Pretty early in The 24th Day, it becomes apparent it was taken from a play, a dodgy proposition at best. Adhering to a key location, as plays often do, can be a successful approach, or it can crash and burn. Very slowly. It depends on the nature of the piece. The 24th Day has, essentially, two characters and it can be difficult to transfer a prolonged confrontation to the big screen.
In a theater, we can see how they stand in relation to each other, our eyes instinctively find the face or physical dynamic that warrants our attention. In a film, the director chooses for us, deciding whether it’s more important to see the expression of the man speaking or reacting. Tony Piccirillo, who wrote the play in question, and directed the film, has here carried it off. Scott Speedman (Tom) and James Marsden (Dan) hold our focus, without Piccirillo’s shot manipulation feeling intrusive or neutral. Which, of course, is exactly the idea.
Like Rashomon, The Girl Can’t Help it, or 13 Conversations About the Same Thing, The 24th Day pivots on the terrible, unknowable nature of “The Truth” when crucial details are compromised by personal agenda - as Tom explains, the difference between the truth and the “true truth.” Tom has discovered he’s HIV-positive and wants to hold Dan accountable, since Dan is the only man he’s ever slept with.
Straight-identified and committed (in one way or another) to a female partner, Tom discovers he’s infected under horrific circumstances, when his girlfriend’s autopsy shows she had the virus. Twenty-four days after finding out he’s positive, he lures Dan into his apartment, then holds him against his will until his blood test comes back. If Dan also has HIV, Tom informs him, he will kill him.
Needless to say, this doesn’t exactly make Dan the most reliable source. He has every reason to lie and Tom feints and parries with him, trying to get him to level instead of saying what Tom needs to hear. As they wait three days for the test results, and inevitably reveal their disappointments, resentments, and frustrations, the less we realize we know.
Both Tom and Dan are blissfully attractive, and at first Dan is cajoling, using whatever line it takes to seduce Tom. He doesn’t necessarily seem calculating at the onset. Even after he’s tied up and begins to guy Tom with casual conversation, it takes a while before we grasp how far his charisma and credibility can take him. As adults most of us have resigned ourselves to the negotiability of truth, especially when dealing in the predatory realm of sex.
Article comments
1 - Erin
This is a great review. Thank you for your thoughtful, intelligent and enlightening comments. I loved this film, though I will admit it was mainly because it's the best performance I've ever seen from my heartthrob, Scott Speedman. But your review highlights the true significance of the film, and I hope others will discover the movie because of it.
2 - Christopher Soden
Hey Erin,
don't know if you're male or female (and it really doesn't matter) but YEAH! Scott Speedman is soooooooo dreamy. Wouldn't kick HIM out of bed for eating crackers. Loved him in UNDERWORLD too.
Thank you so much for your praise and encouragement. I'm so glad you liked the review. Sometimes it seems like intelligent GLBT scripts are pretty rare, and the ones that are get buried. Drop me a line sometime.
Cheers,
Christopher