to catch/watch/discover this wonderful movie masterpiece, though it came out in 2002. I ask you: why can't the damn BBC be just a tad more money-minded?:-) By commercializing films of this superb quality --and many others such as the BFI's "Sixth Happinness" -- AND ADDING SUBTITLES IN Spanish, they would not only earn considerable and well-deserved revenue, they'd also give enormous pleasure to millions of true lovers of cinema--worldwide....and that revenue would motivate the BBC to continue producing masterpieces and hence, continue to enthrall the world with its lifelong superb creations. And I stress "subtitles in Spanish" because, after English, Spanish is probably nowadays the 2nd most widely-spoken language in the world. Movie companies/producers who fail to see this reality are not only stupid and losing out on huge profits, worse yet, they're depriving millions of people of viewing entertainment options.Sincerely T