Unrelentingly tedious. San Francisco is a vibrant, diverse city full of culture and excitement. In many ways, it is the epicenter of the civil rights movement for the west coast. And yet somehow director Thales Correa takes one of the most fascinating cities in the world and strips it of its soul. The city by the bay provides the backdrop for the gay melodrama Bathroom Stalls & Parking Lots.
In this comedy (?) Leo travels to San Francisco from Brazil to find his usual hook up Totah, and see if he can turn their relationship into something more meaningful. Along for the ride are his friend Donnie and a straight trainer Donnie has a crush on named Hunter. The three men navigate the nightlife of San Francisco in their quest to bring Leo and Totah together.
“Leo travels to San Francisco from Brazil to find his usual hook up Totah, and see if he can turn their relationship into something more meaningful…”
But, what could have been a unique romantic comedy, or a pretty standard gay porno, in the hands of writer/ director Thales Correa never becomes either. Instead, Bathroom Stalls & Parking Lots is a flat, lifeless story that just kind of wanders around looking for a point and never finding it.
The performances are limp and uninteresting. For example, we have Izzy Palazzini as Donnie, who is the stand-in for every gay guy who ever foolishly believed in his own fabulousness. He carries himself through the film with a swagger that is in no way backed up by his talent. The character of Donnie is made up of every negative gay stereotype and seems to be a confirmation of everything ever said about the community by Republican evangelicals.
"…he carries himself through the film with a swagger..."
