thomas8351 I bought the DVD based on a couple of reviews that I read. Of course, they were on the website, that was selling the DVD. I normally will check out the movie from the library or video store, before buying it. I guess I should have with this one. The acting was fine, but the storyline was easy to predict. The entire movie seemed rather slow to me. I'm talking about the pace, not lack of action. Although it lacks in that area as well. I think a movie should be entertaining, AND thought provoking. I found this movie to be neither. I realize that everyone has their opinion. Mine, is that I wasted my money. Sorry. I guess as a gay man, I expected more.

cpto I enjoyed watching Steve John Sheppard and John Simm in the lead roles. They handled their parts as competently as the script allowed.The script, unfortunately, is the problem. It appears that homophobia is alive and well in the UK, as is the convention that gay romances must end in violence to show how unspeakably nasty the gay character is.Boy comes out. Admits to his best friend of 14 years that he loves him (on a Jerry Springer type of show, no less). Father throws boy out of house. Ex-best-friend assaults him with a pipe. End of movie.This is formulaic to the point that reactions are not developed. The scriptwriter assumes that the audience will use their own prejudices to help advance the development of the story and, thus, things occur without background exploration. They just happen, in a typical homophobic way.The mother makes a homophobic comment about an ex-schoolmate, but it's she who supports her son when he comes out. The father--for no reason we're given--throws the boy out of the house. The best friend of 14 years seems to have ignored the signals that must have come from a close relationship of that length. If this is typical of UK television, I'll stick with HBO and Cinemax, thank you.Rent the movie if you must, but don't buy it. That will just encourage more of this type of tripe being produced in the future.

mjmarkic Forgive and Forget, is a rather well done film exploring the relationship between a straight man and his closeted gay "best mate" who's been in love with him secretly for many years. Some viewers thought the film was slow and biased from a heterosexual point of view.I feel the film portrayed the anguish of closeted, David, extremely well. The difficulties of accepting one's differences were clearly and painfully drawn, with an outstanding performance by the handsome lead. Personally, I could identify with his inner conflicts in making an extremely difficult decision. David appeared to be the ideal picture of straight, handsome male that fit in well with accepted straight images he was raised with. He knew differently.The so-called, stereotypical, reaction by the gay man's parents is very easy to believe, since many gay children are still rejected by their parents, in our "enlightened" world.The crude sexual talk and "fag" camaraderie amongst his "straight" coworkers was typical of the heterosexist viewpoint. In contrast, it's extremely interesting that the "straightest" of these coworkers displayed a lot of skin, (always in shorts, open vests, muscular chest display, shirtless with pierced nipples), to show what a man he was? He would have been right at home in a great many gay clubs or pride festivals.Comments found in one review that the "Forgive and Forget" hostess' reaction of how brave David was; was an indication of pity and shame that he was gay. The real world is still not politically correct. Coming out isn't an easy step, and some individuals, never do so, due to lack of courage. I felt her reaction was simple and honest, not condescending, in her limited position as interviewer.Theo's female love, Hannah obviously has some real problems... She was dumped before and hurts...! Well, she's rather selfish, self centered and possessive and wants David out of the picture. Is it any wonder he'd fight back? I lost sympathy for her, I felt for Theo who seemed to really care, and really wasn't aware of Hannah's real nature (Blinded by Love).Mixed feeling arise with the ending of the film. At first, I HATED IT. Then upon review, perhaps it was too real and I wanted a different ending. Was the bashing and almost murder by Theo really necessary? All sympathy for him is lost here. And the convenient rescue, (prevention of Murder by Hannah?), was too patently heterosexist. Hanna saves her man, gets what she wants, and the fag gets his just deserts for lusting after a straight man? Isn't this reality in some cases...? (Even California's liberalness couldn't prevent several recent severe bashings and a couple of murders.)The closing shot of David wants us to believe that David is happy with his decision and, all will be well. Nice sentiments but too quick and easy after what's just been portrayed...?? Rent this film and decide for yourself...

synergistic Note: contains spoiler.... 'Forgive and Forget' is on balance, more forgettable than forgivable. Made for Scottish Television (and a boring, Scot version of a BBC drama) by a married female director from a screenplay by a hetero male film student and starring a hetero actor (get a clue here!), the story goes on interminably about how a working class Brit is hopelessly in the closet and jealous of his best mate's live-in girlfriend, whom he's out to undercut by exploiting her paranoia and dislike of his male camaraderie with her boyfriend. It's the British version of a Jerry Springer mentality in the working class subculture which leads, inexorably, to a disastrous coming out on a true-confessions-type TV show called (would you believe) 'Forgive and Forget.' What's sad is that our hero is so naive (and hopelessly inarticulate) that he thinks coming out to his romantic interest on TV will somehow produce a happy ending. No way, Jose. Hetero Sex Object wields a lead pipe and almost kills the guy before girlfriend, appearing miraculously just in time to stop him from murder, leads hetero heartthrob off stage (and, we imagine, to a 'happily ever after'). By this point, since she's already dumped him, she's almost a deus ex machina, and her appearance has no motivation except to save male heterosexuality from life imprisonment (where, no doubt, he would be forced to become some macho guy's 'sex object'). Sorry, but I really didn't like the 'film' (shot on video, no less), including the videography, which was brightly lit and boringly, competently uninteresting. Next time, I'll think twice about believing the hype (here's a clue: the video retailer--whose blurb rating the film I didn't question--is also the film's distributor) and give a movie the old eyeball before showing it to my friends. If you want a far better, and yet more gritty story of coming out in a British working class context, try 'Beautiful Thing'.