Reel Affirmations: The Nation's LGBT Film Festival 2008

Boystown (Chuecatown)

In this free-wheeling comedy of gentrification and social class, Victor (Pablo Puyol) is a suave realtor who'll stop at nothing to re-make the seedy Chueca neighborhood into an exclusive province of upscale boutiques, minimalist flats, and gym-toned muscle. His only obstacle: the elderly widows residing in the area's stately old apartments.

When a rash of elderly women are found dead in their apartments, police are stumped, and suspicion soon falls on two working-class men, the lovable, driver's ed instructor (and marital wanderer) Leo and his under-employed boyfriend Rey. Bickering and squabbling their way through life, the two soon inherit one of the coveted apartments from a just murdered neighbor.

Enter Antonia (Concha Velasco in a deliciously evil role) as she takes over the apartment at the urging of Leo, and soon undertakes a campaign to get rid of her son's boyfriend.

In classic Spanish farce mode, everyone has sex with each other at decidedly inopportune times, there's a lot of inspired mayhem, anguish and mistaken identity and you find yourself laughing out loud at the machinations of both Victor and Antonia as they each do their best to ensure the ruin of our bumbling couple.

Add a cranky detective (Rosa Maria Sarda) and her reluctant partner/son who HATES detective work, but LOVES the new neighborhood, and you have a comedy full of laugh-out-loud moments, camp humor and a surprisingly tender theme.