everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

I completely enjoyed this film as it just goes to show how you can devastate lives sometime without realising your actions. It also shows that two wrongs don't make a right and how feeling true love for someone can make you feel that other things are more insignificant. These things happen in real life and it was good that the subject has been approached

Soft Lad is a (very) low-budget indie movie that dreams big and sadly falls short, mostly due to an over-reliance on melodrama and an unwillingness to let its characters breathe and grow.The story follows David (Jonny Labey), a young man about to start a promising career in dance, and the fallout of his doomed affair with Jules, his sister's husband (Daniel Brocklebank), culminating in news that will devastate an entire family.Labey gives a committed performance as the naive David, but there just isn't a lot of depth to it, and the often atrociously weak and clunky script limits things still further, displaying writer/director/producer Leon Lopez's tendency to restrict his characters to very well worn territory. The backstory of David's two-year "drunken mistake" with his brother-in-law is revealed via a massive and rather unbelievable info dump delivered to Stacey the Convenient Friend (Laura Ainsworth), whose friendship with David - strained by unresolved feelings - is a small glimpse of a more multi-faceted story, but still ends up as a predictable and tired detail. The other characters fare little better, with Daniel Brocklebank's Jules coming across more as a smarmy classist caricature than a villain anyone could sympathise with or truly care about, and the movie jangles with missed opportunities. There are moments where it almost seems like it will turn into a neat psychological drama, but be prepared to wave at those moments as they pass by, because sadly the story never embraces its dark side, neither fully exploring Jules' capacity for callousness or manipulation, or the selfishness that can motivate people in the name of love. There is a brave performance from Suzanne Collins as Jane, David's sister, though again she's let down by a poor script and very little support in the movie's climactic scenes, which descend into awkward melodrama. Craig Stein as Sam, David's new boyfriend, also makes a valiant effort, and choreographed the one dance scene we get to see: another symptom of the movie's disconnection with itself. Dance is presented as David's dream, but there's a massive missed opportunity in actually using it to convey the enormity of his struggle, or anything of his passion and individuality. The supposedly positive ending (pun totally intended) feels like a tacked on afterthought, and the whole movie feels unbalanced in the time devoted to aspects of different characters' struggles. Structurally and technically, Soft Lad is trying to be an indie movie punching above its weight, but its reliance on two dimensional characters and tired "gay issue" themes - closeted married men, HIV, poppers and hookups - that feel neither fresh nor original just results in a dull, clichéd experience... and I say that as someone who will generally overlook poor direction, writing, performances, or camera work in a low budget movie that honestly has something to say. Probably what I dislike most about this movie, though, is its erasure of bisexuality. Jules is presented as a married MSM, and for a few moments it almost looks like the movie will dedicate a little time to exploring his emotional conflict over his sexuality and identity (he claims to develop feelings for David; the first time he's fallen for a man), perhaps showing something of the delicate balance - and differences - between sexual and emotional attraction. Unfortunately, the only labels that ever get mentioned by any character are "gay" and "straight", and I was left with the feeling that, if the word "bi" had been whispered at all, it would have been in yet another cliché about predatory promiscuity. It's sad to see yet another opportunity wasted in this film, but it appears to be part of a pattern, and that's disappointing. Bottom line: if you're a soap fan who enjoys emotional drama and can overlook technical limitations, this might be up your street. It's certainly nice to see more British drama from the North that doesn't focus on a fetishistic view of "northern-ness", and a lot was certainly made of the tiny budget. Ultimately, though, there are so many more gay dramas out there that are just better in every way.

"might have spoilers inside"It is really touching but heartbreaking movie I have ever seen. The acting of those characters is spot on and shape the character vividly. The struggle between David & Jules and Jules & Jane are nicely illustrated in the movie. Compared to the struggle, the affection among those characters seems a little less. Therefore, I can feel stressed and struggled more from the plot itself rather than owing to the feeling of breaking the bond between them. Also, I would like to see more about Jules' part after Sam and David left the house and more David's dance at the beginning. That might give the audience a complete emotion roller coaster. Overall, it is a worth watching movie definitely!!! And it is the some of the movies that picking HIV issue and presenting the reaction about the situation.

Soft Lad is the latest piece of work from Director Leon Lopez.You may remember Leon from his days on shows such as Brookside and Hollyoaks and after directing a couple of shorts, he makes his feature film directorial debut with Soft Lad, a film that not only did he direct but also wrote, edited, produced and was the sole camera operator on. Quite a feat in itself and one where you could forgive the occasional mistake that may occur throughout the feature. With the exception of a couple of moments in the sound department, there were no such mistakes and in my view Leon deserves the highest level of praise for the excellent editing of the film. So what is the film about? It's basically a love story but not your normal run of the mill love story. Jules and Jane are a happily married couple with one daughter living in a nice house in a nice area and in decent jobs. All appears good but Jules is hiding a terrible secret from his wife. He is having an affair with Jane's brother David. No longer able to handle lying to his family and in particular his sister, David decides to end the affair and instead turns to new love Sam. David's feelings for Sam soon turn to love and life appears to be pretty good for him. Jules however must wrestle with his conscience and his feelings for David. Putting his marriage at risk he must decide whether or not to come clean about the affair or accept that it is over and move on. A simple check up at the hospital changes everything. Who is affected? Well you will have to watch the movie to find but believe me it results in one of the best scenes in the movie and one that though quite intense, also has one of the funniest lines. For a first time feature film director and with a modest budget of approx £17,000, Leon Lopez has done an exceptional job and after seeing what he can do with such a small budget, one wonders what he could do with a budget of millions. No one performance can be singled out as all the cast members give outstanding performances. Daniel Brocklebank (Coronation Street, Doctors, Emmerdale) as Jules makes you really believe he is struggling to accept his homosexuality yet also manages to pull off a dangerous side of Jules's personality. There is one scene where Daniel is delivering his lines to Stacey (Laura Ainsworth) and with such a look on his face that I actually believed his character was going to attack her. Suzanne Collins (Brookside) as Jane is superb as the totally oblivious wife who believes she is the cause of Jules's increasing moods and stands out in the life changing scene. Jonny Labey (Eastenders) as David is a pure revelation in this film and definitely an actor destined for more. You really feel for his character even though what he has done is wrong. Having watched him in Eastenders, I believe that it is in this film that he shines and acts his socks off.