Turtle Hill, Brooklyn

Strange film, has strong pluses as well as a few minuses.
It's Will's 30th birthday, and his lover Mateo throws him a party at their row house, in a "was rundown, now fashionable" area of Brooklyn. Unfortunately, the first to arrive is an uninvited guest, Will's sister, who did not know he was gay (until Mateo comes out of the bathroom, wearing just a kilt), and clearly does not approve.

"Turtle Hill, Brooklyn" is a character-driven film, showing a variety of colorful gay and straight characters with a myriad of hang-ups, all guests at Will`s party. Included are some past - as well as potential future - tricks one or both of the couple has trysted with, and their presence makes it clear to them that their communication issues are hurting their relationship.

It's a bare-bones indie production, and looks it, although the acting is quite professional and carries the film well. Some scenes may seem to be going on too long but, then again, who hasn't been to a party where parts of it seem to drag everyone down? Pull up a...

Love is complicated...
Figuring out how to make a relationship work in real life can be tricky and this movie helps the viewer not feel alone in figuring it out. It reminded me of the importance of friendship and I appreciated how the ending wasn't like a 'fairy tale'. This movie made me laugh and cry. If you enjoy the messiness of life and know people are complicated then you will enjoy this movie about a couple figuring it out.

Village Voice
"An appealingly off-the-cuff chamber piece, Turtle Hill, Brooklynunfolds throughout the course of a day in the outer-borough home of Will (Brian W. Seibert) and Mateo (Ricardo Valdez) as guests arrive to celebrate Will's 30th birthday. Over a long afternoon that stretches into evening, the group of friends joke around, discuss issues like the immigrant experience and marriage equality, and engage in joyous set-pieces such as a piñata-whacking."

"A spirit of free play defines the proceedings, as the script, penned by the two leads, allows characters to reveal themselves through believably precise bits of booze- and weed-fueled conversation. But tensions simmer, materializing in the form of Will's homophobic sister, a Republican who gets "accidentally" punched in the face and, most significantly, the past infidelity that lingers over the central couple's relationship. Nothing is forced in Ryan Gielen's deceptively simple story, with the pressures bubbling forth as...

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