Test (2013)

Test: Directed by Chris Mason Johnson. With Scott Marlowe, Matthew Risch, Evan Boomer, Kevin Clarke. In 1985, a gay dance understudy hopes for his on-stage chance while fearing the growing AIDS epidemic.

“Like so many in 1985 who were caught up in the AIDS crisis in New York andnSan Francisco, so many of us awaited the results of the crucial HIV test to determinenwhether we had the incurable and fatal virus. As do the members of this SannFrancisco based ballet company some of whom seemingly asymptomatic butnstill testing positive.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI was part of that also. I had a case of pneumonia which lingered on andngave me asthmatic symptoms. I had the test just as shown here and of course was relieved to be found negative.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSome are not so lucky in Test. The critical decision they have to make is what to do with their lives with a medical death sentence hanging over them.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film is anchored in the fall of 1985 when we see references to the illness ofnRock Hudson. That put a public face on the disease and spurred a bit government action on a federal level.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI am guessing that with me seeing a lack of other film credits or only a fewnwith most of the cast their backgrounds are as dancers not actors. There arensome beautiful ballet sequences here. And that lends a nice ring of authenticity to the performances.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis one is a real sleeper, se it by all means.”