Cinema surveillance images are loading at the bottom of the page

Bedrooms and hallways

Threat advisory: High - High risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

Leo (Kevin McKidd) enters therapy after many failed relationships and is disconsolate about having any social life. In the group session, he comes clean about his feelings for Brendan (James Purejoy) another group member, which leads to a homosexual affair. Then the situation is complicated by the re-union with his original high school sweetheart, Sally (Jennifer Ehle), and the whole thing transcends into sexual ambiguity.

Persons of interest

Kevin McKidd .... Leo
Julie Graham .... Angie
Simon Callow .... Keith
Con O'Neill .... Terry
Harriet Walter .... Sybil
Christopher Fulford .... Adam
James Purefoy .... Brendan
Jennifer Ehle .... Sally
Tom Hollander .... Darren
Hugo Weaving .... Jeremy
Paul Higgins .... John
Robert Farrar .... Screenwriter
Rose Troche .... Director

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Gay romantic comedy for the 90s.

Bedrooms and hallways is like Trainspotting without the smack and with a whole better class of people (even if they are a bunch of raving deviants). It's also very British and is full of British humour and British manners. There's no small influence from Absolutely fabulous (and what isn't influenced by it these days?) and a good dose of cool Britannia.

Kevin is sensitive and ever so charmingly messed up. James is sexy (a dark river!) in a hettie but available kind of way. They mix and match like a handbag and overcoat from Marks and Sparks (speaking of which, I went shopping there once and bought a lovely blue-striped shirt, which I have since passed on to my poor Canadian flatmate). They make a great couple but, this being the 90s, the relationship is doomed to fail. Rule number one of the filmmaker's guidebook to homosexuals: they are allowed relationships as long as they don't work out.

The cast is wonderful in the way that a whole bunch of unknown actors can throw themselves together and synergise, exactly the way that Hollywood superstars don't (they're probably too busy telling their personal assistant to tell the director that they'll be in their trailer). The script is bouncy and funny, especially if you're gay or a fag hag (or even a fruit fly). the mise en scène is perfect.

If you're a little bit this way inclined or even if you only like to watch the Mardi Gras, you'll enjoy this film.

Security censorship classification

M (Low level coarse language)

Surveillance time

96 minutes (1:36 hours)

Not for public release in Australia before date

Film: 23 February 2000